The health and residential amenity of Maribyrnong residents would be among the worst affected by Melbourne Airport’s expansion, the council has stated in a submission to a planning committee.
The Melbourne Airport Environs Safeguarding Standing Advisory Committee has been appointed by the planning minister to provide advice on improved planning around the airport.
Melbourne Airport operator, Australia Pacific Airports (Melbourne), wants the government to give it more power to intervene in developments that could impact aircraft operations or lead to noise complaints.
In Maribyrnong council’s submission, chief executive Stephen Wall said the airport’s expansion would lead to increased noise and vibration, poor air quality and restrict future growth.
“… Given the significant population growth anticipated in Maribyrnong (68 per cent by 2041), council is concerned that the planning policies and processes related to airport expansion do not prove to be an impediment to the local government area’s future growth, health, wellbeing and overall liveability,” he states.
Mr Wall cited findings from the March report, Air Pollution in Melbourne’s Inner West, which was commissioned by the government to reduce pollution.
“The report noted that the people who live and work in the inner west experience health problems associated with air pollution at a higher rate than the general population,” Mr Wall states.
“The planned additional north/south runway will have the propensity to not only double the air traffic over Maribyrnong, but also increase the ground level pollution coming from increased airport activity.”
He said the council was concerned residents couldn’t claim compensation for loss of amenity and property values.
Housing affordability would also be affected by increased construction costs for items such as double plaster in ceilings and double glazing in windows, the submission states.
Mr Wall said another concern was the impact on future development, particularly the Maribyrnong Defence Site and multi-storey developments planned along Raleigh Road and in Highpoint Shopping Centre.
The council recommends the committee define long-term noise and vibration exposure forecasts to allow proper future planning or “consider long-term urban growth to plan runways and flight paths respecting this growth rather than planning airport runways and then subsequently quarantining land”.
