2019-04-18 Ordinary Meeting Agenda

ORDINARY MEETING AGENDA                                                                 18 APRIL 2019


7                        ORDINARY MEETING REPORTS


1                        PROPOSED FLIGHT PATH CHANGES FOR SUNSHINE COAST AIRPORT
Document i nformati on




Author                           Chief Executive Officer, Brett de Chastel
                                 CEO’s Office

Index                            ECM/ Subject/ Aviation/ Noise Issues

Attachments                      1.   Issues previously raised in the EIS process


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Nil.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Chief Executive Officer to the Ordinary Meeting dated 18 April
2019 and request the Chief Executive Officer to make a submission to Airservices Australia in
relation to the proposed changes to flight paths for the Sunshine Coast Airport with such submission
to focus on the establishment of a curfew similar to Gold Coast Airport (enforced by legislation) to
minimise the impact of noise from flights on the amenity of residents.

REPORT
1.                       Background
In 2011, the Sunshine Coast Regional Council (SCRC) commenced a process to upgrade the
Sunshine Coast Airport which included the construction of a new runway, thus necessitating new
flight paths from those currently used on the existing runway. One of the key steps to upgrade an
airport including the construction of a new runway is an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The
Queensland Coordinator-General declared this project to be a ‘coordinated project’ in 2011 under
section 26 of the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act. This declaration initiated
the statutory EIS process which required the SCRC as the owner of the airport to prepare an EIS for
the project.
The EIS process commenced in 2012 (prior to the de-amalgamation of Noosa Shire) with the
development of Terms of Reference and culminated in two community consultation periods in 2014
and 2015 for both the original EIS (2014) and an amended EIS (2015). The new Noosa Council
came into existence on 1 January 2014 and was consulted as part of those EIS processes. At the
time, the Council recognised that the proposed airport would bring benefits to the Noosa community
(e.g. more convenience for local residents to travel and supporting the growth of our high value
tourism market) but that it would also have an impact on some residents with flight paths proposed
via the EIS over some parts of the Shire.
The EIS was reviewed by the Co-ordinator General (Qld) and approved in May 2016. A copy of the
Co-ordinator General’s approval and report is referenced later in this report.
As Council would be aware, the necessary approvals for the Sunshine Coast Airport have been put
in place and construction of the new runway is well underway.       This includes the required
Commonwealth approvals.
Airservices Australia are now undertaking consultation in relation to the detail of the flight paths that
will service the new runway (the new runway is designated as runway13/31). Approval for the use of
airspace due to the operation of the new runway requires an airspace change approval under the
Commonwealth Airspace Act 2007.



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