1998 Master
Plan
The following
extracts from the Report by Airplan touch on only the Most Basic Points
For a FULL HARD COPY contact your Local Progress Association
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HISTORY
Since the FIRST Airport Master Plan
was produced by G. H. & D. back in 1982,
there have been some 21 similar reports,
and they have ALL said basically the same thing;
“Sunshine
Coast Airport NEEDS an East/West Runway.”
Even in the latest (No.21) in which
Council attempted to pre-empt the final conclusion by it’s brief to the
consultant to “maximize the existing facilities” (Page 88) -- The bottom
line is;
“In the not too
distant future you’ll NEED an East/West Runway” (Page 89)
Unfortunately for us ALL, Council made
the wrong decision back in 1983 when it decided to upgrade the 18/36 runway
for $9.8M in preference to theRECOMMENDED
option of constructing the 13/31 Runway (And all it’s associated infrastructure,
terminal, parking etc.) for$10.3M. (Estimates
vide “1982 Master Plan F28 Upgrade” by G. H. & D.)
Yes - It’s easy to be wise in hindsight.
History has now proved how this short
term SAVING has been the root cause of all the present problems. (Including
the NOISE problem.)
But it now seems that Council is determined
to compound it’s mistake by persisting with upgrades of the 18/36 instead
of making a start on the 13/31 strip.
Indeed, some of the councilors who
made the initial 1983 decision are still in power and refuse to accept
that they did the wrong thing back then. Talk about
STUBBORN !
They are claiming that Council can’t
afford to waste money on an East/West strip and must therefore take the
CHEAPER option available. -- Just like they did
17 years ago.
The sad thing about this Dog
chasing it’s Tail scenario is that the $1/2M saved back in 1983
now will cost some $25M.
And if they procrastinate for another
10 years it will be more like $100M.
RECOMMENDATIONS
and OUTCOMES
The passenger traffic at the Sunshine Coast Airpot
is rorccast to treble in the ncxt 15 ycars to 79000 annual passenger movements
(with a peak hour throughput or 438 arriving and departing passengers).
The existing runway system can accommodate lhe forecast Growth in Trafic
for the next 15 year period (to 2013).
The parallel taxiway to runway 18/36 will require upgrading to a standard
to accommodate A320/B737 type aircraft (ultimalely to a full length parallel
taxiway).
The RPT apron parking area will require expansion from the present 4 parking
bays (for B737/A320) to 8 stands over the next 15 years.
Runway 13/31 and the associated infrastructure will not be required until
beyond 2013.
Land reservation and protection of all operational requirements for a future
runway 13/31 is required to allow for tile future development of the Sunshine
Coast Airport for wide body aircraft, longer range services, unrestricted
interstate operations and unrestricted regional international services.
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PLANNING ISSUES
Existing Runways Runway 18/36
Initial consultations at the commencement of the study with airport management
and Maroochy Shire Councillors, highlighted the need to investigate options
to
maximise use of the existing runway system to postpone expenditure on a
future runway system.
This may involve widening the runway from
its present 30 metre width to 45 metres and exploring possibilities for
lengthening the runway.
The existing runway, at 1,797 metres long,
is sufficient to allow operations by jet aircraft on sectors such as to
Sydney and Melbourne, although it is understood that the airlines operate
B737 services weight limited (without a full passenger load) on the hottest
days.
Proposed B737-300 operations to New Zealand (Freedom Air to Hamilton) would
also operate at a less than full passenger load due to the limited ranway
length.
Should Runway 18/36 be lengthened to Code 4 (1,800 metres or more) or widened
to 45 metres, a 300 metre wide strip would need to be provided to allow
non-precision (or precision) instrument approaches in accordance with RPA
requirements.
A 300 metre wide runway strip could only be
provided for Runway 18/36 if residential properties along the eastern airport
boundary were acquired as this boundary is located at approximately 150
metres from the runway centreline.
Lengthening of Runway 18/36 by some 150-200
metres could be provided to the north,within
the existing airport boundary.
A lengthening to the north could provide an increased take-off run for
take-offs to the south, which comprise some 70 percent of take-offs and
longer landing distances from the south.
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Runway End Zones
Australian and international regulations and recommendations
require the provision of safety zones at the ends of ranways.
These zones comprise two categories as outlined below.
Master planning for the Sunshine Coast Airport should provide for each.
Runway End Safety Area RESA
The RPA's define RESA's
as "areas of ground at each end of the runway, symmetrical about the extended
runway centreline and abutting the end of the runway, or stopway if provided".
The minimum length of a RESA is to be 90 metres for a runway suitable for
aircraft with a Code number 3 or 4 and used by RPT jet aeroplanes (as is
the case of the Sunshine Coast Airport). The width of the RESA should be
at least twice the width of the associated runway, ie. 60 metres for the
existing Runway 18/36 and 90 metres for a 45 metre wide ranway.
4
- It is noted that RESA's are currently
not provided at the ends of the existing Runway 18/36.
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Public Safety
Zones
The guidelines published by the Queensland Department
of Housing, Local Government and Planning (February 1993) "Planning for
Aerodromes and Other Aeronautical Facilities", suggest that a rectangular
shaped safety area, centred on the extended runway centreline and adjacent
to runway ends, be provided.
The Queensland guidelines are based on the types of aircraft that are intended
to be served at the airport in order to determine the dimensions of the
Safety Area.
For runways used by aircraft
weighing more than 5,760 kg and all jet aircraft, the safety areas adjacent
to runway ends should extend for 1,500 metres for a preferential take-offrunway
and 1,000 metres for other rumways. The width of the safety area should
be 450 metres (225 metres either side of the extended runway centreline).
The area is already fully developed with the number of residents
living in the public safety zone exceeding the upper limit recommended
by Department of Housing, Local Government and Planning (1993) guidelines.
AMENDMENT: The latest DRAFT (May 2000)
State Planning Policy has Reduced the size of the Public Safety Zone to
1000m x 350m wide. (But we are STILL well inside it).
Perhaps they should have also Amended
its Name to PUBLIC DANGER ZONE
Runway for Code
D Aircraft
The options available
to accommodate Code D aircraft (eg'B767) at the Sunshine Coast Airport
are to widen the existing ranway or to provide a new runway as proposed
in previous master plans.
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5 - Annual
Aircraft Movement Forecasts
RPT Forecasts
The major implications of the currently proposed Runway being relocated
to the proposed positioning of Runway 13/3 1 are outlined below.
Impact on Local Amenity
The altered Runway proposal (Runway 13/31) will require
aircraft to fly over previously unaffected residential areas. The changed
positioning of the runway is likely to result in a number of existing and
proposed residential areas being directly under the flight path of aircraft.
The impacts will be in particular relation to an increase in noise.
However, the change in
the orientation of the nmway and associated routes may result in several
other existing residential area having an increase in residential amenity
due to the flight paths being removed from their locality.
If reductions in the amenity of existing developed
or designated areas can be established, the Act sets out appropriate steps
to be taken by those who are adversely affected to claim compensation.
In the case of proposed amendment to the Strategic Plan or planning scheme,such
proposals must be advertised for public inputand
subject to final assessment by State and Local Governments before enactment.
Impact on Regional Capacity
of Sunshine Coast Airport
Inherent in both the SEQ 2001 Regional Framework for
Growth Management and the SEQ Integrated Regional Transport Plan is the
requirement that the Sunshine Coast Airport will increase in capacity,
efficiency and aesthetic impact on this area of the Sunshine Coast.
A Local Area Plan and
Local Planning Policy have been adopted to ensure that developmentdoes
not compromise the operation of the existing or future aeronautical facility.
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