New Hangers planned for Barwon Heads

[accc]

Airport owner Barbara Begg and tenant Bryan Hawke have recently put in an application to build new hangers at Barwon Heads. Within the application to the City of Greater Geelong, Barbara Begg States, “A maintenance hanger (number 5 north) is proposed to be built at the northern end of the airport within 12 months, however 3 other hangers are also planned in this area”.… “1 large hanger is also planned to be built on the north of the east west runway, (i.e. The windsock paddock) number 1 west, within approximately 12 months, with the others to be built with an estimated period of 5 years”… “A toilet block and treatment plant is also to be built on the ‘windsock paddock’… “At this stage the Begg property in the centre of the plan is also earmarked for hangers, but may not be within the 10 year plan,”….. “This area could hold another 3 large hangers”…
A site diagram produced by Bryan John Hawke shows 7 of the proposed hangers which includes 4 hangers 36M Long X 13M Wide, 2 hangers 130M Long X 26M Wide, and another hanger 130M Long X 13M Wide.

All the proposed hangers are new hangers to the airfield and are not aimed at replacing the almost derelict hangers that burnt down in the recent fire.

Pol, this conflicts with your statement previously made, do you have anything to add?

[inthefluffystuff]

ACCC

Just coasting past and noticed your thread, am trying to figure out "What's your point to all this?

[Creampuff]

Do they plan to build any aircraft hangars?

[inthefluffystuff]

Creampuff

To me it looked like it was all about Aircraft Hangers? but hey don't let me spoil the punch line that is coming! You may not know but it seems that a lot of Ultra lights and Trikes may be looking for hangar spaces so the sizes may have thrown you a bit?

[Creampuff]

I was trying discretely;) to illustrate the principal;) that homophones have different meanings.

[pall]

ACCC.

and your point is...:rolleyes:

[pol]

accc
Not so all the conflict is in your head prompting the question “WHAT’S YOUR AGENDA”?????
I have spoken to Hawke, Begg and the council and have been advised as follows
Hawke has applied for a planning permit to build one hangar number 5 north.
Begg has provided the council a master plan for development of the airport over the next 10 years.
Begg has not applied for any permits.
No permit is required to carry out maintenance from any hangar at Barwon Heads as a VCAT ruling some years ago confirmed it to be an ancillary use of the airport.
COMMENT
The proposed construction of hangars and the introduction of a maintenance facility at Barwon Heads has been enthusiastically endorsed by many aircraft owners and is seen as a positive step forward for Ultra Light, Trike and GA in the area.
If you have a problem understanding any of the above I suggest you speak with the people concerned or go to the council as all the documentation is available to public and if you wish to object to the application you will be provided with copies.
pol:ok:

[accc]

You haven't been smoking the grass as well have you ? - sounds like paranoia is setting in with all your conspiracy theories.

No agenda, other than it's news worthy, the quotes listed above come straight from the planning application.

Airports are generally great spots for maintenance facilities,

I hope everything goes well with your application. :)

cheers

ACCC

[pol]

accc
What are you on about now?? "conspiracy theories" what’s that got to do with hangar’s??
I know who’s been smoking, seems this development is right up your nose.
One may think your overstated and under resourced comments are DIRT
DART inspired
pol:ok:

[Lukeatme]

I feel a true poem is getting closer

[pol]

Hi Lukeatme
Things have gone quiet here guess the dickheads have gone to ground.
pol
:ok:

[sailing]

Further to creampuff's comments, I think ACCC has its knickers in a knot over clothes hangers in its wardrobe, not aircraft hangars at Barwon.:E

[accc]

Can anyone confirm if Geelong is getting a new airport?

RS will you be going to VCAT on this one?


Up in the air - Geelong News Article

Monday October 2


A GEELONG pilot claims the City Council is stymieing expansion plans at Barwon Heads Airport in favour of a new major airfield elsewhere.
Geelong Aero Club vice-president Bryan Hawke said council planners told him the Barwon Heads airfield would not be allowed to grow, which he complained would restrict its income.

``I was told my plans for extending Barwon Heads were refused because it would be in opposition to the new airport,'' Mr Hawke said.

He said the planners told him the new airport, which could replace the recently-sold Geelong Airport on the Surf Coast Highway, could be as big as Moorabbin's and cater for jets.

Mr Hawke said he wrote to city chief executive officer Kay Rundle on June 1 to express his disappointment after meeting with the planners, but had not had a response.

In his letter, Mr Hawke asked for clarification on the council's position in relation to the future of Barwon Heads Airport.

A council spokesman said the City was currently looking into the long-term future of airfields across the region.

He said that the Geelong Aero Club had been asked to submit its plans for the future development of the Barwon Heads Airport.

``The club has provided the City with some details, and these are now being considered,'' the spokesman said.

But Mr Hawke said city planners had told him developers had discussed with the council plans for a new airport of similar size to Moorabbin.

