What the new airport runway means for Moonee Valley
After the announcement that Melbourne Airport has opted to proceed with its third runway in a north-south direction, we look at what this means for our residents.
“There are going to be more flights, more people and more workers at the airport. One of our major concerns is the lack of public transport to accommodate the anticipated growth.” – Cr Samantha Byrne
Moonee Valley Mayor Cr Samantha Byrne said the airport’s owner, Australian Pacific Airports Corporation (APAC), has already warned the project could result in more noise for households along the new flight paths.
“There is no doubt this is going to have a greater impact on Moonee Valley residents, particularly those south of the airport, such as Keilor East, Avondale Heights and Airport West,” Cr Byrne said.
“It’s not just the noise. This is going to have a huge impact on the number of people commuting to and from the airport, and on the amount of traffic travelling through Moonee Valley.
“There are going to be more flights, more people and more workers at the airport. A lot of those workers will come from Moonee Valley, and yet they still don’t have adequate transport options to get to the airport.
“Passenger numbers at Melbourne Airport are expected to grow from 37 million to 70 million a year once the new third runway is built. This will greatly support the tourism and business economy, servicing more visitors, more exports and more global business connections.
“However, one of our major concerns is the lack of public transport to accommodate the anticipated growth, for workers and visitors to the airport. This is just one of the reasons why a train station on the borders of Airport West, Keilor Park and Keilor East is so crucial.
“We will continue to advocate for a station at Airport West on behalf of our residents, as well as the thousands of workers at Essendon Fields and Westfield. The site is already zoned for use for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link and aligns with the Sunshine route selected by the State Government for both the Airport Rail Link and the Suburban Rail Loop.
“We will also be working closely with Melbourne Airport which will be conducting ongoing community consultation.
“The confirmation of the north-south alignment may also impact the operations of Essendon Fields Airport. Council still needs to understand how these changes will affect the airport and the surrounding residents.”