Sunshine Coast Airport PDA

EDQ, Sunshine Coast Council and the Airport have worked with hydraulic engineers who have undertaken comprehensive flood modelling to identify existing flooding extent, any impact of the development, and mitigation measures to ensure development in the PDA does not worsen flooding in the surrounding community. Furthermore, section 2.5.9 of the proposed Sunshine Coast Airport PDA Development Scheme requires future PDA development applications to:

• demonstrate non-worsening on upstream or downstream private properties and infrastructure 
• mitigate the risk to people and damage to property, from flood and storm tide events up to and including the probable maximum flood level 
• support, and not hinder, or unduly burden disaster management response and recovery capacity and capability 
• protect floodplain storage, waterway flood conveyance capacity and maintain or enhance the protective function of landforms and vegetation that can mitigate risks associated with the hazards of flood and storm tide and improve resilience to climate change 
• directly, indirectly and cumulatively avoiding an increase in the exposure or severity of the natural hazard and the potential for damage on the site or to other properties and infrastructure and ecological values
• ensure essential network and community infrastructure maintains effective function during and immediately after flood and storm tide events, taking into account the predicted effects of climate change, including sea level rise and rainfall intensification 
• avoiding risks to public health and safety and the environment from the location of hazardous materials and the release of these materials as a result of a flood hazard, taking into account the predicted effects of climate change h) providing public realm surfaces which are durable and flood resilient and
• ensure habitable rooms and non–habitable areas have acceptable levels of flood immunity.

The Sunshine Coast Airport is projected to facilitate over 1.5 million passengers in 2023, with a forecast of more than 3.2 million passengers expected to travel through by 2040. As one of Australia’s largest and fastest growing local government areas, with a population forecast to reach more than 500,000 by 2041 and with an annual average growth rate of 2.6% since 2011 within a region attracting 8.5 million people each year (2017), the development of the airport will support the region’s population growth and the forecast growth in visitation and passenger numbers. The Sunshine Coast Airport PDA Development Scheme supports the growth and expansion of the Sunshine Coast Airport to be a modern, sustainable and competitive world-class airport by providing for a range of uses and activities that -

• are compatible with the primary function of the Sunshine Coast Airport as a key regional and international airport and aviation precinct 
• are complement the role of the airport as an economic, freight and logistics hub, and enhance the economic opportunities that are available in proximity to the airport 
• support an expanded range of aviation, aerospace, and complementary business and employment opportunities that promote the region, attract investment, support tourism on the Sunshine Coast.
• are of a nature, scale and intensity that does not compromise the Sunshine Coast Centres Hierarchy while providing for a range of commercial and retail uses that enhance and support and complement a modern competitive airport precinct.

Short-term accommodation activities, such as hotels, may be accommodated in Precinct 2: Gateway and Precinct 5: Airport North. Long-term residential development is not a preferred land use in the PDA.

Anthony Hugh Gibson also asked; "How will the integrity of the Marcoola Sections of the Mount Coolum National Park be protected and enhanced?"

The Sunshine Coast Airport PDA Development Scheme recognises the environmental significance of the adjoining Mount Coolum National Park through the establishment of Precinct 6 which provides for the protection of areas of environmental and Aboriginal cultural heritage within the PDA. Precinct 6 also provides a buffer between the proposed future aerospace activities in Precinct 3 and the future development opportunities provided for in Precinct 5.

As part of the runway expansion approval under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Ref No.: EPBC2011/5823), areas were assigned for conservation and offset of protected flora and fauna.  Sunshine Coast Airport has ongoing environmental program to uphold the conditions of the approval, which include:

• Managing more than 90 hectares of environmental conservation area.
• Revegetation of 40ha conservation corridor (>10,000 trees planted to date)
• 4.4ha Mount Emu She-Oak offset area (> 600 trees planted to date)
• 21 frog ponds to support and grow vulnerable acid frog population.
• 27ha of Wallum Heath Management Area for vulnerable Eastern Ground Parrot

The Sunshine Coast Airport PDA Development Scheme supports the growth and expansion of the Sunshine Coast Airport to be a modern, sustainable and competitive world-class airport by providing for a range of uses and activities that

• are compatible with the primary function of the Sunshine Coast Airport as a key regional and international airport and aviation precinct
• are complement the role of the airport as an economic, freight and logistics hub, and enhance the economic opportunities that are available in proximity to the airport
• support an expanded range of aviation, aerospace, and complementary business and employment opportunities that promote the region, attract investment, support tourism on the Sunshine Coast
• are of a nature, scale and intensity that does not compromise the Sunshine Coast Centres Hierarchy while providing for a range of commercial and retail uses that enhance and support and complement a modern competitive airport precinct.

EDQ is currently preparing the Sunshine Coast Airport PDA proposed development scheme. Once in effect the development scheme will guide future development in the PDA. EDQ, Sunshine Coast Council and the Airport are currently working with hydraulic engineers to identify existing flooding extent, any impact of the development, and mitigation measures to ensure development in the PDA does not worsen flooding in the surrounding community. The proposed PDA development scheme will be on public notification in the coming months. Keep visiting our website to learn more about the project and upcoming consultation opportunities.