This housing development would place residential properties right under the flight path of aircraft – constraining future growth options for the airport, ignoring alternative options for housing development and significantly curtailing the future growth of international tourist arrivals into the region, ATEC Managing Director, Felicia Mariani said.
Reports that the NSW Government plans to push ahead with a proposal to build up to 1,200 homes under the flight path of Canberra Airport are a major concern to both the local and regional tourism industry, ATEC Managing Director, Felicia Mariani said.
“This proposal has been around for quite a few years and was previously rejected by the NSW Planning Assessment Commission, but the O’Farrell Government seems to be hell-bent on pushing ahead with this development which would hamper the long-term growth of the tourism industry in both NSW and the ACT,” Ms Mariani said.
“This decision flies directly in the face of the Premier’s stated objectives of Canberra offering a ‘second airport’ option for Sydney’s congestion issue and the vital role of the visitor economy as one of the pillars of the NSW economy.
“This housing development would place residential properties right under the flight path of aircraft – constraining future growth options for the airport, ignoring alternative options for housing development and significantly curtailing the future growth of international tourist arrivals into the region.”
Ms Mariani said there were still a number of alternative local sites for residential development which had not yet been fully investigated.
“Building housing right under a known flight path, when there are alternative options available, seems short sighted and completely disregards the economic benefits an airport – particularly an international airport – will bring to the local area and other regional centres on the Eastern seaboard.
“The ACT and surrounding regions provide valuable regional tourism experiences and attract nearly 150,000 international visitors each year – a flexible international airport would increase this number significantly, bringing with them jobs and other economic benefits for both the NSW and ACT Governments.
“ATEC urges the O’Farrell Government to rule out this proposal and recognise they are putting at risk the significant economic benefits presented by Canberra Airport to the ACT, Monaro and Southern Highlands of NSW.”
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