ASK almost anyone about Perth’s airport and the response is likely to be less than complimentary.
ASK almost anyone about Perth’s airport and the response is likely to be less than complimentary.
Mostly that view reflects those who travel by air and face parking problems, cramped check-in facilities and flight delays, but critics abound elsewhere, especially neighbours who have objected to industrial developments, noise and traffic congestion.
The long-term lease on federal land governed by the Commonwealth Airport Act has meant that Perth’s privately controlled monopoly has been outside usual planning processes that govern typical development sites in the state.
That has created the view of a rogue operator at odds with the community it services and lives with.
But it seems this perception has been acknowledged by the airport, which has sought to become more of a model citizen as part of its bid to gain federal approval for its latest development plans.
In approving the airport’s master plan, which sets out a 10-year, $2.4 billion investment program, Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese made it clear that the airport’s operators would have to take a number of steps to improve the way it engaged with nearby communities and responded to their concerns.
“In future, residents must be informed and consulted about all major changes to the airport’s operations and significant construction projects,” Mr Albanese said.
Last month, the airport operator revealed it had raised $950 million from financiers and shareholders to fund long-overdue expansion plans at the domestic and international terminals.
Its key plan is to build a $140 million Terminal WA next to the existing international facility to service regional WA services, which have been second-class citizens for years, as well as potentially catering to low-cost airlines JetStar and Tiger Airways.
A $75 million expansion of the existing domestic and international terminals, as well as an on-airport road linking the two terminal precincts, are also among the plans.
Acknowledging federal approval for its land-use plans, Perth Airport also conceded this week that it had to engage with the community outside its physical boundary.
“The master plan properly recognises that airport plans cannot be developed in isolation,” the airport said in a statement.
“The airport plans must integrate with Perth’s broader urban and infrastructure plans and, importantly take into account the impact of the airport on surrounding communities and the environment.”
However, Perth Airport CEO Brad Geatches also welcomed a greater degree of cooperation between the federal and the state governments, something that has at times appeared lacking when it came to pushing for the much-needed development of the terminals and road systems during the recent boom.
Mr Geatches noted the federal backing for the Perth Urban Transport and Freight Corridor Upgrade, a $350 million project that comes under Nation Building infrastructure program in the stimulus package. That includes removing bottlenecks at Tonkin Highway, which is one of the issues causing congestion at the airport.