Mr Hawke's letter said locations including Leopold, Lovely Banks and south of Mount Duneed were mentioned as possibilities.

Mr Hawke said he was told Barwon Heads' runways were too short to comply with the requirements for the new airport and operators would have to purchase property east and north to be ``in the running'' for the developer to choose the site for the new plan.

His letter also said he was also told Barwon Heads Airport owners would be refused any application to expand the airport.

``The reason for refusal of future applications to develop the airport was it (Barwon Heads Airport) would be in competition to the airport proposed by the City of Greater Geelong,'' Mr Hawke wrote.

``In essence, council is attempting to restrict the trade of an owner operator and Geelong ratepayer.''

[Sunfish]

(Rant mode on)

With the greatest of respect, unless there is a master plan for Victorian Aviation, including infrastructure, we are going to see more of these stupid and unproductive catfights like Barwon Heads and the entire industry, RAA, GA, manufacturing, the economy and jobs will be the losers.

The entire Aviation in Victoria is at risk. As far as RPT is concerned, the engineering operations are under threat of being outsourced overseas. Manufacturing is confined to the Boeing plant at Fishermans Bend making composite and other structural components, the Gippsland Aeronautics(?) operation in the Latrobe Valley (GA8) and a number of component makers who shall be nameless.

As for Military Aviation - forget it! We don't have the marginal seats to get any of the defence projects and we don't have the smarts to fight the bidding wars that go on between the states anymore.

Then there is GA. All secondary airports and tertiary airports (I mean regional ones) are under threat from Councils and property developers, if not immediately then in the near future. As for RAA and so on, it seems that every manufacturer and agent is based in Queensland!

Melbourne has problems but we also have a unique opportunity to provide decent GA infrastructure because we have YMMB and YMEN, if we could just get either YPCK or Laverton (preferably YPCK) earmarked for a GA precinct, you could have 90%(I'm guessing here) of Melbournes population within 30 min of a GA airport.

As for Barwon Heads and similar airports, we are faced with exactly the same dilemma as the marine community - without safe and convenient airports at attractive destinations, nobody is going to buy aircraft because there is simply no where to go if you are a recreational pilot.

So what happens if we get it wrong? My concern is that both Laverton and YPCK will slip through our hands, leaving the western half of the city with no easy access to GA airports. Then there are the bloody minded greedy and corrupt councils and their lickspittle property developer mates that will gradually whittle down the available number of destinations one can convenieintly visit by air - as is apparently happening in NSW.

Now some of you "perfessionuls" will obviously say so what? Who needs weekend warriors anyway? Trouble is guys, that you need everyone you can get to support aviation businesses otherwise you lose economies of scale. All those hordes of overseas kids are going to one day go elsewhere for training, then what are you going to do if all you have to train is a few boring old farts like me?You need balanced growth for the industry to prosper. That means charter, training and private flying as well as RAA. Furthermore, if nothing is done, the RAA guys will still be flying out of paddocks, but you wont be chartering out of them!

Against this, the RAA aircraft sector is booming and as far as I can tell, the penny is going to drop with the general population that RAA (or GA) flying is not only faster, but actually cheaper than taking your car places! Only trouble is that by then we will have no worthwile infrastructure left!

So where does this leave Victoria? If we invest in a bit of infrastructure, get the Federal Government to either stand firm on airport land grabs or at least give the State first option of buying them provided they keep them open, then we have an opportunity to create the trust, stability and certainty necessary for people and businesses to invest in aviation for growth and jobs.

The alternative is for the State Government to sit around sniping while regional airports and private operators like Barwon Heads get picked off one by one until there is nothing of any economic consequence is left.

We need a Victorian Aviation initiative aimed at fixing these issues one by one, starting with stopping airport landgrabs and establishing a framework of regional and local airports as both a community resource and as a focus for aviation related businesses, I mean for christ sake, go out to just about any regional or local airport and count the jobs - then use the economic multiplier which is about eight - every one of those jobs supports about eight others in the local community!

The other plank of the initiative that I can think of is to look at facilitating establishing clusters of aviation related businesses at places like YPCK and elsewhere. It's not rocket science. I could say more about wasted opportunities but my blood pressure would go off the scale and in any case, I'm not permitted to say more.

Over to you, which party can give us an aviation initiative?

Sorry for sounding rather shrill. I know pilots hate to think long term, but this issue is one that makes my blood boil for the sheer stupidity of what is happening.

(Rant mode off)

[morning mungrel]

And so the three ringed circus lives on.........:hmm: :rolleyes:

[inthefluffystuff]

Geelong Council going to build an Airport the size of Moorabbin, Dream Dream Dream the song goes and I bet that it don't happen but ACCC will get his knickers in a knot over this one and bash every Tom Dick and Hawke for a week or two. Seems no tourist going his way? nice new strip next door when do the tigers arrive?

