Evans Head Under Threat
Why is it that the only aviation-responsible minister ever to have faced-off greed-driven airport operators and their local government mates has been former Minister Mark Vaile?
When the owners of Perth’s general aviation airfield at Jandakot floated the brainwave of moving their airfield 30 km further out into the bush (so they could flog off the land as real estate), Mr Vaile told the directors of Ascot Capital, owners of Jandakot Airport Holdings (JAH), that: “Should you wish to proceed with the airport development and relocation proposal, Ascot Capital Limited should not assume any right to re-develop the current site.”
He added that the airport site would be subject to the Commonwealth Property Disposals Policy which requires a sale on the open market with the full proceeds to the Australian Government.
Mr Vaile rounded off with a blunt reminder that the JAH held a long-term 99-year lease to run an airport on the site, and suggested it should get on with implementing its approved master plan and operating it in accordance with the lease and the Act.
The newest battlefront is at Evans Head on NSW’s north coast, where local government seems ready to sidestep its public consultation obligations by supporting a retirement village and nursing home subdivision that would all but shut down the town’s historic airport.
IMAGE BELOW: Evans Head Memorial Airport
IMAGE BELOW: Outline Showing Proposed Retirement Development
Got it? A retirement village on a public aerodrome with three runways!
This is despite a legal commitment the council signed when it took the airport over from the Commonwealth in 1992 under the Airport Local Ownership Plan. Under the ALOP, all local governments assuming control of regional airports put their signature to a Deed of Transfer. The following salient extracts from the deeds of agreement spell out the relevant commitments to which they agreed:
- shall operate and maintain the aerodrome, open to public use, in compliance with the Civil Aviation Regulations and the Civil Aviation Authority standards for the type and category of aircraft operations at the aerodrome and shall permit access to the aerodrome to persons authorised………
- shall permit open, unrestricted and non-discriminatory access to the aerodrome by airline and aircraft operators on reasonable terms and conditions, consistent with the physical limitations on the aerodrome……
- take such actions as are within its power to create land use zoning around the Aerodrome which will prevent residential and other incompatible development in areas which are or which may be adversely affected by aircraft noise.”
- take such actions as are within its power to;
- create land-use zoning around the aerodrome which will prevent residential and other incompatible development in areas which are, or may be, adversely affected by aircraft noise
- prevent the introduction of activities likely to create a hazard to aircraft including activities likely to atrract birds; and
- prevent developments which would be incompatible with Civil Aviation Authority air navigation and communications facilities.
- shall not, without the consent in writing of the Secretary, close the aerodrome or sell, lease or otherwise dispose of or part with the possession of the land or any part of the land comprised in the aerodrome other than a disposal by way of lease or licence under the provision of [other clauses]
Plain enough, wouldn’t you say? Looks like we had a better aviation strategy 20 years ago than we have now.
That agreement was signed by numerous local governments only twenty years ago and it clearly registered acknowledgement of a legal obligation they shouldered.
Former Minister Vaile believed in holding airport owners to their agreements.
So what’s the position of Minister Albanese, who as we speak, is supposed to be overseeing the development of our national aviation strategy?
Saving the Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome
- The Far North Coast is set to have a population increase in the next 25 years of more than 60,000 people.
- The Australian Government has produced a Green Paper on Aviation (December 2008) in which Minister Albanese states in the Foreword; ”There is an enormous shortage world wide, even with the economic downturn, of the careers mentioned by Minister Albanese. For example we are at least 30,000 pilots and 50,000 engineers short”.
- Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome with its four airstrips is in the box seat to become a major aviation centre with training facilities for pilots and engineers. This could be done in conjunction with local high schools, TAFE colleges and Southern Cross University (which is now set to become a major national university in conjunction with two other universities). We could attract Federal funds to do this which would be an impetus to the local economy.
- Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome is in an ideal position for an Airpark with the Aerodrome less than 700 metres from the beach and with at least 60 sites for airpark homes and hangars and further room for appropriate aviation industry.
- Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome is in an ideal position for a high class high tech conference centre to accommodate ‘fly-in fly-out’ conferences. With a 30 km beach nearby, two national parks and a major flora and fauna reserve, and relaxed local lifestyle it would represent real competition to other high end tourism destinations where people are looking to get away from it all. This would have spillover benefit to the rest of the region.
- There are at least three proponents for an Airpark. The Finlen proposal is $60 million and will include an aviation museum recognizing our WW II history and capacity for aviation industry.
- There is a Queensland government paper on aviation which has identified aviation growth as a major feature of the SE Queensland economy. We are part of that growth sector.
