Council is seeking Tenders for lease of land at Benalla Airport. It is intended that the land be used for agricultural purposes. The total area for lease is approximately 73 hectares. The lessee will be responsible for the maintenance of all areas detailed as being available for hay production.

The Council strongly prefers the lessee to have a sound agricultural background with an understanding of sustainability and the adverse impacts caused from chemical residues, weed seed and soil health. The lessee will need to have 2016-2017 pasture cut, baled and machinery removed prior to the World Gliding Championship held at Benalla Airport 20 December 2016 to 30 January 2017.

The Council will also be delivering State and Federal works in the Benalla Airport surrounds that may impact the Lessee. The impacts may include dust, reduced days of activity and times of chemical application. The Council reserve the right to deny cereal cropping in this lease due to the hazard birds present to aircraft from the attraction of seed when sowing or after harvesting.

The Council requires hay production only, with a preference for rye and clover. The lessee is to leave the hay production area in a tidy manner which may require the slashing of land adjacent to hay production area to a height less than 300mm for the duration of term. The hay production area inside the Benalla airport is termed Airside.

Any person entering airside must be inducted by an authorised Airport Reporting Officer (ARO). All vehicle or machinery entering airside must have a visible orange flashing or rotating beacon attached to top of plant or vehicle.