Archerfield Airport

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Locals rally against airport expansion

Locals rally against airport expansion
November 10, 2012 - 12:01AM
Katherine Feeney

The future of Archerfield Airport, including a $140 million industrial estate and expansion into a hub for fly-in fly-out workers, has been clouded by a legal battle brought by local business owners against Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese.

Archerfield Airport Chamber of Commerce Incorporated has launched an appeal in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal that claims Mr Albanese ignored the community in rubber stamping the 20-year master plan earlier this year.

The issue was the centre of debate at a public meeting on Wednesday that drew about 80 people and heard support for the airport's "blueprint for the future" to be shelved.

But Archerfield Airport Corporation general manager Corrie Metz, who requested to join with Mr Albanese to fight the appeal last month, said the chamber's actions would not deter his commitment to developing the site.

Mr Metz said the plan, approved in May, received more than 1000 submissions during the public consultation period began in December 2010.

"Everything was handled in a proper manner," he said. "Even so, just by the minister approving the plan doesn't mean that anything can go ahead.

"[Archerfield Airport Corporation] would still be required to submit a formal development plan and that would include another, full public consultation period, and we're committed to that."

A spokeswoman for Mr Albanese would not comment on the matter brought by the chamber against the minister.

"In approving Archerfield Airport's 2011 Master Plan, Minister Albanese insisted that the operators take further steps to better engage nearby communities on operational, planning and development matters," she said.

"It is inappropriate to comment further while proceedings before the AAT are continuing."

The AACCI declined to make any comment whatsoever regarding the issue when approached by Fairfax, citing legal reasons.

However the documentation lodged to the tribunal by the AACCI alleges Mr Albanese approved the plan "without due regard for the interests of airports users and the community".

The AACCI also alleges Mr Albanese and his department "dismissed the objections of many aviation stakeholders and the residents in the airport surrounding areas in approving the plan".

"The implementation of the new master plan will damage air commerce within the state of Queensland," the claim, which was lodged August 17, says.

"These and other relevant matters will be placed before the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, a legislative review body with oversight of federal legislation and with similar powers to the minister."

According to the organisation's website, the chamber represents the interests of aviation users, pilots, tenants, training and maintenance organisations and the Archerfield community.

Last year, the chamber raised several objections in response to the preliminary draft plan relating to proposed changes to the runways. The plan allows for two grass runways to be moved to higher ground, and the introduction of another 500 metre strip.

Mr Metz said Brisbane was a growing capital city and expanding airport capacity was integral to the city's future.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/locals-rally-against-airport-expansion-20121109-2935b.html

[ozbob]

In the category of Ripley's Believe or Not there was once a railway line than ran along the eastern side of Beatty Road to the quarry (Carr's Quarry) near the Mortimer Road corner.

http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/histcarr.htm

I quote from "Destination South Brisbane" by John Kerr and John Armstrong, published by the Australian Railway Historical Society, QLD Division, 1978. Page 27 and pages 73-76.

The train siding from Rocklea Station yard was 2 mile 34 chains completed in 1913. This began at the end of the former livestock siding at Rocklea station yard, ran parallel to the main line to near the site of the present day Nyanda platform [ closed 11/78] than headed south across Stable Swamp CK, and along the eastern edge of Beatty RD, past what is now Archerfield Aerodrome. It then turned south east to terminate at the Brisbane Blue Metal's Company's quarry. In 1914 a Mr Abercrombie was permitted to load logs on the siding [exact spot not stated]. The line was out of use by 1923 when W.J. Crabb was allowed to make use of the Rocklea end of it. The above book suggests the reason for the closure possibly due to exhaustion of the quarry.

[Jonno]

No doubt the residents around Archerfield Airport don't want it's exPansion but want freeways direct to the Brisbane Airport and stuff those impacted!!

[johnnigh]

From the article it doesn't look like the residents, but the embedded businesses who see their cosy little enclave being messed up by expansion of the airport with bigger businesses moving in.

I guess I should be bothered as a resident who sees so many helicopters and light planes over my place, well west of Archerfield. But i'll leave it to the Archerfield Aviation chamber of commerce.

Historical note: Archerfield was nearly Brisbane's main airport. When the Yanks arrived in '42 and were told the airfield was way out in the sticks at Archerfield, they simply said 'bugger that, we'll build a new one close to town and the port', thus Eagle Farm. Or so the story goes... True or not, it makes a good tale.

[duncang]

From what I understand one of the key issues is that the airport owners (AAC) are putting unreasonable conditions on leases e.g. requiring that any improvements made to the site by the lessee automatically become owned by AAC at the end of the lease, leaving little incentive for business owners to invest in their buildings etc.

The Fed govt really screwed up by effectively privatising the airports which are really critical national infrastructure.

The local airport ownership program, which transferred many regional airports to local councils, I would say has been somewhat successful, although many local councils now are struggling to justify ongoing investment, without imposing high user fees.