- Richmond Valley Council does not have that vision. Instead it sees the Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome as a place to carve up for residential development. The retirement village on the Aerodrome is part of that plan.
- You can build a retirement village anywhere but not an aerodrome right near the coast.
What can you do to help keep Evans Head for an aviation future?
- Write to the newspapers asking why Council is so short-sighted when there is a better options for the future of the Aerodrome
- Write to;
The NSW Minister for Planning and oppose the current attempt to rezone the aerodrome for a retirement village. Put your view of an aviation option for the future of the Aerodrome.
The Minister’s address is: The Hon Kristina Keneally MP, Minister for Planning, Governor Macquarie Tower, Level 35, 1 Farrer Place, Sydney 2000 or office@keneally.minister.nsw.gov.au
The Federal Minister responsible for aviation: The Hon Anthony Albanese MP, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT 2600
The Mayor, Richmond Valley Council, Cr Col Sullivan, Locked Bag 10, Casino 2470
- Please send a copy of what you write to: The President, The Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome Committee Incorporated, PO Box 64, Evans Head NSW 2473 or by email ragates@netspace.net.au
- Collect petition signatures to send to the NSW Minister for Planning on the sheet provided. The petition should be sent to EMAC, PO Box 64, Evans Head NSW 2473 so that the petitions can be collated with others to send to the Minister
- Given a copy of the petition to others to sign and return to us.
- For further information contact Dr Richard Gates, President, The Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome Committee Incorporated at Evans Head on 02 6682 5161
We definitely need to lobby Federal government regarding the safe-guardinbg of all airports and ALAs in this country.
I am sure the Federal government, particularly with their pending release of the Airport Protections act, would be interested in preventing local government from circumventing the terms of such deeds of transfer.
It is particularly obvious, in the case of Evans Head, that the Federal goverment intended the land use for aviation. The establishment of a regular retirement village on the edge of an airport runway doesn’t make a lot of sense, and I personally can’t see how it is acceptable under the terms of the Deed of transfer.
Should the council consider developing the land for aviation use, such as more hangars, and perhaps an air-park instead, with suitable caveats for access, and with safeguards for aviation use, that would be more in line with the terms of the Deed of transfer.
When I said edge, in my comments above, I should have said ACROSS an existing runway. This is a ludicrous and greedy Development proposal, which is against the Terms of the Deed of Transfer, and the Development Application should not be approved. It might be time for an equiry into pecunary interests of the members of council.
This looks like a unique opportunity to combine airport and retired pilots. The Terrafugia flying car which parks in your driveway also needs an air strip close by. I don’t know if you allow links to it but here’s a peek: http://www.terrafugia.com/index.html
This might solve the problem in a win/win event.
Regarding the proposal to sell off the Evans head Airport, I consider this act as being very short sighted and lacking in the future needs of the area.
I reside in Bendigo and are considering making the move to a coastal area in NSW that has an airport with suitable runways for numerous aviation purposes.
The city of Bendigo has over many many years had difficulty making the decision to move / update our airport.
It is located only 2-3 klm from the city centre. Existing council members were proposing to move it to a location that would have put it far out of town.
It has been demonstrated to our elected council representatives just recently that our present Airport is a very valuable asset, we have Air Ambulance based here using it daily for emergencies and patient transport. The police Air wing calls in on a regular basis, it is used as a staging area for forward control bushfire aircraft and pilots during summer. There are 3 Flying schools.There are aviation maintenance business on the airport grounds and a child care centre. There is a new food manufacturing industrial estate under construction at the Sth East end of the main runway. The Bendigo council realises that small jets must be able to arrive and depart Bendigo if it is to function as a modern and futuristic city. Hence council is currently looking at an extension / upgrade to the runways and infrastructure to accommodate larger aircraft.
Hopefully Bendigo can go down the track of developing the airport areas around the active runways with businesses that will co habit nicely in an aviation environment
I would like draw your attention to Melbourne’s Essendon Airport. It was under great pressure to close and make way for residential housing / retirement villages / nursing homes etc, thankfully a new suburb has been created and developed around the active runways including a realignment of the Tullamarine Freeway to the west and south of the East West runway
The new suburb is called Essendon Fields, it has new buildings and infrastructure such as Aviation businesses, large retail outlets of all sorts, new car dealerships ( Honda Toyota) shopping centres, supermarkets, food courts,
Please before you move to close Evans head airport, have a good look at other alternatives. I’m sure Evans head airport could be developed in a way so as to have a win win situation for all people who live in and around Evans Head area
thanks
Rod Gamble