A DECISION on Moorabbin Airport’s draft master plan is imminent.
The draft master plan was rejected by the previous federal government last year. An amended proposal was submitted by the Moorabbin Airport Corporation on 28 June, and an outcome is expected within the next week.
Kingston Council has been critical of the draft plan. The mayor Hadi Saab says that transparency has been lacking, and that consultation was not sufficient.
“The federal government is due to rule on the master plan at any time, yet neighbouring residents have no idea how their homes may be impacted and aviation businesses on the site have been left in the dark about their future,” Saab said. “This is clearly unfair. One of the reasons the first draft was refused was due to a lack of consultation. How can anyone say there has been consultation when key stakeholders have not been shown any new designs since the first draft was refused.
“We are simply calling for development at Moorabbin Airport to be properly managed in a way that protects aviation at the site, respects neighbouring homes and does not increase safety risks at the site. Buildings should be located away from homes and should leave plenty of open space for emergency landings.”
The Moorabbin Airport Corporation has defended its processes. Moorabbin Airport CEO Paul Ferguson said the master plan “is a result of extensive consultation with the airport’s stakeholders. Through the master plan process, we held in excess of 300 consultations, and continue to meet with customers through safety forums, individual meetings and through the community aviation consultation group which is held quarterly and open to community bodies and government agencies by invitation, including the City of Kingston.”
“Following stakeholder feedback, the airfield layout and western boundary of the main apron remains unchanged as approved under the master plan 2015,” he said.
The amount of land set aside for non-aviation purposes has been the focus of criticism. Ferguson says that non-aviation development is essential to the airport’s future ambitions.
“Non-aviation development underpins the viability of the airport’s aviation operations. It continues to subsidise future investment in the airport’s aviation activities, including generating direct employment for the region – forecast to increase from 6,500 today to 9,050 in 2029,” he said.
“Our ‘non-aviation development plan’ demonstrates our commitment to the future. It responds to change as we seek to improve the facilities, amenities and infrastructure of our site through positive development to create a vibrant urban destination that safeguards the airport’s future. New development has been planned to complement off-airport activity and is consistent with the City of Kingston planning framework.”
The mayor Hadi Saab said that the final plan should include more allowances for aviation activity. “We have been pleased to meet with [infrastructure minister Catherine] King twice to raise concerns and we hope that a master plan is not approved until proper consultation occurs and that the plan is safe, sets aside more space for existing and future aviation activities and includes buffer zones between warehouses and neighbouring homes,” he said. “There is a strong history of refusing inappropriate airport development with Anthony Albanese previously refusing master plans for both Bankstown (2011) and Canberra (2008) airports and blocking plans for inappropriate commercial development here at Moorabbin Airport (2013). An airport and the industries on it are not something you can easily replace.”
Moorabbin Airport Chamber of Commerce president Rob Simpson said, “aviation businesses are being pushed out in favour of warehouses.”
“There is a global pilot shortage and now is the perfect opportunity to boost strong pilot training services, but businesses have no certainty they will have any room at the airport,” he said.
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 30 August 2023