Article: Work on second Brisbane Airport runway to begin this year

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Work on second Brisbane Airport runway to begin this year

Work on second Brisbane Airport runway to begin this year
Tony Moore
February 15, 2012 - 3:00AM

Work to build Brisbane Airport's second runway will begin after July this year, with the $1.3 billion project expected to be completed in seven years time.

Construction on the runway, which was approved in 2007, has been delayed by financing issues blamed on the Global Financial Crisis.

Brisbane Airport Corporation has also had to accommodate a rare threatened bird in the area by setting aside extra land for the Lewin's Rail.

CEO Julianne Alroe confirmed yesterday that work to build the 3300 metre runway bed into Moreton Bay will start in the second half of 2012.

"Because of the quality of the land at the airport, which is an old river mouth, it will be a very long and slow build," she said.

"The first stages of the runway will start at the end of this year and we expect to see the runway in operation by 2020.

"The first phase of construction involves site preparation, drainage works and service relocation. Sand extraction is expected to start in mid-2013."

Originally Brisbane Airport Corporation set aside 38 hectares of wetlands to help preserve the habitat of the "threatened" and elusive Lewin's Rail.

However further research revealed the area set aside did not allow suitable "vegetation corridors' for the water bird, which has rarely been seen by researchers.

An additional 11 hectares of land near Kedron Brook was provided in August 2001.

Brisbane's second runway will be the first in Australia funded entirely by the Brisbane Airport Corporation, a government-backed private organisation managing the airport.

Approvals for the 3300-metre long, 60-metre wide parallel runway were obtained in 2007, but changes to the length were only finalised in February 2011.

Ms Alroe said finance for the first stage of the new runway project had now been secured.

"We are working through all the commercial arrangements at the moment," she said.

"We have a forecast cost in 2020 dollars of around $1.3 billion.

"We believe it will be one of the first runways to be built by a private company."

Brisbane Airport Corporation will raise the money for the project from a mixture of diverse equity and debt contributions, she said.

"Last year we went into the US property placement market and we raised about $300 million there," she said.

"And we also did an Australian bond issue, and we raised about an equivalent amount.

"So we were very happy with that progress, Queensland assets are very well regarded."

The new runway means major changes to the Kedron Brook Floodway Plain, with permanent drains being built to the north and south of the runway.

Sand to build up the runway comes from Middle Banks in Moreton Bay.

The total sand used, about 15 million cubic metres, is one per cent of all the sand in Moreton Bay.

This sandbar provided the sand for the previous expansion of the airport.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/work-on-second-brisbane-airport-runway-to-begin-this-year-20120214-1t4aw.html

White elephant?

[Stillwater]

It is interesting that the Brisbane Airport Corporation, a private company, should look at the financing for this $1.3 billion project on the basis of its actual cost in 2020, not today's dollars.  This is sensible financial planning and represents the true cost of the runway at the point when construction ends.

Contrast that with the Queensland Government's financial planning that establishes the cost of a project in today's dollars and takes planning forward without allowing for inflation and material/wages cost rises over time.  Connecting SEQ 2031 (2051?) is a $125 billion plan in today's dollars.  It does not take into account the eventual cost of numerous major projects that will be built in the years 2025 to 2031.  When it eventually does, the government follows a pattern of reassessing the costs, finding that they are substantially higher, then deferring the projects into the next edition of the Connecting SEQ document.

By insisting that the cost of a project to be built 10 years down the track will be the price that's estimated today, the government consistently sets itself up for a fall.  Its alternatives are to defer a project (kick the can down the road) or build only that portion of the planned works that the available money will buy, with the result being a piecemeal construction process, a la Ferny Grove Line fits-and-starts duplication.  Alternatively, the project is scaled back to the el cheapo version, requiring additional work (and money) in a few years time.

This failure to budget adequately for the true cost of each project at the point when work finishes lies at the heart of the failed Connecting SEQ Whatever Year process.  Let's hope, though, that the government has got the costing right for CRR.  What happens, for instance, if it gets $8 billion for CRR and the true cost is $10 billion?  Does it kick in some of its own money (it wants all of the cost to come from the feds), or cut out a station, or take other steps to scale back the works, thus building inadequacy into the network that must be rectified, inevitably, at a future date?

The government should take heed of the private sector's costing of major infrastructure before a polly grabs a shovel to plunge it into the ground, marking the start of works.

