You’ll soon be able have a coffee while waiting for your flight at Griffith Regional Airport. Photo: Griffith City Council.
Those waiting for often delayed REX and Qantas flights departing Griffith Airport will soon be able to treat themselves to a hot coffee, after the local council approved the installation of a vending machine at the facility.
The decision was made despite an objection from councillor Tony O’Grady, who felt the arrangement was a bad deal for the council and too favourable for the vendor.
Griffith Council has agreed to enter into a licence agreement with VinCo Consulting Pty Ltd for the installation of the coffee vending machine at the airport for one year, with an option to renew for a further year. The vendor will be charged an annual licence fee of $278.70 per annum.
Mayor Doug Curran said the option of having a proper physical cafe at the airport had been explored in the past but wasn’t considered viable.
Council staff said the addition of a coffee vending machine would enhance the experience of travellers and “complement existing services and provide a broader range of refreshment options available within the terminal”. It also provides a sweetener to those upset by the introduction of paid parking at the airport by June 2026.
In July 2025, the owner of VinCo approached council expressing an interest in installing a commercial-grade coffee vending machine within the airport terminal. This proposal was approved by the council-run Airport Committee and endorsed by the council itself last year.
Cr O’Grady, who is on the committee, said full details of the proposal were not provided to him when that decision was made.
“I’m not comfortable with the decision looking back. I think when you make a poor decision you shouldn’t continue making a poor decision,” he said.
“If you look at other airports and what they charge, it’s a similar fee or more and they also take a percentage of the sales.
“We are giving someone the opportunity to earn six figures in profit and we’re not going to even [cover] our costs.”
Mayor Curran acknowledged the concerns but said the decision had already been made, so it was too late to reverse course.
“The purchasing of the vending machine has already taken place … we are doing a trial and if it costs us more than we are getting for it we will have to adjust our revenue policy,” he said.
Prior to the meeting, Cr O’Grady submitted questions to council staff to find out more about the costs of the arrangements and who would benefit.
“Council receives on average 70,000 passengers per year travelling through the Griffith Regional Airport,” the response stated.
“The operator of the coffee vending machine has advised that the machine can make approximately 150 cups per day with 200 ml of water used per cup. This equates to 0.03 kL per day, which is 10.95 kL per year. Based on council’s water consumption charge equates to $9.50 per year.
“The operator of the coffee vending machine has advised that the electricity generation for the machine to operate is based on a 240V 10 amp capacity, which would use an average of 15 kWh per week. This equates to 780 kWh per year, which based on average electricity rates in NSW of 40.4 c/kWh equates to $315 per year. Council did not go out to the public for an expressions of interest (EOI) for the coffee vending machine. Council had received an enquiry from a community member regarding the potential installation of a fully automated coffee vending machine within the Griffith Airport terminal which was reported to the Airport Committee on the 27 August 2025.”
Cr O’Grady was the only councillor to vote against the motion, which was passed.
An installation date for the vending machine is yet to be announced.
