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Merimbula Airport Masterplan Review

The Merimbula Airport Masterplan is being reviewed after completion of a number of projects and recent changes in the aviation industry and legislation.

Merimbula Airport building.


Background

Merimbula Airport is essential for emergency services, tourism, businesses and personal travel.  Regional tourism and business planning, along with studies by all levels of government and regional planning consistently identify its importance to the regional economy and the health and wellbeing of the residents.

It is an expensive asset to operate and maintain.  It is essential that Council provide an optimum mix of facilities and services whilst balancing costs and funding.  The Merimbula Airport Masterplan was formally adopted in 2013 and has directed the planning for the airport, triggering infrastructure additions such as the water main and fire service upgrade, terminal extension, runway starter extensions and a new general aviation precinct.  The runway pavement has also been renewed and improved.

Across those works, more has been learnt about the site’s constraints and opportunities.  At the same time aviation legislation has changed, the local economy has evolved, and the aviation industry is  changing in response to towards net zero targets.

Although the current plan was not due to expire until 2033, a review is needed.  In December 2022, Council received a funding grant for this purpose.

Funding

Regional NSW – Business Case and Strategy Development Fund – Round 1 has allocated $306,250 to fully fund the masterplan review.

Bega Valley Shire Council is contributing to the overall budget.

Connection to Council's Community Strategic Plan

This project links to Council's Community Strategic Plan through:

The Merimbula Airport Masterplan review is linked to Council’s Community Strategic Plan and is identified in:

  • Goal 3:  our economy is prosperous, diverse and supported by innovative and creative business.
  • Goal 9:  We have opportunities to work, learn and sociallise through the provision of affordable public transport and telecommunications services.

Related documents

 

Who can I speak to

Jenny Symons
Project Manager
Bega Valley Shire Council
Phone: (02) 6499 2318
Email: jsymons@begavalley.nsw.gov.au

 

Timeline of works


  • 14 April to 7 May 2023

    Community Comment – Have Your Say

    Community have a period of 21 days to Have Your Say on the vision and the community’s needs for Merimbula Airport. Consultation is open from Friday 14 April 2023 and closes Sunday 7 May 2023.

     

  • April to July 2023

    Community Consultation Evaluation and Research Review.

  • June to August 2023

    Legislationn and Planning Review.

  • September to December 2023

    Site layout drafting.

  • January to February 2024

    Master Plan drafting.

  • February to March 2024

    Draft Master Plan Available for Public Comment.

  • March to April 2024

    Master Plan finalisation.

  • June 2024

    Master Plan 2043 adopted.

Frequently Asked Questions

About the Masterplan Review


The Merimbula Airport Master Plan was formally adopted in 2013 and has driven several infrastructure additions including the water main and fire service upgrade, terminal extension, runway starter extensions and a new general aviation precinct.  During this time, the runway pavement has also been renewed and improved.

Across those works, more has been learnt about the site’s constraints and opportunities.  Aviation legislation has also changed, the local economy has evolved, and environmental considerations have changed. Although the current plan was not due to expire until 2033 and parts of it remain valid, a review is needed to integrate the current knowledge.

The existing master plan addressed the twenty years to 2033. This review will deliver a master plan to direct the Merimbula Airport planning from now until 2043.

The master plan review process is based on the Australian Airports Association’s Airport Practice Note 4 Regional Airport Master Planning Guideline, and will follow the key stages illustrated here.

The master plan review will re-confirm and adjust, as necessary, elements of Stages 1 and 2. Your input here will help shape the draft strategies, concepts and implementation plans developed in Stages 3 and 4, which will be the focus of the master plan review.

  • Stage 1 - Situation Analysis
    Where are we now?
    Existing Context and conditions
    Regulatory and policy context
     
  • Stage 2 - Future Direction (We are here)
    Where do we want to be?
    Vision, goals and objectives
     
  • Stage 3 - Strategy Development
    How do we get there?
    Strategies, plans and concepts
     
  • Stage 4 - Implementation Plan
    How do we ensure arrival?
    Actions to implement the plan

The key tasks in completing the master plan review include:

  • confirming the vision for the airport,
  • gathering information from stakeholders regarding why and how they use the airport,
  • confirming the latest changes in aviation, the economy and the environment and identifying what they mean for the airport,
  • assessing what has been learnt about the site’s opportunities and constraints over the last decade, and
  • identifying the best mix of facilities and services for the site.

