Port Macquarie: Final hurdle cleared as airport business park gets NSW Planning approval
Plans for a $58 million expansion of the Port Macquarie Airport have been cleared for takeoff. The NSW Planning Minister approved the plans which will help support the growth of the fifth largest regional airport in NSW.
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A $58 million business park will be built at Port Macquarie Airport after the NSW Government approved plans for the development to proceed.
NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes signed off on a number of important changes to Port Macquarie’s local environmental plan (LEP) 2011, which will allow Port Macquarie-Hastings Council – the airport’s owner – to forge ahead with its development of the Port Macquarie Business Park.
The project, first proposed in a 2010 Airport Masterplan, will help support the growth of the Port Macquarie Airport, which is the fifth largest regional airport in NSW (by passengers).
It is expected that passengers numbers will double from 230,000 in 2020, to approximately 450,000 passengers each year by 2030. The NSW Government North Coast Regional report confirms the airport can be a key driver of, and catalyst, for regional growth.
The Port Macquarie Business Park development is one of 10 projects that was part of Tranche five in the NSW Government’s Planning System Acceleration Program, which has been fast-tracking planning assessments to keep people in jobs and stimulate the economy during the COVID-19 crisis.
To date, the program has created opportunities for more than 90 projects, 50,000 jobs and injected more than $25 billion worth of investment into the NSW economy.
Mr Stokes said the approval of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s rezoning will get the balance right in providing for more job opportunities by expanding the business park while also dedicating land for koala habitat and protection.
“This rezoning approval will see the expansion of the business park by up to 23 hectares to attract hi-tech, value-adding industries while allowing for a second aeroplane taxiway and additional land set aside for general aviation use,” he said.
“Nearly two-thirds of the land will be zoned for environmental conservation, including around 300 hectares of protected koala habitat and an additional 50ha of koala habitat will be secured off-site.”
The council proposal, prepared by consultants King and Campbell, went before the Minister earlier this year after it received NSW Government Gateway determination in late 2019.
A number of critical elements to the council‘s LEP zoning laws were altered, specifically the B7 Business Park zoning.
In its proposal to Mr Stokes, the council highlighted the unique characteristics of the Airport Business Park, and its ability to “attract new investment and business.”
It also noted the importance of the business park in being in an area close to universities, hospitals and transport corridors outside of the CBD.
“The planning proposal satisfies the key strategies of this plan for both business and industry and natural and built environment,” the proposal said.
“[The business park] will provide for employment lands in proximity to a transport hub, attract investment to a location that is well serviced and connected to the greater Port Macquarie area, attract investment to create jobs and provide for effective management and maintenance of urban infrastructure and services.”
The report also links back to the success of other business parks, including The Australian Technology Park in Sydney, which provides for more than 5,500 jobs and research positions supporting community programs and high-quality campus services.
PLANNING TIMELINE
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s planning proposal, which was approved by council in 2019, outlined a plan to reconfigure and expand the existing B7 Business Park zone at the Port Macquarie Airport.
The changes required a number of amendments to the 2011 LEP, which were put before the state government for gateway determination late last year.
Following the council‘s review of this determination and a further public exhibition period, the plan was forwarded to the NSW Government for Ministerial delegation and approved this month.
OPPORTUNITIES
It will be a significant project for Port Macquarie, and help deliver a major boost to its economic bottom line – as outlined in the council’s planning proposal.
The NSW Government has recognised Port Macquarie as one of four regional cities of the NSW North Coast.
The government has identified these areas as the major focus for employment, housing and investment over the next 20 years and beyond.
The development of the Port Macquarie Airport, council‘s report says, is considered a key enabler of growth opportunities for Port Macquarie including tourism and other industry sectors.
It will help support a huge increase in passenger numbers to the area, which is expected to double by 2036.
The NSW Government North Coast Regional Plan confirmed that the Port Macquarie Airport can be a key driver of, and catalyst for regional growth.