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Albury Airport Master Plan 2018 Prepared for Albury City Council FINAL DRAFT

June 2018

Reference No: TAG990

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Albury Airport Master Plan 2018 presents a plan for the airport with a 15-year planning horizon. The Master Plan has been developed based on a culmination of desktop review and research, stakeholder engagement, conceptual design, and engagement of expertise to produce forecasting, noise contours, and cost estimates. This Master Plan is supported by several key documents, including a Car Park Study; Terminal Study; Freight Study; ANEF Report; and Forecast Report. The aim of this Master Plan is to safeguard the development of ABX and make recommendations for future operations, taking into consideration the role of the airport and the commitment of Albury City Council (ACC) to drive the economic and social development for the Albury-Wodonga region. This 15-year Master Plan is designed to ensure the airport has capacity to grow and develop to meet regional demand and capitalise on its economic development potential. The key objectives of this master plan are to: • Provide an overview of the current regulatory context of the airport; • Outline the existing activities and facilities at the airport; • Forecast air traffic demand for the next 15 years; • Maintain the ability for RPT, GA, and emergency services aircraft to operate safely; • Facilitate the ability for the airport to grow and expand in response to the regional demand; • Safeguard the long-term plans of Albury City for the airport and nearby areas; • Ensure compliance with relevant regulations; and • Develop an implementation plan to meet future capacity needs.

The strategic vision for Albury Airport is:

ABX is striving to be the leading regional airport in Australia and seeks to amplify the growth and prosperity of the region by connecting our community and businesses to the world.

The vision for Albury Airport is underpinned by the following objectives: • Adopt a holistic and contemporary 15-year Master Plan for Albury Airport; • Ensure accessibility for the community and wider region; • Provide for the future of Albury Wodonga through facilitating the safe operation of the airport; • Enable opportunities for growth in passenger, general aviation, and critically important emergency services at Albury Airport; • Ensure Albury Airport supports the Albury 2030 Community Plan; • Develop the airport in a manner which accommodates future forecast growth; • Support growth of strategic transport services in the region; • Appropriately safeguard the airport in relation to new land use and development surrounding ABX; and • Maintain strong existing community relationships through the implementation of the Albury Aviation Strategy and Marketing Plan as well as the Master Plan. The airport has potential to capitalise on its key role in the region through the ongoing accommodation of regular public transport services, as well as integral general aviation and emergency services operations. The throughput of the airport is forecast to increase steadily of the 15-year planning period, with a diverse and sound passenger base supporting it. General aviation is also forecast to grow steadily, and while freight capacity will increase, the throughput of freight is forecast to remain reasonably stagnant. This Master Plan identifies that the current terminal (post expansion project) will have a sufficient footprint to meet the growing needs of Albury Airport in the near future. Some investment is required in taxiways and aprons, however minimal investment is required in the runway in the short term. The car park capacity at Albury Airport will be reached within the period of this master plan and strategies for how this may be addressed are outlined. Five key precincts are presented in this Master Plan: Airside Precinct, Terminal Precinct, Northern Precinct, Western Precinct, and the South-Eastern Precinct. Each of these precincts has distinct recommended land uses

Albury City Council Albury Airport Final Draft Master Plan 2018 i which are appropriate for their location in relation to the airport operations. The ongoing safe operation of the airport is of the utmost importance in every precinct outlined. Several key steps are outlined in the Implementation Plan within the Short (0-2 years); Medium (2-10 years); and Long (10+ years) term. These steps are categorised into the relevant precincts and are supported by Marketing and Business Development implementation stages. Costing presented following the Implementation Plan outline the cost associated with the major infrastructure projects forecast at Albury Airport. Significant investment is required by ACC to realise the potential of all the precinct plans, however this remains subject to market demand and feasibility. This Master Plan identifies a range of projects and strategies to underpin the airport’s future growth. It provides a plan for the Airport that will provide the best opportunity to enhance its position in the region and goal of becoming Australia’s leading regional airport. Recommendations and implementation The following table outlines the key recommendations made in this master plan, including an overview of the proposed implementation timeframe and costing estimates (where appropriate). The table below provides an overview only and the complete implementation and costing detail is outlined in section 11 and section 12.