Council has commissioned Rehbein Airport Consulting to undertake most aspects of the review.

A broad range of airport users and other stakeholders are being consulted across the community, government, and business.  Being transparent with all stakeholders about why and how regional airports operate.

The aim of the survey is to gather information about why and how the community uses the airport to inform the optimum way the airport can meet the community’s needs.

In December 2022 Council received a grant to fund the master plan review.


About Merimbula Airport


Merimbula Airport is used by:

  • The NSW Air Ambulance Service
  • NSW Rural Fire Service
  • Airlines – Regional Express and QANTASLink
  • Department of Defence
  • Light aircraft owners and operators
  • Freight companies
  • Airport businesses
  • Land lessees

  • 83% - RPT passenger fees: The fees are currently $11.00 including GST and are included in the cost of each airline ticket for each direction of travel. They are reviewed each financial year during Council’s budgeting process.
  • 13% - Leases and licences: These come from renting premises and land to tenants at the airport.
  • 4% - General aviation charges: These are paid by all other aerodrome users including small aircraft owners who park at the airport or use the runway; the Department of Defence and personal charter flights.

Like most regional airports, there are not enough operational funds to pay for infrastructure upgrades such as runway and apron pavement renewal every 8 – 12 years or improvements to the airport facilities like terminal expansion and runway extensions.  For these improvements funding applications are made to the Commonwealth and NSW Governments.  These grants may fund all the project costs but are more likely to fund only a portion of these, with Council having to source the difference from its airport operational funds (see above) or its ratepayer funds.  Ensuring the operational funds are realistically maximised, reduces the need to draw on ratepayer funds.

In the 1950s, Merimbula was selected as a location for an airport by the Commonwealth Government in response to its analysis of the region’s needs and the requirement for a suitable surrounding topography and surrounding airspace that could be protected.

In 2011, an analysis by Council identified potential alternative locations in Tanja, Jellat Jeallat, Frogs Hollow, Bournda, Lochiel and Wyndham.  The analysis then examined each site in detail and none was able to meet the requirements for a regional airport.  Common problems were unsuitable surrounding topography (due to construction cost or protected air space), frequency of unsuitable weather conditions (mainly fog), increased exposure to flooding and similar or greater environmental impacts to the existing Merimbula site.

The airport can be measure as a land size, a protected airspace size and a noise contour area.

Land Size

Two lots of land were transferred by the Commonwealth Government to Bega Valley Shire Council as a part of the change ownership and operation of the aerodrome in the 1990s.  They are shown in the image below.  The main lot is 105.4H and extends from the northern end of the boat ramp car park to the southern side of the lake adjacent to the golf course at the southern side of the lake. The other lot is immediately to the south and extends across the golf course. The boundaries can be seen in the following images (you can click on the image to view a larger image).

Boundary of the two lots of land transferred to Bega Valley Shire Council.

Boundary of the main lot.

Protected Air Space

Airports have to be surrounded by protected airspace to allow for the same operation of aircraft.  The protected airspace for Merimbula is shown in Figure 7 on page 87 of the current Merimbula Airport Master Plan 2033.  Building height restrictions apply in these areas and additional information can be round in the Bega Valley Local Environment Plan 2013. 

The protected airspace is surveyed every year.  Where vegetation surrounding the airport has started to protrude through the protected heights, the landowners are consulted and the vegetation is either trimmed, if at all possible or removed, if necessary.

Noise Contour Area

Noise contours are variable over time, and it is standard to consider this issue in a master plan review.  The contours are calculated via a range of factors including the numbers of flights, aircraft types and the runway length.  The noise contours identified in the current Merimbula Airport Master Plan 2033 in Figures 8, 9 and 10 on pages 88, 89 and 90.

The airport’s operating systems include a Wildlife Hazard Management Plan, and procedures that include environmental protection in the event of an emergency.  Since the completion of the 2022 runway extensions, the site is also subject to ongoing monitoring of its biodiversity.


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