ALBURY Citizens and Ratepayers Movement has pledged to keep fighting to retain the Uiver memorial plane.
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Spokesman John Emmery said he expected Cr Ross Jackson to stand up for the Uiver when its fate will be determined within the first term of the newly elected council.
Albury Council will restart an expressions of interest process for the disposal of the aircraft when it votes on a planning and development committee recommendation not to prepare a case for listing as an item of local heritage significance.
The committee, which included Cr Jackson, voted unanimously on Monday night to reject the local listing.
Cr Jackson led the ratepayers’ ticket at the council election in September.
The lobby group has been a long-standing supporter of retaining the Uiver.
“Ross is clearly for the preservation of the Uiver and clearly for looking after the interests of ratepayers,” Mr Emmery said.
“I have every confidence in Ross.
“The councillors have been bamboozled because who is talking about moving museum pieces out to a multi-million- dollar hangar at the Albury Airport?
“All we want to do is build a hangar which will be an asset to the community and put the Uiver in there.”
Cr Jackson said on Monday the community wanted to see action on the Uiver.
“We do have to move on and do something with the plane as soon as possible whether that is internal or external of Albury Council,” Cr Jackson said.
“It is an issue that has plagued us for a while.
“Hopefully we can take the information and make the right decision for the Uiver.”
Mr Emmery said the ratepayers’ movement had supported a group headed by Jeff Sawyer that wants to restore and display the plane.
“It is a sustainable, intelligent plan,” Mr Emmery said.
“We just want to build a hangar first.
“It will be built by the community and just to house the plane to stop it deteriorating.
“You can build a hangar for $250,000 and we’ve got quotes.”