Page 3640 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 26 August 2008
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residents in those neighbourhoods. They have not just moved in recently and we as an Assembly need to give regard to their position.
MR GENTLEMAN (Brindabella) (4.43): I would like to thank Dr Foskey for raising this matter of public importance today. It provides an opportunity to further discuss and provide an update on a number of matters related to the Canberra International Airport that have been raised publicly and in the Legislative Assembly over a number of months.
As the Minister for Planning clearly stated, the Australian government has principal responsibility for developments at all federally leased airports, which includes Canberra airport. The commonwealth Airports Act 1996 establishes a comprehensive framework for the regulation of the 22 federally leased airports. The areas of regulatory control cover: leasing and management; ownership and control of airport companies; land use, planning and building controls; environmental management; protection of airspace; control of on-airport activities; pricing and quality of service; and access and demand management.
The sale and lease arrangements also give effect to important elements of the regulatory arrangements, including a requirement that the airport lessee companies develop the airport sites to high standards to meet the actual and anticipated growth in aviation traffic.
As the long-term lessee of Canberra airport, the Capital Airport Group is responsible under the commonwealth Airports Act for the development of the airport. The act requires an airport operator to prepare a master plan for the airport site, setting out a strategic planning framework for a 20-year period. Master plans require updating every five years or earlier, if requested by the minister for transport.
Canberra International Airport’s preliminary draft 2008 master plan sets out a vision for the airport’s growth over the next 20 years. The master plan is a requirement under the commonwealth Airports Act 1996 and its purposes are to: establish a strategic direction for efficient and economic development at the airport over the next 20 years; provide for the development of additional uses at the airport site; indicate to the public the intended uses of the airport site; and reduce potential conflicts between users of the airport site.
Key elements of the master plan include: developing new integrated airport terminal facilities; maximising business opportunities for non-aeronautical on-airport employment and business growth; developing a 24-hour passenger and freight hub; and establishing a base for regional or national airlines and a significant aircraft maintenance centre.
There has been a significant level of public and media interest in the new plan—not too long ago Dr Foskey sponsored a forum here on the new plan—including public meetings on the airport’s new draft preliminary 2008 master plan. I am advised that a total of 123 submissions, including 22 late submissions, were received. The airport is now considering those submissions, as required by the commonwealth Airports Act 1996, prior to submitting a draft master plan to the federal minister for consideration.
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