Business Case for the SunShine CoaSt airport Master Plan

Stage 5: Option Generation
It is clear, therefore, that at present or in the medium-term, there is no satisfactory
method of diverting the RPT traffic from SCA to Brisbane Airport. Both the road
and rail options are, for the foreseeable future, unsatisfactory in terms of
convenience and efficiency and in the case of road travel, less than optimal in
terms of safety.
It is concluded that the conceivable non-airport solutions would not meet Councils
objectives or the expectations of the residents or the business community of the
Sunshine Coast with respect to access to RPT services.
Option 3
Relocation
Options for the possible relocation of the Sunshine Coast Airport were first
considered in 1982 (Airport Development Study Maroochy Shire Council GHD
Consulting Engineers). Then, as now, the relocation of the airport is seen as
neither desirable nor feasible for the following reasons.
Existing infrastructure
There is significant public and private investment in access roads (new access to
the airport from the Sunshine Motorway was completed in 2009 at a cost of $220
million), utilities and telecommunications, aviation support facilities and flight
training. Consistent with Infrastructure Australias theme 5: Transforming our
Cites. Considerable benefit is seen in retaining the airport in its current location so
as to realise the full value of existing public and private investments and avoiding
the unnecessary duplication of infrastructure.
Community impact
· The Sunshine Coast has experienced rapid growth in recent decades creating
not only increases in demand for aviation services but a corresponding
contraction in the areas where a new airport could be constructed without
having major social and environmental impacts.
· The majority of the existing 300,000 residents of the Sunshine Coast have
made decisions about where to live and work based on a range of factors,
including their likely proximity to, and impacts from major items of
infrastructure, such as the airport. The relocation of the airport would therefore
have significant social impact.
Acquisition of land
The acquisition of the land area required for a new airport (approx 350 hectares)
would be an expensive and lengthy undertaking. It is highly likely political support
for such a proposal would not be forthcoming even if it were somehow deemed to
be practically achievable.
Cost
The cost of relocation would be substantially more than the redevelopment of the
existing facility when the complexity, duration and extent of the land acquisition
process, the replacement of existing infrastructure and redundancy of private
investment is considered.
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