Third airport mooted for Melbourne

The state government’s latest planning blueprint, Plan Melbourne, launched today, is investigating the establishment of a third airport in Melbourne’s south-east.

This comes in light of predictions the southern and eastern regions of Victoria are projected to grow by up to one million residents up to 2050, bringing the population catchment of a local airport up to around three million, the same as south-east Queensland.

An airport in the south-east would complement the new Port of Hastings and be a key part of a planned Integrated Economic Triangle, linking transport and economic infrastructure to the intermodal transport hubs in Melbourne’s north and west.

Minister for Planning Matthew Guy said the region’s population growth of one million by 2050 meant seriously considering an airport to serve Gippsland and the south-east.

“An airport (there) would serve one-third of Victoria’s population including the 300,000 residents of Gippsland. It would have the benefit of improving transport connections and the potential to link up with future rail access,” he said.

The Shire of Cardinia has identified locations between Koo Wee Rup and Lang Lang as potential sites.

“After identifying a preferred location, we can investigate a process for private sector investment in the development of a new airport in this corridor,” Mr Guy said.

“Cardinia has done some very positive work on this possibility, and sees the employment benefits for the south-east as well as Gippsland.”

No changes are envisaged for the Moorabbin or Tooradin airport operations, which are primarily based around flight training.

“We need a more integrated approach to planning and development which includes land use, transport, plus social and community infrastructure,’’ Mr Guy said.

‘’Underpinning Plan Melbourne are key initiatives to increase business productivity and social and economic participation for Melburnians. These involve a pipeline of city-shaping projects and service improvements that will address major gaps in freeway, rail and road networks, develop tram and bus networks, and improve cross-city traffic movements and freight flows.

“As part of Plan Melbourne, we will facilitate an integrated land use and transport plan that will recognise the creation of an integrated economic network that will be delivered by 2050.”

The Integrated Economic Triangle will connect the Hastings-Dandenong corridor with the Hume corridor to the north and the Wydham-Geelong corridor to the south-west. The network will include:

·    an expanded central city;

·    the Port of Hastings;

·    the East West Link and the North East Link;

·    the Melbourne Metro project that will connect Dandenong and Sunbury,  and

·    the Outer Metropolitan Ring Road that will connect Geelong and Avalon  with the Hume Freight Corridor.

“This network will ensure that people across metropolitan Melbourne will have easier access to Geelong, Gippsland and the Hume Corridor,’’ Mr Guy said.

‘’The transport connections will provide for greater flexibility for people travelling to work and more options for the use of freight in our state.”