PERTH AIRPORT Master Plan 2009

P E R T H A I R P O R T M a s t e r P l a n 2 0 0 9
8. Surface Access
About this Chapter
This chapter examines:
• the challenge of providing adequate surface access to
Perth Airport;
• surface access planning;
• the current and future potential role of public transport
services: and
• the current and future on-airport road network and car
parking.
8.1 The Surface Access Challenge
at Perth Airport
The success of any airport depends on it being accessible.
Passengers and freight need to be able to move freely to and
from their off-airport destinations and origins. It is important
that staff and the myriad of businesses that provide services to
airlines and other major airport businesses have efficient access.
Almost every airport at some stage of its development faces
challenges with surface access and meeting these challenges
is critical to the airport’s development. It is usually the case
that these challenges arise from the complex interactions
between the airport and the vast array of social and economic
uses of surface access infrastructure in the vicinity of the
airport. This is the situation in which Perth Airport currently
finds itself.
The location of Perth Airport close to the CBD, and with
significant links to the regional road network, results in
generally good access for the airport, with the exception
of the morning and evening periods of peak hour traffic
congestion on the regional road network.
As shown in Figure 8.1, Perth Airport is bounded by the Great
Eastern and Tonkin Highways which are major transport links
within Perth and to WA’s regions. Roe Highway is close to the
airport’s eastern boundary and links traffic to and from the
north and east to the Port of Fremantle. Leach Highway runs
from Perth Airport to Fremantle. Key arterial roads servicing
traffic are Orrong, Abernethy and Kewdale Roads.
These roads carry significant volumes of traffic with a number
of intersections currently operating beyond capacity during
peak traffic periods, resulting in significant congestion. In
terms of lost productivity, the estimated current cost of this
congestion to the Perth economy is $21 million a year 1 .
Without major investment in new road infrastructure,
expected traffic increases over the next four years will result
in a ten fold increase in the number of hours lost by road
users. By 2011/2012 the increased congestion is projected to
cost the Perth economy $207 million a year in today’s prices 2 .
For at least a decade very little has been done to increase
the capacity of the major arterial roads surrounding Perth
Airport. The industrial development around Kewdale, the
growth of population in the suburbs to the north and east of
Perth Airport and the growth of the airport itself have led to a
situation where road congestion is materially impacting
Perth Airport’s ability to serve and grow. It is also impacting
the preparedness of airlines to support further development
of the airport, and in particular the consolidation process.
The current congestion on the roads surrounding Perth
Airport is largely the result of traditional metropolitan
commuter peaks. For reasons related to airlines maximising
the efficiency of their fleets, Domestic Terminal peaks are
between 5.30am and 6.00am and 11.00pm and 12.00pm,
and the International Terminal peaks are between 11.00pm
and 3.00am. Hence the airport and arterial road peaks do
not coincide, however many people who need to access and/
or egress Perth Airport during the metropolitan peaks suffer
major inconvenience.
The airport peak operating periods are generally outside
the normal hours of operation of public transport and are
regarded by travellers as unattractive times to be using public
transport. This pattern of passenger traffic makes road
transport the necessary dominant form of transport to and
from Perth Airport.
1 ACIL Tasman report p 47
2 ACIL Tasman report p 47
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