Sunshine Coast Airport

The ILUP is a temporary document to regulate development in the PDA until the detailed planning for the area has been completed and the Sunshine Coast PDA Development Scheme has been approved. Development that can occur on the Airport site under the ILUP is generally consistent with the type of development that could occur on the site under the Council’s Planning scheme.

To achieve this, the ILUP establishes the following precincts.

Precinct 1: Airport, which consists of the following sub-precincts.

• Precinct 1(a): Airport Core – which provides for
  • aviation facilities (i.e. navigation, communication and surveillance installations provided to assist the safe and efficient movement of aircraft),
  • air services (i.e. the arrival and departure of aircraft, the housing, servicing, refuelling, maintenance and repair of aircraft, the assembly and dispersal of passengers or goods on or from an aircraft, any ancillary activities directly serving the needs of passengers and visitors to the use, and associated training and education facilities),
  • uses associated with air services, and
  • airport-related industry.
• Precinct 1(b): Airport Frame – which provides for key airfield services such as airport aprons and taxiways to service the terminal expansion.
• Precinct 1(c): Airport Balance – which covers the airfield, facilities and infrastructure, and general aviation operations. It is in this precinct that the Airport would like to accommodate a wider range of uses, which are intended to create a modern competitive aviation precinct. Further detailed planning and consultation will inform the overall future outcomes for development in this sub-precinct.

Precinct 2: Environmental Conservation, which covers environmentally significant areas, including environmental offset areas required to be delivered as a result of the Sunshine Coast Airport runway expansion project. Development in this precinct is generally not anticipated, except if associated with managing the environmental assets or for navigation, communication, or surveillance installations associated with the airport.

In 2021 the Sunshine Coast Council completed the Sunshine Coast Airport runway expansion project (runway expansion project) to enhance the airport’s capabilities and position the Sunshine Coast as a key transportation hub in Australia. The runway expansion project was declared a significant project under the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971. The Coordinator-General’s report was delivered on 19 May 2016.

The runway expansion project was also determined to be a controlled action under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was prepared under the bilateral agreement with the Commonwealth and State governments. The EIS assessed the impacts associated with the airport expansion, including impacts from aircraft noise. The PDA declaration over the Airport site does not override existing approvals and legislative environmental protection requirements associated with the runway expansion.

The 2040 Master Plan outlines the strategic vision for the development and expansion of the Sunshine Coast Airport, including infrastructure improvements, increased capacity, and enhanced passenger services to meet the anticipated growth and demands of the region. The 2040 Master Plan was produced in 2019 to fulfill a requirement of the airport lease agreement between the Council and the SCA Pty Ltd. The 2040 was not produced as the basis for assessing applications for development on the airport site. The 2040 Master Plan has no regulatory status under the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 or the Sunshine Coast Airport ILUP.

The ILUP regulates airport-related development, proposed on land adjoining residential areas, and requires the making of a PDA development application to assess and mitigate potential impacts on the adjoining residents.

The proposed PDA development scheme will be subject to a minimum 30 business day public notification period. Public notification on the development scheme is anticipated in the second quarter of 2024. This process will provide the community with the opportunity to express their views on the future development outcomes sought for the PDA.

The Turbine development is a purpose built, end-to-end food and beverage manufacturing and education facility and includes co-located food and beverage manufacturing, research and development centre, expertise and training hub, and hospitality showcase. The development is a possible future development use that may establish within the PDA. Precinct 1(a) contains provisions for this development to be considered under the ILUP.

Economic Development Queensland is the assessment manager for all applications lodged for development proposed in the PDA.

Any development applications lodged with Sunshine Coast Council prior to declaration date and have not yet been decided, will continue to be assessed and determined under the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme.  For any enquires, please contact council at:

Sunshine Coast Council
Phone: (07) 5475 7272
Email: Customer.Service@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au

The regulation of aircraft flights and aircraft noise does not change with the declaration of the PDA.

As Australia’s air navigation service provider, Airservices Australia is responsible for airspace management and the designation of flight paths. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulates aviation safety in Australia.

Please contact the Sunshine Coast Airport for the range of tools and resources they have developed to help the community better understand what was involved in the runway expansion project and what it means for residents. Please refer to the Sunshine Coast Airport’s website for further information on noise: Noise | Sunshine Coast Airport

Queries or complaints about noise from airport operations should be directed to the Sunshine Coast Airport or Airservices Australia. Contact details are provided below. Economic Development Queensland does not manage airport operations.

Sunshine Coast Airport
Phone: +61 1300 993 543
Email: info@sunshinecoastairport.com.au

Airservices AustraliaPhone: 1800 802 584 (freecall)
Email: https://www.airservicesaustralia.com/community/environment/aircraft-noise/about-making-a-complaint/