A day in the life of a Community Engagement Advisor

As a Community Engagement Manager I spend my days talking to the community, taking bus tours and school excursions around the airport or doing community and school presentations. On weekends you will find me at fetes and festivals or judging cake shows and dog shows. 

No two days are the same and it is this eclectic mix of working alongside the community and at an airport that keeps me coming back each day. It is exciting being able to introduce the residents of Brisbane to the many different parts of Brisbane Airport.

One of my favourite moments was taking a group of primary school children who had never seen a plane before to see the Air Canada Dreamliner take off. This is something I will never forget. The screams and roaring laughter still comes rushing back when I think about it.

10 surprising things you didn't know about Brisbane Airport

People are often surprised about what's going on out here at the airport. Here are the top ten facts that blows residents minds:

1. Brisbane Airport is its own suburb with its own post code - 4008.
2. Nearly 24,000 people work at the airport across 425+ different business.
3. Brisbane Airport is the largest capital city airport by land size at 2,700 hectares. That is nearly double the size of Brisbane CBD.
4. Our bathrooms are award-winning! There are assistance animal bathrooms at the International Terminal and we even won the International Toilet and Tourism Award for them.
5. Brisbane Airport has a $10 million public art collection. Highlighted by the eight story high Ned Kahn artwork on the front façade of the Domestic Terminal Car Park. Replicating the Brisbane River, this piece is made up of 220,000 small metal pieces.
6. We have given $5 million over the last 5 years back in partnerships and philanthropic donations.
7. Over 5 million coffees per year are served at the Domestic and International Terminals.
8. Eight European honey bee hives call Brisbane Airport home as part of our 285ha dedicated biodiversity zone.
9. Brisbane Airport is the best connected airport domestically in Australia with 50 destinations to fly to.
10. We are home to the Southern Cross memorial, the aircraft that Sir Kingsford Smith flew across the pacific ocean in 1928.

Top 9 questions we answer everyday about Brisbane Airport

Question: Can I get a tour of the Air Traffic Control Tower?

Answer: Airservices Australia operate the Brisbane Air Traffic Control Tower and currently don't run tours. For the best view of the runway and all the action visit the Acacia Street Plane Spotting Loop. 

Question: How can I get a job working at the Airport?

Answer: With nearly 24,000 people working at Brisbane Airport, across 425 business, the airport is a great place to work. All different businesses hire their employees directly so check out LinkedIn, Seek and other employment agencies for opportunities.

Question: Is it true you’re building an Auto Mall?

Answer: Yep! BNE Auto Mall is under construction and will be a 2.5km Mark Skaife designed performance track with a mix of car dealerships, a four wheel drive test facility with advance driver training. 

Question: Is there any public transport to the airport?

Answer: Yes, there are many public transport options to get to the airport with a little bit of extra planning including AirTrain, the 590 Brisbane City Council Bus with a Terminal Transfer bus change at Skygate plus bike paths and bike biking for the cyclists amongst us. 

Question: I don’t want to pay to park, can I wait for my guests anywhere for free?  

Answer: We have great places where you can wait to pick up your guests for free including the Kingsford Smith Memorial and BNE Service Centre. Check out all the free waiting areas.  

Question: When is the new runway opening?

Answer: The new runway is on track to open mid-2020. Construction is well underway with the final layers being added to the runway surface, landscaping and airfield works. 

Question: How long is the new runway?

Answer: Brisbane’s new runway is 3.3kms long and 60m wide. It is also 3.5m deep made up of a mix of sand, crushed rock and asphalt. 
 

Question: Will you be building a new terminal?

Answer: Yes but not quite yet! There is land allocated for a third terminal at Brisbane Airport in our master plan. This will be built when it is needed and that is not expected in the immediate future.

CREDITS

• Feature image by: The Brisbane Airport team at the Teneriffe Festival talking to the community about all things BNE.
• Want to talk to the Brisbane Airport team about Brisbane's new runway or flight paths? The Mobile Information Centre will be hitting the road and could be in your community or at a festival near you soon. Check out the community schedule.
• Find out more about how we work with the community.
• Continue your look behind the scenes of Brisbane Airport.