Sunshine
Coast Airport
A
Solution
Index
Return
to AIRPORT INDEX PAGE
Following
the
Public Meeting at the Airport on Monday 29th. March 1999 concerning the
East/West Runway, it was patently obvious that;
Council had badly underestimated the depth of
public
feelings on this matter.
Even though
it
was RAINING.
And even though Council had been sure NOTto
publicize the event.
An estimated 400 local residents(Not
100 as reported in the media.) braved the
elements
to voice their concerns to the 8 Councillors and the C.E.O. Mr.
Kelvin
Spillerabout what is arguably THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE facing
Council
EVER.
Airport Master Plan Number
22
Since the FIRST Airport Master Plan 17 years ago
there
have now been some 21 similar reports, and they have ALL said basically
the same thing.
“We
NEED an East/West
Runway.”
Even in the
latest
(No.21) in which Council attempted to pre-empt the final conclusion by
its 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 $9.8Min
preference to the RECOMMENDED option of constructing the 13/31 Runway
(And
all its associated infrastructure, terminal, parking etc.) for $10.3M.
(Estimates vide
“1982
Master Plan F28 Upgrade” by G. H. & D.)
It’s easy to be wise in hindsight. - So why is
Council
STILL persisting with the 18/36 Runway ?
History has now proved how this short term SAVING has been the root
cause
of all the present problems. (Including the NOISE problem.)
A SUGGESTED
SOLUTION
or The FINAL SOLUTION
We are
fully
aware of the enormous expense involved in now trying to correct the
1983
mistake.
If Council
still wishes to proceed with a STAGED
DEVELOPMENTas
recommended in this latest Master Plan, the following short term
solution
may be a way out (For ALL of us) ;
The East/West Runway sould
be
commenced and constructed to a stage where it could share the RPT
traffic
up to and including the size of Sunstate's Shorts.
This could be done in such a manner as to be
PART of
the Futuristic 13/31 Runway if that dream was ever to be realized in
the
year of 2015 or beyond.
This would be a relatively
inexpensive,
short term solution to most of our present problems and,
in combination with a curfew would go a
long
way in restoring peoples faith in the Council
which aspires to be (among other things).........
“..The
most Caring Community in Australia.”
But it is now estimated
that
the 1st. Stage will cost a whopping $17,000,000-00 and it still won't
handle
the existing Jets.
What
can YOU do?
If you agree with the above
SOLUTION, you could help by WRITING
LETTERS
to; Council, Members of Parliament (both
State
and Federal), Ministers and the Papers and having a say in YOUR FUTURE
The NEW All Hours HOTLINE
for
COMPLAINTS is
5448 9618
or you can
call AirServices Australia through
The
Brisbane
Noise Enquiry Unit on
1300 302 240