Canberra Airport has been sent back to the drawing board after the Federal Government rejected its master plan yesterday, putting its proposal to become a 24-hour freight hub on hold.
Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said the draft master plan which must be updated to outline the airport's expected growth and federally approved every five years did not provide enough detail.
He is particularly worried the airport has not responded adequately to Canberra residents' concerns about proposals for a freight hub, which could eventually mean there are flights every two minutes round the clock.
Mr Albanese said, ''The public should be advised of the potential truck, plane and machinery noise they might face if the freight hub proposal develops as significantly and rapidly as suggested in the 2008 draft master plan.
''The public have a right to know how this development could impact on their homes, and the airport's response to these concerns has been inadequate.'' Curfew for Canberra president Jenni Savigny welcomed the decision, saying the community had been given shoddy information about the noise from a freight hub and looked forward to seeing the facts.
''If they can have a quiet freight hub that doesn't disturb our sleep, then we are in a different boat. Currently in Sydney they have a curfew because aircraft and jumbo-jet freighters disturb people's sleep and there has to be balance in these sorts of developments, so we just have to wait and see.''
The freight hub was to be the next stage in the airport's expansion.
The Snow family bought the airport for $66million in 1998 and has been developing it as almost another town centre, with huge amounts of office and retail space, to the point where it was valued at between $600million and $1.2billion earlier this year.
Airport owner Terry Snow and his stepson, managing director Stephen Byron, were unavailable yesterday.
But a spokesman for the managing director said the airport would review the minister's reasons for rejecting the plan.
''His reasons, which were only received this afternoon, are comprehensive and detailed and will take time to consider. In the meantime we note and share Mr Albanese's confidence that the matters he has raised can be worked through satisfactorily.''
Mr Albanese has given the airport six months to respond to his concerns which must include 60 days of further community consultation and the 2005 master plan will meanwhile remain in force.
''I am confident these matters can be worked through with Canberra Airport to ensure the draft master plan is revised appropriately and the public is provided a further opportunity to comment on the future directions of this critical facility that serves the Canberra region well,'' he said.
This is the second time the airport has been criticised for providing too little information in its master plan: the Howard government warned it in 2005 to do better next time.
It was unclear last night what impact Mr Albanese's decision would have on the airport's proposed development, although it is another in a series of setbacks.
This one puts plans for a new $250million terminal on hold because of the global financial crisis.
Queanbeyan City Council recently approved the Tralee housing development the airport has been fiercely opposing for many years, and it is still in a legal battle over a factory clearance centre that competes with its own complex.
Mr Albanese did not mention the controversial Tralee development, but did say the plan lacked enough detail to determine the extent of ''potential conflicts relating to the land use in the airport or the surrounding areas''.
Although the plan proposed that ''significant night freight operations will commence in the short term'', it did not reveal ''the potential location of the freight hub, the type of freight envisaged, the buildings and other infrastructure required to operate it, possible traffic management arrangements or the volume of freight that may be processed''.
It had a minimum of maps and diagrams.
Mr Albanese's decision comes a fortnight before he issues an aviation green paper, which is expected to propose new planning rules for airport owners.
ACT Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury was pleased Mr Albanese had identified the community concerns about the 24-hour freight hub.
''Obviously the Canberra Airport is an important part of our economic future, but it has not been working with either the ACT Government or the community, '' he said.
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