Quote: Avalon Airport is to become Victoria's second international airport.
The federal government announced today it would amend the airport's lease, allowing it to build a new terminal and paving the way for it to service international passenger flights.
Corio MP Richard Marles announced the government's decision at the airport, 55 kilometres south-west of the Melbourne CBD, on Friday.
see link for rest of the article, however in summary: Linfox (owners/leasholders of AVV) have managed to put up a proposal which has come under the $15mil threshold (which means it would require Federal planning approval and thus a more lengthier process) and now only requires a local planning permit - with a turnaround of 2 years.
Ballieu - the Victorian premier - has reiterated that the Federal government should stump up some funds for building a short branch from the main Melbourne-Geelong rail line so the airport can be serviced by a rail link (notwithstanding the fact AVV has only a couple of million people using the airport (if that) and there's an airport 30-40km north which has ~30million passengers using it without a rail link!).
A Low-cost international airport for Melbourne & Geelong? Prices would have to be $100 cheaper on a per-pax basis to really make a difference as the vast majority of Melburnians are closer to Tullamarine.
As per the render looks to be 3 international gates to the east of the current terminal with the mooted AVV station next to the new international terminal.
- what's Vic.Gov trying to do? Is infrastructure competition on this scale warranted?
- is it a snide way of sticking it up NSW and the continuing paralysis re: SYD & its 2nd airport?
- an air/rail/road inter-modal terminal would become a reality here that is if there was a large enough AQIS to handle more freight traffic.
- is this going to force Tullamarine's owners/leaseholders to get off their backsides and start lobbying for their own rail link, and probably most importantly:
- which airlines would fly internationally here? Jetstar, Air Asia, Scoot, Indo or Filipino LCCs?
Sponsor Message: 
From Australia, joined Mar 2008, 1087 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