Recommendation Indicative Cost Section timing estimates reference 1 TAG recommends ACC review the passenger and Ongoing N/A 8.1.1 aircraft movement forecast annually to consider alignment with actual figures, and to produce a new forecast every five years, unless the forecast is found to be significantly different to actual figures prior. If a significant deviation is found, the terminal peak period calculation should be reviewed and revised to ensure the operation of the terminal is safeguarded for the future and that investment can occur in a timely, cost efficient manner. 2 Assuming forecast figures align with actual Medium term N/A 8.1.1 movements, TAG recommends ACC review the terminal functional area expansion requirements holistically again in the medium term (in the next two to 10 years). 3 ACC should establish a concept for future layout of Medium term N/A 8.1.1 cargo and baggage make up areas which is more efficient, based on area and processing requirements as well as airport management preferences. 4 The security checkpoint and queuing area will likely Ongoing N/A 8.1.1 be constrained within the master planning period based on the forecast peak period. ACC should adopt operational measures to mitigate expansion requirements where required. 5 ACC may consider the use of terminal facilities for Ongoing N/A 8.1.1 other uses during off peak period, such as functions in the café, to better utilise the terminal and revenue opportunities in off peak periods. 6 TAG recommends that ACC investigate alternative Short term N/A 8.1.1 layout or locations for freight handling facilities to increase efficiency and reduce existing constraints. 7 The existing area and functionality of the charter air N/A N/A 8.1.1 freight operations is sufficient for current and forecast future operations.

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8 ACC should maintain the runway at ABX in good Ongoing N/A 8.1.2 condition and continue to protect the required strip width for a 30m wide runway.

9 TAG recommends that ACC regularly engage with Ongoing N/A 8.1.2 airlines to understand their planned design aircraft to/from ABX. Any changes in operating aircraft. 10 ACC should safeguard the full potential length of the Ongoing N/A 8.1.2 runway for future expansion if/or when required.

11 ACC should ensure the runway ends remain Ongoing N/A 8.1.2 obstacle free, both within and outside the airport, through planning controls. 12 ACC should monitor and continually review any Ongoing N/A 8.1.2 proposed changes to regulations, particularly for narrow runway operations, to ensure preparedness. 13 The surfaces of the high strength taxiway system TWY A and E: $814,949 8.1.2 (TWY A, B and E) at ABX be re-shaped and Short term strengthened. It is recommended that priority be given to the upgrades for TWY A and E as TWY B is in a better condition. TWY B: $1,043,496 Medium term 14 TWY C should be upgraded to a Code C taxiway Short term $3,823,170 8.1.2 with a width of 15m to accommodate future Code C and design aircraft use. 15 ACC may, in conjunction with AsA, prepare an Short term N/A 8.1.2 airfield capacity study of ABX to identify constraints and possible mitigation measures in the short term to limit any impacts that the constraints of not having a parallel taxiway has on operations. 16 The implementation plan has allowed for a two-stage Stage 1: Stage 1: 8.1.2 expansion and strengthening process for TWY C, Short term Included in 13. with a long-term completion period (10+ years) planned for the full parallel extension to a code 4C Stage 2: Stage 2: capability. Long term $2,796,148

TAG recommends that a detailed cost-benefit study should be prepared for the provision of the TWY C extension to review the proposed staging options and consider the potential for construction as a single project, and the associated costs. 17 TAG recommends that ACC review the condition of Ongoing N/A 8.1.2 the general aviation taxiways at ABX on a regular basis and reseal wearing surfaces as required. 18 The RPT aircraft parking apron should be extended Medium term $1,215,517 8.1.2 to accommodate up to six parking positions in the future peak period. 19 A pavement overlay should be undertaken on the Medium term $2,608,744 8.1.2 RPT apron to restore shape and retain the water seal.

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20 The aero-medical apron should be relocated to the Medium term $3,238,872 8.1.2 western precinct prior to the RPT apron expansion. 21 The northeast GA apron will require reconstruction in Medium term $753,870 8.1.2 the short term, as outlined in the implementation plan and cost estimates. 22 ACC should regularly engage with AsA and remain Ongoing N/A 8.1.2 aware of any planned service changes. 23 ACC should maintain air traffic control operations at Ongoing N/A 8.1.2 ABX and safeguard tower line of site through land use planning controls and oversight. 24 ACC should undertake an investigation for the ideal Medium term N/A 8.1.2 location options for the ARFFS station in collaboration with AsA to be prepared when ABX reaches the trigger. 25 ACC should continue to review the existing Ongoing N/A 8.1.2 navigational aid infrastructure and future option(s) to limit regular disruptions to operations in addition to ongoing engagement with AsA. 26 The Baro-VNAV is not considered to be a required N/A N/A 8.1.2 investment for ABX at the time of writing. 27 ILS is also not considered a viable option for ABX. N/A N/A 8.1.2 28 TAG recommends that ACC thoroughly evaluate the N/A N/A 8.1.2 benefits and/or costs of the implementation of GBAS if considering investing in the system. 29 TAG recommends that ACC engage a specialist N/A N/A 8.1.2 consultant to produce three-dimensional modelling of the airport protection volumes for instrument procedures. 30 ABX should maintain the current aids and prepare for N/A N/A 8.1.2 the implementation of the SBAS. 31 TAG recommends ACC upgrade taxiway lighting Ongoing Inc. in other 8.1.2 concurrently with complementary works to taxiways. costing 32 Within the next five years, the runway edge lights Medium term Inc. in other 8.1.2 should be upgraded to LED. costing 33 ACC should maintain existing transport accessibility N/A N/A 8.2.1 to ABX via Airport Drive. 34 ACC should plan to build the roundabout in the Medium term $1,948,393 8.2.1 medium term (as outlined in the implementation plan) to improve accessibility to the airport site and reduce congestion during future peak periods. 35 ACC should consider improving public transport N/A N/A 8.2.2 accessibility to ABX. 36 TAG recommends that ACC engage with both taxi Short term N/A 8.2.2 providers and shuttle bus operators to understand operational needs both present and future. 37 ACC should maintain an ongoing relationship with N/A N/A 8.2.3 ABX rental car operators and remain aware of their future operational requirements.

