A new Plan of Management is the next step for the future of Warnervale airport, following the successful passage of the Warnervale Airport (Restrictions) Act Repeal Bill in the NSW Upper House on February 16.
A spokesperson for Council said the process had started to develop an operational plan for the airport to meet the recommendations of the independent review as to how it could operate into the future.
The plan would provide the community, businesses and emergency services with clarity around the vision and strategy for the airport.
“There are no current approvals or plans in place for the expansion of the airport and any proposal to modify it is covered by various environmental and planning instruments and legislation,” the spokesperson said.
The airport is highly constrained by the surrounding geography, including Porters Creek Wetland to the south and rising terrain to the north.
“Council is reviewing the current lease arrangements for the Aero Club to operate out of the airport, and while this is yet to be finalised, there is a lot of interest in the opportunities that the airport presents to the region, particularly the impact that a well run airport provides for economic growth, employment and tourism.
“Due to Council’s current financial position, it is imperative that a viable solution is developed for the management and maintenance, which balances the needs of the community and essential services.
“Potentially, many of these opportunities could be developed without any impact on local residents.”
On repeal of the Act, Parliamentary Secretary for Central Coast, Adam Crouch, said that an overwhelming majority of the community supported repealing the Act and an independent review concluded that the Act was not fit for purpose.
Repeal of the Act would reduce complexity, support local aviation and allow emergency services to better respond to bushfire and medical incidents, he said.
“Dozens of aviation trainers and students use the runway every day.
“Their safety must continue to be prioritised.”
However, despite making a decision in November 2020, after a long saga of reports and recriminations over safety, Central Coast Council has still not pruned trees at the northern end of the runway which has hindered planes landing at the airfield.
The movement cap, being the daily number of take-offs and landings, has immediately been lifted and the repeal of the rest of the Act will be staged over three years, to give Council, as owners of the airport, the chance to develop the Plan of Management.
Andrew Smith, Manager of Central Coast Aero Club, which has operated at the airport for 48 years said: “We are very happy, basically now there is no artificial impediment to us continuing what we’ve always done.”
“We simply want to continue doing what we have always done and that is training locals to realise their aviation dreams, and to provide scenic joy flights for our tourism industry, charter flights for local businesses, and apprenticeships in our engineering department,” he said.
Wyong MP, David Harris, wants to see appropriate protections for the community regarding the operation of the airfield in the Local Environment Plan (LEP).
“There needs to be regard given to landing strip length and curfew restrictions.
“The NSW Opposition was successful in gaining three years for Council to implement appropriate regulation before the Act is repealed and Minister Stokes gave a guarantee that, if Council failed to meet the three-year deadline, then a State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) would be implemented to control the operation of the landing field,” Harris said.
“There are also improved protections for surrounding environmental land under other NSW legislation.
“The Opposition has worked to get a workable balance between those that use the aircraft landing area and protections for residents and surrounding businesses.
“I believe the Act could have been kept with amendments, but it was clear that the Act would be repealed, so it was incumbent on me to try and get the best outcome for users and residents alike.
“It is now time for Council to develop a workable balance for the future operation of the airfield,” Harris said.
However, The Greens’ spokesperson for the Central Coast, Abigail Boyd, says that by repealing the Act, a sledgehammer had been taken to protections for the community that had been in place for over 20 years.
“NSW Labor and the Liberal-National Government have left the door open to their developer mates to build a commercial airport right here on the Coast.
“There is no demand for such a facility, no jobs to be created and a viable business case is still nowhere to be found.
“It’s nothing short of disappointing to see NSW Labor backflip on this issue and abandon our community.”
Boyd said that if it proceeds, a commercial airport will have disastrous consequences for job creation in the Warnervale Employment Zone, the biodiversity of the Porters Creek Wetlands and the amenity and wellbeing of local residents in Jilliby and Warnervale.
Harris rebuked those comments, saying The NSW Greens were being dishonest when they asserted that this would open the way for a commercial airport at Warnervale because there is still independent oversight of any application to expand the airport with the opportunity for public consultation.
“Current environmental and planning laws prevent exactly what The Greens assert,” he said.
“Council cannot approve their own development applications under current planning laws, they must go to the independent Local Planning Panel or Regional Planning Panel.
“Under the Warnervale Airport (Restrictions) Act, the airport could have been expanded with Ministerial approval.
“The Greens should stop trying to scare the community unnecessarily,” Harris said.
Sue Murray