The DC-2 will be restored by the Uiver Memorial Museum Group, which includes brothers Ivo and Pieter Mol, who two years ago failed to enter into a similar joint venture with Albury Council to resurrect the plane.

In a major turnaround, the council voted 8-1 last night to accept the group’s bid at the expense of a submission from Queensland Air Museum, which was recommended by council staff.

Mayor Alice Glachan and general manager Frank Zaknich will enter into talks with the group about the finer details of its bid, which includes getting the plane free of charge.

They include a request for council to provide a $300,000 interest-free loan to erect a storage hangar on council-owned land and a $30,000 yearly grant.

The group plans to restore the plane to static display standard within five years and have it housed in a purpose-built memorial hangar by 2022.

Cr Ross Jackson led the charge for the group to take control of the Uiver replica plane that has dogged the council for more than a decade.

“I am satisfied the council will be taking the correct course of action in accepting the Mol family proposal and have the airframe restored to static display condition and remain and teach Albury residents of the large role our city played in 1934,” Cr Jackson said.

“It is the same community spirit that got us the monument in the first place. It is time we fulfilled the legacy to these people who put this plane together 30 years ago.”

Cr Jackson’s comments were met with loud applause from a packed gallery.

Cr Glachan curiously spoke against the motion before voting for it. 

Cr Daryl Betteridge was the only one to vote against the motion.

He said the council was making a blunder.

“I have great empathy for the Uiver story but I don’t believe, in my heart, the DC-2 is integral to that,” he said.

“The importance is to ensure the oldest DC-2 airframe in the world is preserved and that will be done by giving it to an air museum.

“When the restoration is done it will have a facility to display it among like-artefacts.

“This DC-2, when restored, will be a standalone in Albury and will fail.”

Cr Thurley said the group’s plan was a win-win for council.

“If it falls over in the future ... We will have a fully restored DC-2 and I guess we could sell it to a Queensland museum for more than $1000,” he said.

The group estimates the completed Uiver museum will be valued at $1 million.