Flying with clipped wings

How many times and an exorbitant amount of money has to be spent on an airport Master Plan? The current plan raised at last night's Council meeting is attempt number four of a pipe dream that will do nothing more than squander money in an attempt to pander to a privileged few.

13 December 2023

ALAN HAYES

 

IN 2021 the Grapevine reported on the machinations of Council to push forward with a regional airport when Jamie Barclay, Council’s Unit Manager Economic Development and Property, claimed at a public forum that the airport would provide at least 5000 jobs, a claim that could not be backed up and proved to be a furphy.

Previous Warnervale airport master plans have failed to deliver on claims that building a regional airport on the Central Coast was workable because Council’s own consultants didn’t consider the scheme viable, yet millions of dollars continue to be spent on consultants and maintaining an airport master plan staff structure.

 

Councils current argument for the expansion of Warnervale Airport is that it will be a key regional infrastructure project, which will provide enhanced air transport options and a benchmark for environmentally sensitive and sustainable development in the region.

 

The Grapevine reported in 2021 claims by Council that they had been in contact with the General Manager of Bankstown and Camden Airports, because they would lose airspace with the building of Badgerys Creek Airport. It was also suggested by Council that Warnervale would pick up those businesses who were dependent on Bankstown and relocate to the Central Coast, providing an economic boom for our region.

 

Council Administrator Rik Hart said at last night's Council meeting that Illawarra Airport was upgrading its facilities, so we need to "get some of the activity from Sydney - so if we get going, we'll get some of that action."

 

Investigation by the Grapevine and a telephone conversation with the Bankstown-Camden General Manager in 2021, after a letter was received from him by Mr Laurie Eyes, then President of the Central Coast Airport Resistance Group, suggested otherwise. The Grapevine was advised that such an approach or conversations with Central Coast Council never took place and were further advised that required airspace for Bankstown and Camden to operate would be provided for in the Badgerys Creek master plan. After all, isn’t that what air traffic controllers are for?

 

The fact that the Airport Master Plan is being placed before the community just prior to Christmas, when people are away or otherwise engaged, has all the hallmarks of a ruse to stack the deck in favour of airport proponents.

 

Had the Master Plan been placed on exhibition before the community earlier in the year, with good media release (in fact there hasn’t been any media release on this proposal) and giving the community a reasonable time to respond, the result may well have been drastically different – especially from those homeowners directly impacted by an expanded airport as outlined in the plan. This would have been the case if we had an elected Council but instead democracy is denied.

 

Central Coast resident Mike Campbell OAM said at last night’s Council meeting “residents would have wondered about flight paths that are not mentioned in this plan.”

 

“They would have queried what commercial attraction has been garnered since the WAR Act was repealed three years ago. The answer is none. They would have said that expansion of aviation industries is speculative and how much ratepayers money will be syphoned into this speculative plan. There are no costings mentioned in the plan,” he said.

 

"There is no direct mention of the name Porters Creek in the plan, nor its significance or size, or any mention of an ironclad conservation agreement, despite what was said in public recently.

 

“We recognise this area if we read below Figure 5  but there are NO NUMBERS on any page of the Plan to truly identify anything.”

 All that is mention is “Wetlands and significant vegetation encroaching on RWY 02 southern end”.

 

In reference to the C2 Zone, which does exist around the airport, again on an UN-NUMBERED page at “3.4 it says in regards to “Surrounding Land”… “To the south and south-east... there is a large area of conservation land comprising existing vegetation and wetlands”. Nothing else.

 

“Do any of our elected Members on the coast, understand or care what is happening here. How does one spell that old word... democracy,” Mr Campbell said.

 

“Please put aside this Plan and allow it all the come before an elected Council next September.”

 

In previous reports by the Grapevine it was discovered that the Federal Government was reluctant to approve the airport beyond its current use – aero school and private light aircraft landings – and allow regional airport classification because of the proximity of Newcastle and Badgerys Creek Airports and that it would be unsustainable.

 

The Grapevine also has copies of the documents revealing the lacklustre return of income from Warnervale Airport and the Aero Club and their 2020 financials, which certainly doesn’t constitute the massive spending over the years of ratepayer’s funds. Receipts that wouldn't even cover the consultants engaged by Council or for preparing the Master Plan itself.