9.4.1 PROPOSED
TURQUOISE COAST REGIONAL AIRPORT
Location: Jurien
Bay
Applicant: Shire
of Dandaragan
File Path: Business Classification Scheme / Land Use and
Planning / Planning / Strategic Plans
Disclosure of Interest: None
Date: 16 June 2014
Author: David Chidlow, Manager Planning
Signature of Author:
Senior Officer: Tony Nottle, Chief Executive Officer
Signature of Senior Officer:
PROPOSAL
For Council to receive and publically advertise the master
plan for the proposed Turquoise Coast Regional Airport.
BACKGROUND
The preparation of the master plan for the proposed
Turquoise Coast Regional Airport has undergone the following process.
Council successfully made an application to the Department
of Transport for a grant under the Regional Airports Development Scheme.
Expressions of interest to undertake the study closed on 9
October 2012. Council resolved to appoint Rehbein at the Ordinary Meeting of 22
November 2012.
An inception meeting was held 15 January 2013 and an
inspection carried out of several possible sites.
A second meeting with respect of the draft study took place
on 20 March 2013.
The draft document was presented to the Council Forum on 10 April
2013 and discussion took place in regard to the priorities as seen by Council.
Following discussion by Council the indication was that
Council preferred Site 1 being the existing Jurien Bay Airstrip for the preparation
of the Master Plan as the most suitable location for the development of the
Turquoise Coast Regional Airport to serve Jurien Bay and surrounding areas, for
the short to medium term.
The decision of Council at the Ordinary Meeting held 18
April 2013 was as follows:
In view of the Evaluation Criteria and the Recommendations contained
in the Turquoise Coast Regional Airport Site Assessment prepared by Rehbein,
that Council advertise all five proposed sites inviting submissions prior to
the preparation of a Master Plan and that Council finalise a preferred option
following the consultation process.
A summary document of the draft report was mailed out on 7
June 2013 to various ratepayers and government organisations.
Subsequently a public information forum was held on 11 July
2013 at which 10 members of the public attended plus several Councillors and
Staff. The interest shown by the public was disappointing. Following the
closure of the period for receiving of submissions, 13 submissions were
received.
A copy of the submissions received was also forwarded to Rehbein
and their comments were as follows:
The decision on which site Council prefers is entirely its prerogative,
and given the long duration which may eventuate between an alternative site is
required, then it may make sense to endorse a continuation of the status quo at
this stage.
However from a
planning perspective given that:
1. Site 1 is in reality limited in its ultimate capability,
this would seem to suggest public support for progressing the detail around
Site 2 for incorporation into necessary planning schemes to protect the site in
the long term, especially against encroachment from incompatible surrounding
land uses.
2. Site 1 will never be capable of accommodating some types
of potential aviation operations, therefore it cannot be guaranteed to
adequately serve the intended function of the Turquoise Coast Regional Airport
indefinitely; and
3. Site 2 is the only technically superior site to the
existing Jurien Bay Airstrip and the only one that is likely to be developable
at reasonable cost.
From a planning perspective, it is suggested that it would
be highly imprudent not to safeguard a possible airport at Site 2 at some time
(potentially 20+ years) in the future. If this option isn’t preserved, then the
Shire’s options for a future airport if and when the current facility eventually
becomes inadequate for the required operations and/or unacceptable from an
amenity impact perspective, are likely to be limited to non-existent.
The Council decision of 28 November 2013 was as follows:
That Council adopt Site 2 – Location 10600, Corner of
Munbinea Road and Jurien Road as its preferred location for the preparation of
a Master Plan for the Turquoise Coast Regional Airport.
A presentation of the draft Master-plan was given to
Councillors at the 22 May 2014 Council Forum.
After considering comments from Councillors and staff,
Rehbien have submitted the final draft of the report for Council.
Based on comments received Rehbien have made the following recommendations
for inclusion into the Master-plan.
