Goodbye Essendon.........
As reported in yesterdays AGE and todays Financial Review.
How long before aviation is banned altogether?
When you look at London (with Gatwick, Luton, Stanstead etc) you realise how shortsighted thos who try to destroy Essendon are.
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Blueprint for Essendon take-off
Aug 24 Financial Review
Brett Foley
Joint venture partners Becton and Linfox have finally unveiled plans for a $150 million redevelopment of Essendon Airport which will turn the under-used facility into a commercial and technological hub.
Becton and Linfox released the 20-year master plan on Friday, which would divide the 300 hectare Commonwealth-owned site into five specialised business precincts.
The prime land, just 10 kilometres from the CBD and 7km from Melbourne Airport, would house everything from retail to commercial, industrial and distribution space. Becton/Linfox paid $22 million last year for a 99-year lease of the site.
The plan also allows for a large 23ha tract to be shaved from the side of the airport land to provide space to remodel the interchange of the Tullamarine and Calder Freeways. Traffic snarls and accidents have dogged the area.
The Federal and Victorian Governments have yet to decide on funding for the project.
Essendon Airport general manager Tim Anderson said more than a third of the land was vacant, useable and ready to be developed almost immediately following approval.
Essendon used to be Melbourne's major international and domestic destination before airlines began using Melbourne airport in 1971.
Mr Anderson said the level of activity had steadily declined since then and Becton/Linfox wanted to rejuvenate the site by luring businesses from the city and other areas. Talks had been held with a number of potential tenants who had showed strong interest.
"Our excitement with the plan is that since Essendon was downgraded, it has operated without direction. As the new owners, we can revitalise it into a major employment and economic centre," he said.
Mr Anderson said Becton/Linfox planned to centralise most of the sparsely populated existing facilities into the Aviation precinct.
The Bulla precinct would be developed first into a retail and bulky goods area to maximise its long frontage to the Tullamarine Freeway.
Mr Anderson said the English Street precinct, which houses the current terminal, and the Beaufort North precinct would be redeveloped for mixed use, involving commercial office space, light industrial and distribution.
"We want to build low-rise, campus-style office developments with child-care facilities, restaurants, gym and plenty of car parks to attract the larger companies who can't find that space in the city," he said.
He said the Hart and the Wirraway North precincts would be set aside for future development because they were located away from the freeways and with little infrastructure support.
The master plan forecasts aircraft arrivals at Essendon will remain static until 2020, but Mr Anderson said the type of aircraft using the site may change. He predicted more corporate and company use for the airport because of its proximity to the city.
The master plan is open for a three-month consultation period before it is submitted to Federal Transport Minister John Anderson.