News - Airport

Gungahlin Community Council has united with other community organisations along the length of Canberra to oppose aspects of the Canberra Airport's draft Master Plan 2008, which is open for public comment until the end of February.

The new group is called Curfew for Canberra. The objectives of the association are to:

• secure a night time curfew at Canberra Airport
• oppose Canberra Airport becoming a 24-hour national & international freight hub
• oppose Canberra Airport becoming the second Sydney Airport
• oppose the construction of a parallel main runway
• oppose light aircraft engaged in training activities from transiting or over flying residential areas
• pursue appropriate amendments to the Canberra Noise Abatement Area
• inform the Canberra, Queanbeyan and surrounding communities about the consequences of aviation expansion that impact on residents' quality of life, and
• represent the concerns of residents and members to government and authorities.

The Gungahlin Community Council's involvement is a proactive attempt to ensure that the areas of Gungahlin (especially those to the Northeast of the District) that are currently not within the Canberra Noise Abatement Area, are not negatively impacted by the proposed agressive expansion of the Canberra Airport. The impacts in Gungahlin will be mainly from significantly increased air traffic noise and overflight - especially if operations becomes 24/7.

Curfew 4 Canberra held a public forum in the ACT Legislative Assembly on 8 February, with a large crowd attending. Tlevision news attended, with video of their stories available for download at www.youtube.com/curfew4canberra.

GCC is also very concerned about the Master Plan's projected continuing commercial development around the airport, and the serious impact that would have on our chances of getting any substantial employment base in Gungahlin. However this is not part of the new group's charter.