Wyong City Council has bought 230 hectares of land for the proposed Central Coast Regional Airport.
The $17 million purchase reserves 87 hectares for the airport itself, with the rest to be dedicated to commercial development and environmental offset.
The land bought is west of the Pacific Motorway just north of the existing Warnervale Airport, and butts up to the Buttonderry Waste Management Facility.
One single runway is proposed to take A320/B737-size aircraft, and is expected to inject $250 million into the local economy once it is operational.
“Securing this land now shows how serious we are about establishing a regional airport by 2020 to help grow the local economy and boost jobs on the Coast," said Mayor Doug Eaton.
“The Central Coast Regional Airport will be the hub of a business and logistics industry precinct representing a step change in employment opportunities in Wyong Shire, and will complement other airport services in the Sydney basin and Newcastle.
The prospect of a regional airport so close to Warnervale casts some doubt over the future of the current general aviation airport there.
Currently, the airport is leased to Central Coast Aero Club until 2021, but Wyong Shire Council has said the future for the existing airport and general aviation in the area is has not yet been determined, and the matter will be examined over the coming years.