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8.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
The Rehbein Airport Consulting report Turquoise Coast
Regional Airport Site Options Assessment, 16 April 2013 confirms the selected
site at the corner of Jurien Road and Munbinea Road as the most suitable of the
identified options for a future Turquoise Coast Regional Airport suitable to
serve a range of general aviation and passenger transport operations.
The preferred site is considered to be technically superior
to the alternatives against a range of aeronautical and non-aeronautical criteria
applicable to a modern airport, as well as likely to be the most cost-effective
to develop.
Due to the expected development timeframes for the airport,
which are very long-term in nature, the exact mix of operational requirements
that the airport must accommodate is not yet known, and may not be so for some
years to come. The Master Plan for the Turquoise Coast Regional Airport must
therefore incorporate flexibility to adapt appropriately to the reality of
demand as it eventuates.
This Master Plan report sets out a framework for the
physical development of the preferred site which allows flexibility for the implementation
of facilities in a staged manner to suit the extent and nature of demand as it
occurs. A number of safeguarding measures are identified in Section 7.0 and it
is recommended that these be incorporated within subsequent revisions of the
Local Planning Scheme to adequately preserve the capability of the selected
site to accommodate the operations associated with the Turquoise Coast Regional
Airport.
Nevertheless, there remain some potential issues with the
site that have been identified during the process to date. These should be further
investigated during the next stage of detailed planning and design to ensure
they are adequately addressed. In particular, these include:
·
Potential hazards from bird populations which
reportedly exist on and adjacent to the site. It is recommended that a detailed
study be undertaken by a qualified ornithologist to identify likely bird
behaviour, the potential risk that might be posed to aircraft operations at the
airport, and appropriate mitigation and management measures to minimise this
risk;
·
Appropriate physical investigation of the
proposed development areas to confirm design requirements for infrastructure
including aircraft pavements, access roads and development sites; and
·
Further detailed investigations into
environmental attributes of the site, including flora and fauna, cultural and
heritage considerations, stormwater flow and quality management to confirm the
acceptability of development on the site.
It is inevitable that the Master Plan will need to be
reviewed at regular intervals to ensure the detailed proposals continue to reflect
the changing needs of the Turquoise Coast and this should include careful
consideration prior to the initiation of any major development.
COMMENT
Negotiations will continue with the landowner of the
proposed site as resolved by Council at the 28 November 2013 meeting.
Prior to Council adopting the final report, it is
recommended that it be advertised to the general public.
CONSULTATION
·
Council
·
Chief Executive Officer
·
Deputy Chief Executive Officer
·
Manager Planning
·
Consultant
STATUTORY ENVIRONMENT
There are no statutory implications relevant to this item.
In the longer term it is hoped to show the adopted site on
planning documents.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
The decision of Council for the location of the proposed
Turquoise Coast Regional Airport will lock Council into the process over the next
five to 20 years.
FINANCIAL
IMPLICATIONS
Funding in the long term for the development of the
Turquoise Coast Regional Airport will be the matter of further investigation and
government funding.
STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS
·
Shire of Dandaragan Strategic Community Plan
2011 – 2021
5.15.1 GOAL NUMBER ONE: Strong Economic Base and Enabling
Infrastructure
OBJECTIVE 2: Ensure timely provision of essential and
strategic infrastructure to ensure investment and growth for the Shire is
maximized.
CODE: G1-O2-A5
STRATEGIES:
Assess feasibility and develop plan for Regional Airport via RADS application.
LINKS: SuperTowns
Growth Plan
TIME FRAME:
Medium
SCOPE: District
PARTNERS: DoT
ATTACHMENTS
Circulated with the agenda is the following item relevant to
this report:
·
Final version of Masterplan (Doc Id: 29603)
(Marked 9.4.1)
VOTING REQUIREMENT
Simple majority
OFFICER
RECOMMENDATION
That Council advertise the Master Plan for the proposed Turquoise
Coast Regional Airport for a period of 21 days in local newspapers and on the
Shire’s website.
