Essendon Airport Master Plan
Background
Essendon Airport consulted on a draft master plan in late 2013. Council's submission to the master plan was endorsed at the 26 November 2013 Council meeting.
Essendon Airport released the final version of their new master plan in July 2014. Visit the Essendon Airport website for a copy of the approved master plan. For further information please call the airport on 9948 9300.
Essendon Airport has prepared an information booklet to provide residents with more information on their operations.
Proposed hangars - Hart Precinct
Essendon Airport is in the preparatory stage of planning for the proposed development of two aircraft hangars.
The hangars, located on the western edge of the Hart Precinct and adjacent to the north-south runway, are included in the Essendon Airport Master Plan 2013.
Following consultation with the community the following change has been made:
- Deletion of the new helicopter arrival/departure location proposed for the eastern side of the North-South Runway. Helicopters will instead aim for the runway or an existing helipad to the west to minimise noise effects.
Based on this change the noise impacts associated with the new hangars will be reduced and are now consistent with the existing noise contours as approved in the Essendon Airport Master Plan 2013.
Construction of the hangars is expected to commence in August 2015.
More information on the proposed hangars is available on Essendon Airport's website.
Hotel development - English Precinct
In May 2014 Essendon Airport released a preliminary draft version of a Major Development Plan for the proposed development of a hotel complex on the airport site.
The airport released the draft plan for a 60-business day public consultation period, which closed on 20 August 2014. We provided a written submission to the airport as part of the consultation which was endorsed at a Special Meeting on 19 August 2014.
The Federal Government is the planning authority for the airport, which sits on Commonwealth land. The Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development approved the Major Development Plan for the proposed hotel on 4 December 2014.
On 22 July 2015, Deputy Prime Minister, The Hon Warren Truss MP officially announced details of the proposed hotel. The hotel will include 166 rooms, large function facilities as well as an adjoining restaurant and bar. The hotel is expected to be opened to the public early 2017 with construction starting by the end of 2015.
More information, including a copy of the Major Development Plan, is available on Essendon Airport’s website.
Proposed AutoCentre Stage 3 - Wirrarway North Precinct
Essendon Airport is proposing to expand its AutoCentre precinct located to the north of the airport. The proposal is for the development of an area covering approximately 10 hectares for 'further retail including car dealerships and associated car storage, service centre, food and car parking' as identified in the Essendon Airport Master Plan 2013.
Stage 3 of the project has been determined to have a significant impact on a listed threatened species as outlined in Part 3 of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the Act).
The proposal is to remove 4.13 hectares of low quality Natural Temperate Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain which is a critically endangered ecological community and in this instance requires a suitable offset.
The Department of Environment has granted approval to the proposal in accordance with the Act.
Further information is available on the Essendon Airport website.
Proposed hospital development
Essendon Airport is in the early stages of planning for a hospital. As a hospital is a sensitive use within the Essendon Airport Master Plan 2013 a Major Development Plan must be prepared.
We provided support to the airport to prepare a Major Development Plan for the hospital development at the 26 August 2014 Council meeting. At this stage of the process we have not provided support for the hospital. We will consider the proposal as part of the Major Development Plan process.
If a Major Development Plan is prepared for the hospital development there will be public consultation for 60 business days.