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Stop airport expansions
Melbourne Airport Third Runway
The Melbourne Airport Third Runway Major Development Plan (m3R MDP) was approved, with conditions, by federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King on 10 September 2024. Her Statement of Reasons excludes any mention of flight emissions, even though the Airports Act requires consideration of the plan’s environmental impact.
Despite this decision the No 3rd Tulla Runway coalition campaign continues against the runway, by community members, including Flight Free Australia. For more info check out their “Way too warming” web page on their website and Facebook group.
Flight Free Australia’s media release “Community challenges approval of Melbourne Airport Third Runway” noted the ongoing negative impacts that the approval did not address.
We discussed the increased climate impacts that a 3rd runway will enable on a September 2024 episode of the Climate conversations podcast, and on community radio 3CR’s City Limits, 2 October 2024.
On 15 November 2024, Melbourne Airport published a copy of the approved MDP, plus a supplement of all submissions made by the public on the preliminary draft MDP in 2022, including Flight Free Australia’s submission from May 2022.
Brisbane Airport
Go to Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance
Website: https://bfpca.org.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bfpca.org.au/
Elsewhere
Aviation infrastructure bans — on new airports and terminals, new runways, and fleet expansion are necessary. In August 2018, Friends of the Earth UK mounted a legal challenge in the UK High Court against the proposed third runway at Heathrow. In October 2019 British Airways’ CEO conceded Heathrow was unlikely to get a third runway due to environmental concerns. Elsewhere in the UK, Bristol residents are campaigning against expansion of Bristol airport. In South Korea, residents on Jeju Island are campaigning to halt plans for a second airport.
Well worth the read is Chapter 5 Red line for airports: moratoria on new infra-structure and scaling down of airports of Stay Grounded’s valuable report Regrowth aviation: Reducing air travel in a just way.
The need for action
On the back of expected passenger demand growth, new airports and expansions to existing airports, including new runways, are in the works for Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. Yet Sydney airport will be underwater by 2050.