[somebody]

White elephant?

Not so sure.  I'm not at all convinced that we've reached peak flying, so this runway could see a bit of use.  I've had to wait for ATC in BNE a couple of times.  This is sure to increase until 2020.

[Mr X]

Well I guess it's better to model future growth and build before it's needed rather than hit the issue QR has reached where we've run out of capacity and a solution won't be complete for years.

[Cam]

What about Amberley?

Construction of a commercial terminal at Amberley on the eastern side of the runway around Old Toowoomba Rd & required taxiways would be considerably cheaper than the $1.3 billion to construct a second runway at Brisbane Airport. Amberley is a more convenient location for those wanting to travel to/from Ipswich, Toowoomba, Lockyer Valley & the south-western suburbs of Brisbane. A bus service could be provided from the Ipswich CBD that could meet every rail service to/from Brisbane in the off peak.

Last year I asked my local federal MP why Amberley cannot be used for commercial flights whilst Williamtown (Newcastle) & Townsville both are but I never received a response. The mayor of Ipswich has stated that they are trying to find a suitable site but from discussions he has had, he knows that it will not be at the RAAF base. It appears that the RAAF don't want commercial flights using the runway at Amberley &/or the airspace around it & no one in a high enough position will stand up to the RAAF.

Airlines ARE interested in flying to/from another airport in the Brisbane region which would provide much needed competition for the overpriced & congested Brisbane Airport. Apparently, a small runway is to be constructed at Gatton but it won't be long enough for jets typically used by Virgin Blue & Jetstar. The operators of Archerfield are seeking approval for an extension to their runway to allow for larger aircraft but there are many hurdles before the likes of Jetstar & Virgin Blue can operate regular flights to Sydney, Melbourne, Carins, Townsville & other Queensland destinations from Archerfield. I think that there would be a large protest from residents in the northern part of Acacia Ridge, Sunnybank Hills, Oxley & possibly even the Centenary suburbs if a proposal to allow commercial jets to use Archerfield was put forward.

A commercial terminal could be constructed outside the RAAF perimeter if needed. Can anyone provide a reasonable explanation why commercial & RAAF aircraft can coexist at Townsville & Williamtown but not at Amberley?

[#Metro]

It would be great to have a commercial Airport out at Amberly. You could have a nice star of airports

Sunshine Coast Airport (please put this on the rail line)
Gold Coast Airport
Ipswich Airport (serving Springfield and Ips and the like)
Brisbane Airport

Understandably though, having Amberly as a RAAF base is really important for the defence of the city, and that has got to take precedence.
That said, is there space for a airport out west?

[somebody]

What are the numbers of military movements at the respective airports?  I understand that the RAAF view Amberley as a "super base".  Perhaps not so much Williamtown or Townsville.

Amberley is much close to BNE than MCY which sees little traffic.  I'm not sure why QF or DJ would be very interested in serving it.  Perhaps TT or JQ, but even those I'm sceptical about.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Simon, that information isn't publicly available as its not a fixed movement compared to commercial airports. Its a military base so they can operate any size, multiple aircraft from domestic and international airforces at anytime day or night that in a commercial sense would be classified as dangerous at a minutes notice which is why it was eligable for an emergency runway for the space shuttle. Amberley is never going to happen as its a military base located with a millitary control zone. Ipswich is located in this zone. No commercial aircraft are allowed into that airspace without prior permission and the RAAF have the right to prevent any air traffic from using its airspace at anytime. All aircraft are banned from flying over 4500ft and must have prior permission from Amberly before entering this zone and permission to ascend above 4500ft+. Aircraft bound for Archerfield, Brisbane International and Domestic have strict instructions and procedures that they must adhere to on approach and departure as airlines can receive penalties from the CASA (fines/suspension-removal of lisences) for breaking these procedures and flying in the military control zone.

[somebody]

Simon, that information isn't publicly available

That's what I figured.

[Golliwog]

Either way, the gist I got from the brief overview we got from the presentation the BAC guy gave our advanced transport systems class last semester was that this was a well planned project, and based on their growth, will be needed by the time it's built, or soon after.

[SurfRail]

Amberley is only going to get busier in future.  33 SQN is re-equipping with tankers and will be based there, and there is good chance RAAF Richmond will eventually close and the Hercules fleet will be relocated here as well.  I very much doubt civil aviation has a role there, particularly when Brisbane and Archerfield are already available.