Transport Minister Anthony Albanese recently said: “Canberra Airport’s 2008 draft master plan does not provide the necessary detail to meet the statutory purposes of a master plan and enable well informed public consideration of the proposed 20 year plan for the airport.”
“Canberra Airport has been on notice since February 2005 when the previous government identified similar deficiencies in detail that should be addressed in subsequent master plans. Among the numerous deficiencies highlighted include one relating to air freight. The draft master plan had proposed a freight hub including “significant night freight operations,” were to commence in the short term, but the draft master plan did not indicate the potential location of the freight hub, the type of freight envisaged, the buildings and other infrastructure required to operate it, possible traffic management arrangements or the volume of freight that may be processed.
The airport has 180 days to prepare a new draft master plan and re-submit it for consideration.