Brisbane Airport Corporation hits the name Eagle Farm for six: Jim Carden's plan to scrap Queensland aviation history

Brisbane Airport Corporation's
Executive Manager Jim Carden
wants to dump an important
part of Queensland history from
the Brisbane Airport


It was disturbing to read the report in the City North News of 15 July 2010 that the Brisbane Airport Corporation is unhappy with its current suburb name of Eagle Farm under the Queensland Place Names Act and wants to change the name of the suburb surrounding the area to "Brisbane Airport".

 

And who is leading this idiotic charge - none other than BAC's usual spokesman Jim Carden.

 

Good one, Jim!

 

Jim seems to have a habit of regularly attracting the wrong sort of media attention. 

 

Just look at the recent debacle when the BAC unilaterally closed part of the vehicular drop-off area at the domestic terminal, creating one of the biggest traffic jams seen at the airport for many years.

 

That was called a "solution" one day and scrapped the very next day after Jim apparently realised his blunder.

 

How could you possibly solve a parking problem by blocking off half the car parking bays?

A few weeks before that, the Brisbane Airport became the laughing stock of the world when television reports around the globe showed cab drivers being arrested after complaining about the lack of taxi parking at the airport.

 

Now, everyone knows that Jim's ego is estimated to be as big as a couple of 747s but this latest stunt to dump the name Eagle Farm is nothing short of a disgrace.

 

Next, Jim Carden will want his own local government and the title of mayor to run his own personal fiefdom.

 

This latest move is utterly offensive to every decent, fair-minded Queenslander.

 

The name Eagle Farm is synonymous worldwide as the home of aviation in Queensland.

 

Eagle Farm was first used as a landing strip in 1922 and became the home of Qantas in Brisbane in 1926.

 

On 9 June 1928, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm and two others landed in the Southern Cross at Eagle Farm airport at the end of the first crossing of the Pacific Ocean from Oakland, California.
 
16,000 people rushed to Eagle Farm to greet the Southern Cross.

 

Now, Jim Carden wants to dump this important link to the City of Brisbane into the depths of Moreton Bay.

 

Jim, you are out of your depth on this issue and it's about time you read and understood the important history of the Eagle Farm airport and its contribution to the City of Brisbane.

 

One scintilla of decency would see this crazy plan dropped immediately.

Jim, you are invited to have your say on this sensitive issue so that the people of Queensland can understand what is driving you with such desperation to abandon the name of Eagle Farm for the Brisbane Airport.

 

Your response is only an email click away.

 

 

This is the full online City North News report:

We want more: Darren Chambemain, Sarah Weldon, Hayley Cook.

BRISBANE Airport wants to follow in Teneriffe's footsteps and become an official suburb.

Brisbane Airport Corporation spokesman Jim Carden said they were applying to the State Government to change the area's name.

He said a variety of suburbs were currently used by businesses in the area including Eagle Farm, Hendra and Pinkenba.

``It's about clarity for hundreds of businesses in the airport,'' Mr Carden said.

``You've got 17,000 people and that workforce will effectively double in 20 years.''

Other cities have recognised their airports as suburbs or localities including Melbourne and Adelaide.

The name Brisbane Airport has also not been attached to a postcode, making it the only major mainland airport not to have its own digits.

``Brisbane Airport not only deserves this formal recognition, but more importantly the services of a post office to service this growing workforce,'' Mr Carden said.

``Formal recognition of the location is required by Australia Post to enable such postal services to be secured.''

He said they were not looking to compete with the CBD.

``I think it's about building our identity as a place of significance in Brisbane.''

There are 320 businesses in the area.

Significant institutions like the Royal Brisbane Hospital and the University of Queensland are other places with their own postcodes.