[Sunfish]

I was thinking the other day about this rumor of Geelong building an airport, with business jets and all.:eek:

Every so often a wheeler dealer comes along and makes a pitch to a council along the lines of:

" I have a lot of cash and experience in (name your industry) and if you guys will give me the land, I'm going to build this really marvellous (foundry, wool scouring plant, airport, factory, - take your pick) that is going to create oodles of jobs and wealth for your fair city."

The idea of course is to get something for nothing and wheel and deal it into reality. The principles who try this invariably turn out not to have a brass razoo, let alone experience.

Its just possible that someone has made this type of pitch to Geelong - it wouldn't be the first time.

[QNIM]

Gday
Just found a few moments to catch up on the goss, there was another article in the paper recently about another local airfield, some 4 bar wanka complaining about lack of international tourists, it seems that those missing customers have moved camp.
Cheers Q :)

[777WakeTurbz]

Gday
Just found a few moments to catch up on the goss, there was another article in the paper recently about another local airfield, some 4 bar wanka complaining about lack of international tourists, it seems that those missing customers have moved camp.
Cheers Q :)

I think i saw that as well, i wonder how he managed to get four bars, they must be handing them out in cornfake packets now :}:}

Turbz :cool:

[inthefluffystuff]

Any more rumors of this proposed new Airfield The Size of Moorrabin? sure would get a lot of flak in old sleepy hollow (Geelong) seems no lighties allowed to land or stay (even briefly) at Avalon now that Jet* is going great guns.

[morning mungrel]

No problem with landing at Avalon. It's just expensive. We do it every so often.

[brown_magpie]

You dont have to land at avalon to get charged... have a look at this
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=6898:=

[pol]

ACCC

Nothing up in the air now, the hangar construction at BHA has started.:D

Sunfish

In relation to the NEW AIRPORT the whisper is, the Golden plains Shire, G21 and the Gelong Airport are having discussions with Lethbridge.:ooh:

pol :ok:

[inbetweenthesheets]

Quiet ain’t it:)

[QNIM]

Gday inbetweenthesheets

Nup not so quiet I hear you can't even walk around the office area without a certain nutcase attacking with his quad bike. I believe that said nutter after being relieved of his weapon and following a slight altercation went off to lay charges of assault.

Any further info?

Cheers Q :D

[inthefluffystuff]

QNIM

Just read the post, is an out of control (and getting worse) person now using a vehicle to sustain an assault ? Hope this alleged person gets the treatment he needs!!

[inbetweenthesheets]

fluffy

The rumour is that the coward has left town.:\

I also believe there are a lot of unhappy campers waiting for his return.:E

I would not like to be in the cowards shoes, he can’t run and hide forever.:(

sheets:ok:

[pol]

accc

I read a VCAT decision at the weekend that approved all the hangars you refer to in your first post:D

I bet that fires up the green-eyed dragon.:E

pol:ok:

[inbetweenthesheets]

Well lookie here


http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/07/08/15832_news.html (http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/07/08/15832_news.html)

Barwon Heads airport battle lost
Jessica Craven
08Jul08
THE state's peak planning tribunal has thrown out Skydive City boss Luke McWilliam's bid to stop the expansion of Barwon Heads airport.
The City of Greater Geelong allowed a permit for the construction of five hangars and associated carparking earlier this year but Mr McWilliam opposed the application on the grounds there was no master plan for the expansion of the airport.
Mr McWilliam was banned from using the airport landing strips last May, forcing him to use an illegal airstrip on his property or on another private runway.
The council is currently mounting a legal challenge on the grounds the illegal airstrip was built without council approval.
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal member Phillip Martin said the construction of the hangars was important in terms of the long-term growth of the airport.
"It is very clear that there is an unhappy history of relations between Mr McWilliam and the owner/operators of the appeal site," he said.
Mr Martin said it would be an excessive situation if the tribunal was to refuse the proposal due to the absence of a master plan.
"This is reinforced by the fact that there have been so many planning permits already granted for development on the airport," he said.
He said he did not agree with Mr McWilliam's argument that the hangars would be out of character with the neighbouring area.
"I am not convinced that there would be any unreasonable amenity impacts on Mr McWilliam's own property, or on any other neighbouring property," he said.
"If one chooses to live near this type of airport, I consider that it goes with the territory that one has to expect that there will be reasonably large hangar structures that will be quite visually prominent."
Mr Martin affirmed the decision to grant a permit subject to several conditions.

sheets:)

[inbetweenthesheets]

ACCC (Luke McWilliam)

What a shame the hangars are happening and you are not there to see it.;)

But there again you could use some of the cash you fleeced of the people who bought jump vouchers from Skydive City to finance a trip back and take a peek.:E

You know, the vouchers you sold when you didn’t have an Aircraft, an Airfield to take off from or a Drop Zone.:=

Remember, they are the people ringing up requesting their money back, thats right the same ones that have Consumer Affairs Victoria chasing you.:D

sheets:ok: