Mayor urges flight path residents to 'look for positives'

MUDJIMBA Residents' Association president Martin Peelgrane says his group will be watching to ensure the Coast's new runway is built to conditions of approval.

An artist's impression shows what the Sunshine Coast Airport will look like once the expansion work is completed. Picture: Contributed

MUDJIMBA Residents' Association president Martin Peelgrane says his group will be watching to ensure the Coast's new runway is built to its conditions of approval.

Construction firm John Holland Group plans to start work in July building a new runway and facilities to accommodate larger planes at Sunshine Coast Airport.

"Hopefully they will be complying with all requirements that were part of the conditional approval by the (Department of State Development) Coordinator-General," Mr Peelgrane said.

His concerns included proper management of pumping dredged sand ashore at Marcoola to the site outside of turtle breeding season.

That included how water which came ashore with the dredged sand was treated so it was not too saline to go back into the Maroochy River system.

"We think there is a serious risk to the river if that water is released too prematurely."

The way in which acid sulphate soils were handled was another one.

"It comes down to how strictly the contract is being supervised by (the) council."

Meanwhile, Mayor Mark Jamieson has told residents unhappy with the alignment of the new runway to "look for the positives".

"This airport has been here for 55 years and it was always going to grow as the region has grown," Cr Jamieson said.

"Owning property near an airport, into the future, I think will be a good investment.

"People want to be able to access these facilities quickly."

He said there were plenty of people in Twin Waters who had purchased there knowing the runway alignment would change.

"It's impossible to keep everybody happy, as much as we would like to."

Originally published as Mayor urges flight path residents to 'look for positives'