[Greens-Media] MEDIA RELEASE - GREENS SENATORS TO MOVE FOR END TO AIRPORT PROJECTS BYPASSING STATE, LOCAL PLANNING LAWS

[Willis, Katrina (Sen C. Milne)]

MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday, 17 August 2006

Greens to move for end to airport projects bypassing state, local
planning laws

The Australian Greens will move to ensure that non-aeronautical
development on Commonwealth airport land is subject to state and local
planning laws.

Greens senators Christine Milne, Kerry Nettle and Rachel Siewert said
the original exemption of Commonwealth airport land from state and local
planning laws was to allow aviation developments to proceed but it was
now being used to exempt retail and business projects from state and
local planning laws.
			
Massive retail developments at Hobart and Sydney airports and a
brickworks plant at Perth airport are all proceeding under the
exemption, shutting out local business and communities affected by the
projects.

The Greens will move to amend the Airports Act 1996 to ensure that
non-aeronautical development on airport land is assessed under relevant
state and local planning laws.

Senator Milne said: "It is grossly unfair for developers to be able to
bypass state and local planning laws simply because they want to
undertake a project on Commonwealth land.  Local business people have a
legitimate expectation that the rules will apply fairly and the
withholding of the social and economic impact statement for the Hobart
project demonstrates that this is not happening."

Senator Siewert said: "There is already a heavy pollution load in the
Swan Valley airshed. It is completely inappropriate for the Commonwealth
to allow Perth airport to become a de-facto industrial estate. This
brickworks is in the wrong place. There can be no construction in this
area until residents' existing health complaints have been properly
addressed."

Senator Nettle said: "Why should developers, such as Macquarie Bank, be
able to exploit the Airports Act to skirt around normal planning laws
and community concerns? At the very least there should be a new round of
consultation with the community about the revised development plan. The
concerns about non-aviation development at Sydney Airport are echoed at
airports around Australia.  Clearly there is something very wrong with
the current Act."

Contact: Scott Ludlam (Senator Siewert) 02 6277 3587 
Jon Edwards (Senator Nettle) 02 6277 3501 or 0428 213 146
Katrina Willis (Senator Milne) 03 6234 4566 or 0437 587 562

Katrina Willis
Adviser
Senator Christine Milne
Phone 03 6234 4566
Fax 03 6234 2144
Mobile 0437 587 562
www.christinemilne.org.au