The Airport upgrading to do what an Airport is actually supposed to do

I think it is just an expanded terminal. And the only details were about money QANTAS is spending.
Snow is just good at getting PR.

And what better time to anounce some ‘god news’ than when they are trying to buy the land next door to the airport so that they can build all over that too with no planning restrictions at all.

The lack of local planning restrictions for airports was supposed to allow airports to get better infrastructure to perform as airports. Snow has used to it build so many buildings all over the airport land that there is no more room for his airport to expand and be a bigger and better airport.

Shauno, I don’t think many object to Snow building airport related infrastructure. Most of the people who dislike him do so because he can build what EVER he likes WITHOUT any planning approval. That is not right and I would love to see a good argument as to why it is right. The playing field is not level. Then the prick has the hide to complain when companies (outbid) him and try and build competing developments within the planing rules of the ACT (Epicentre for example).

Simple fact is Snow uses a loop hole in airport legislation which is there to enable airport development to go ahead without local approval, yet he uses it to build retail outlets and office space.

Now one question is this a new terminal, or expansion and refurbishment of the current terminal? I read that Qantas is putting in $10m on a new airbridge and a business class lounge. The impression I got was this was a stop gap until a new terminal was built, but reading everything it seems like the ‘new’ terminal is just an expanded terminal.

Snow gets rich, and we all get to support him. I can’t see any flow-on effects either, good ones at least. He’s subverted the town planning process. You won’t see gov’t departments or large businesses locating nearer to Gunghalin and Tuggerangong, when he’s throwing up buildings at breakneck speed and undercutting the town planners.

He’s practically blackmailed the gov’t to use our taxes to build the roads that he needs for his development. Those roads were perfectly adequate until the first high rise buildings came on line.

Just because someone likes to use an airport and would like it to be nice, doesn’t mean that thousands of people have to put up with noise, traffic jams and a rich guy creaming off their taxes.

Look a bit of tall poppy syndrome is in effect here. I wish Snow all best and hope he makes shitloads.
As some one that travels the world and uses the airport regularly I am all for the development. By all means scale back and bring Canberra back to how it was in the 60’s wont that be great.

I don’t see that development is always good. As far as i can see the owner is making money, and no extra money is going into the local economy. The local economy is losing money due to having to fix roads that don’t fit into their long term planning processes.

I don’t mind getting a fair bit of aircraft noise during cloudy weather. But at the moment it just depresses me cos I imagine this will be what it is like ever day and all night once the airport becomes this freight hub they are working towards.

And again – I don’t see any benefits for Canberra in that either. A few truckies will get extra work, beyond that all the benefits are for Sydney.

I really have a hard time working out why people are so upset about this airport development. Ok sure we have a problem with the roads but in time that will be fixed. Its just really good that some one has gone in there and started development.
Its probably one of the biggest assets Canberra has got and can only help make the economy grow. I’m all for it and Id like to see another 4 or 5 star hotel there as well.

The airport doesn’t have control over flight paths, so it can’t decide to spread them around or not. I saw a lot of activity too and suspect we saw planes avoiding thunderstorms, combined with more activity than normal due to the old pollies clearing out and new ones coming in early to grab the office with the window.

Yeah Sepi, I noticed at the end of the week especially, lines of flights coming overhead quite low when we don’t usually get them at that time (quite dark). Generally, we get the planes from Sydney/north between 4 and 5. But there were loads of them at weird times.

I suspect the airport is being very very careful to avoid spooking the horses by having lots of suburbs affected by flights right now.
Snow and Co need for canberrans to sink into a “I’m all right Jack so screw you” torpor until it’s too late. Not a big task for them.

The airport is giving me the sh*ts this week. Tiny bloody planes directly overhead the house all weekend, and massive noisy planes flying over every time it rains or storms. During the massive storm the other day the planes were so low I couldn’t tell the planes from the thunder. I might start campaigning for noise sharing now, and some other suburbs can see what it’s like.

The one you’re referring to is in the non-Qantas terminal. I suspect Primal is talking about in the Qantas terminal…

Uuum, there IS a (pricey, but hey, they’re an airport, what do you expect) food stand on the top floor inside the terminal. Admittedly, it appears to be staffed by one very cranky woman who keeps irregular hours, but who cares.

Although the rest of this thread is making me wonder, what is my mum REALLY doing when she buys weird lawn ornaments at Rodneys? Is she secretly part of the Illuminati?

Never mind doubling the baggage aerobridges, when the hell am I going to be able to get something to eat or drink inside security at the Qantas terminal? (and no, ‘when I join the Qantas Club’ is not the correct answer).

The ABC news video is amusing. Behind Stephen Bryon head in the footage is the word ‘BART’. 🙂

I just had a look at the ‘artists impression’ of what the new airport would look like (in the CT). Quite spiffy really.

Canberra Intergalactic Spaceport

UFOs would explain the “International” bit in Canberra International Airport – otherwise it’s a joke to call the airport international.

Canberra Intergalactic Airport ?

Albany St, rather.
(Hi guys)

They’re in the same building as the spooks of AG’s at Kembla St in Fyshwick.

I thought the CIA was in the basement of the Deakin telephone exchange?

I hear its only international because the PM’s whim can take his planes anywhere, although it would be nice to go direct to bali from here (hint hint major airlines wanting to service the CC crowd).

ABC Online nows has video:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2007/12/07/2112430.htm

Snow and Bryon should be congratulated. It’s about time our airport and surrounds stopped looking like hicksville!

But I don’t know how Jim Murphy is surviving near Brand Depot as I never see any cars in the carpark. It appears to be a bad business option. Personally, I dislike his grog-shop and I hope another grog business opens up at the new brand precinct in East Queanbeyan (Fyshwick).

UFOs would explain the “International” bit in Canberra International Airport – otherwise it’s a joke to call the airport international.

It would be nice to be able to fly across the Tasman to that third world hole NZ direct, rather than have to go through Stdney.

The sequence of roundabouts is a land-signal to airborne UFO…

There’s a roundabout outside the airport; am I the only person who thinks that represents something sinister ala Freemasons????

Maybe… but the fundamental difference is that one CIA is in Pialligo in the Australian Capital and the other CIA is in Langley in Virginia.

Yeah, about time they spent some money on upgrading the actual terminal, instead of concentrationg on building Snow City!

You just like writing CIA don’t you?