Moorabbin Airport Masterplan rejected - 31/3/22

[turboplanner]

The Tenant's Masterplan which would have continued the trend towards industrial development has been rejected - Press Release by Cr Steve Staicos, Mayor of City of Kingston which campaigned in favour of aviation.

 

This is the video made by the City of Kingston in support of aviation.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUt6Lpi75XM

 

 

WX00195.docx

Edited March 31, 2022 by turboplanner

[Jerry_Atrick]

Who would have thought leasing out prime development quality land to developers would result in them wanting to overstep the mark and push the boundaries? According to this article, DFO at Essendon airport was built closer than Australian and international guidelines to the runway: https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/dogfight-over-space-at-moorabbin-airport-as-users-fear-sidelining-of-aviation-20220418-p5ae57.html (if you don't have a subscription, open in private mode and it should be OK).

 

Developers are there to extract every possible cent from their investment for the benefit of their shareholders and bonuses. As interviewees in the above article state,  Goodman will do everything they can to squeeze out aviation - and when Moorabbin Airport is under-utilised, they will hope to present a case to shut it down in deference to re-development. Often, in these agreements, there will be some armageddon clause so that it can happen should income from the airport become unsustainably low (assuming the development company receive the income).

 

This is what is now happening all over the UK. Google Sutton Harbour Holdings Plymouth Airport, and they let the airport fall into such disrepair that the then main airline there had to move to Exeter. If not for some resourceful private pilots, it would be a new housing estate by now. The ongoing fight has been hard fought, but the local council now are tiring of it, and are signalling their switch from supporting the airport (they ironically leased out) to sweeping it all under the carpet and allowing it through.

 

Abermale was sold the lease to Fairoaks airport, which used to be my home airport. It has taken them a whiile, but they have now evicted all the tenants (with a twist of fate, they don't own the runway - but in their plan, the ruynway would be turned to a park). The land they do own is probably worth about £15m in its current state, but with approval for houses and a "garden" village, land alone would be worth about £120m - £150m. 

 

What really made me mad  in my last trip to Aus was how over-developed Moorabbin had become. These are community assets, and provided a great place to take kids to do a bit of plane spotting, where parking was easy (no longer is despite the claim of more car parking spaces), and had picnioc benches and a dated playground. All replaced by concrete square buildings..

 

Unlike here, there is plenty of development space in Aus... Braeside is only next door, as is the stretch between Dingley and Noble Park...

[RossK]

The strip at Phillip Island was bought by a deveopler with the intent to close it all and put houses on it. Council rejected the plan apparently.

So the developers response was to stop maintaining it and put crosses at the end. It's now a heliport only strip.

Why he doesn't develop it into an airpark is beyond me, that way he would get some return from it an keep the strip active.