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38 Engage with other rental car providers to ascertain N/A N/A 8.2.3 demand for more providers. 39 TAG recommends that ACC undertake an Short term N/A 8.2.3 investigation into the potential provision of rental car ready bays at ABX. 40 TAG recommends that ACC investigate car parking Short term N/A 8.2.4 expansion options in the short term to identify the preferred means of expansion and ensure capacity is available based on forecast increase in passenger movements at the airport. 41 ACC should investigate potential different car park Short term N/A 8.2.4 products (e.g. short term and long term options). 42 TAG recommends that ACC reviews, together with Short term N/A 8.2.4 the car park management provider, the standard reports from the system to review reporting methods and descriptions. 43 ACC should improve signage around the ground Ongoing N/A 8.2.4 transport areas of the airport and increase the wayfinding for pedestrians moving around the site. 44 ACC should remain aware of changes to ground Ongoing N/A 8.2.4 transport being experienced at regional airports around Australia. 45 ACC should review the car park peak period Ongoing N/A 8.2.4 calculations in conjunction with any passenger movement forecast review. 46 ACC should continue to review their financial results Ongoing N/A 8.3.1 and identify potential opportunities to strengthen results through aviation and non-aviation businesses and varied revenue streams. 47 TAG recommends that future development at ABX Ongoing N/A 8.3.1 aligns with the land use precinct guidelines as they provide guidance to support consistency and cohesion across the airport site. 48 Before undertaking any future commercial Ongoing N/A 8.3.1 development projects, appropriate prefeasibility reviews or additional research should be undertaken by the appropriate professionals. 49 ACC should identify areas unsuitable for aviation Ongoing N/A 8.3.1 uses and/or without easy airside access and utilise for commercial development opportunities. 50 To ensure that ACC remains flexible and able to Ongoing N/A 8.3.2 respond to future markets and development requirements at ABX, some rezoning may be required to allow for non-aviation or ‘ancillary’ uses within some precincts in this Master Plan. 51 ACC should ensure the zoning of the areas Ongoing N/A 8.3.2 surrounding the airport safeguard the future development and aviation operations of the airport. 52 In general, TAG recommends that ACC retains Ongoing N/A 8.3.2 ownership of any land adjoining the airport site which is currently owned by Council where possible. If land is sold, strict controls should be implemented to

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ensure current and future airport operations are not impeded. 53 TAG recommends that only leasehold tenure is Ongoing N/A 8.3.2 offered within the airport site entirely. Freehold is not appropriate in the airport site. 54 TAG recommends that ACC offer various leasing Ongoing N/A 8.3.2 models on and adjoining the airport. 55 TAG recommends that ACC review the standard Ongoing N/A 8.3.2 lease documentation for the airport including lease timeframes and options. 56 TAG recommends that terminal licenses should Ongoing N/A 8.3.2 continue to be granted on a short-term basis as five year leases and limited to a five year option. 57 The ABX Aviation Strategy should be reviewed and Short term N/A 8.4.1 updated in FY20. 58 The ABX Marketing Strategy should be revised and Short term N/A 8.4.1 updated in 2020. 59 ACC should continue to work in conjunction with Ongoing N/A 8.4.1 Wodonga to continue the collaboration of the Albury Wodonga destination marketing teams to promote the airport through the dual brand. 60 The ABX Business Plan should be updated on an Short N/A 8.4.1 annual basis. term/ongoing 61 TAG recommends that ACC considers the Ongoing N/A 8.4.3 positioning of the airport and continues to engage in discussions with airlines to discuss the possibility of new routes and/or additional services, to/from ABX on a regular basis to accommodate any changes in the market and or demand. 62 TAG recommends that prior to implementation of a Ongoing N/A 8.4.3 route development strategy, a business case or prefeasibility study should be undertaken. 63 ACC should review the scale of leakage between Short N/A 8.4.3 ABX and MEL. term/ongoing 64 Maintain high levels of engagement and relationships Ongoing N/A 8.4.3 with current RPT airlines. 65 ACC should remain open to potential new airlines Ongoing N/A 8.4.3 establishing new routes and/or services on existing routes, whilst monitoring the opportunities presented by slots at destination airports. 66 ACC should monitor the operational performance Ongoing N/A 8.4.3 and data (e.g. load factor, on time performance) of RPT airlines and services. 67 ACC should provide opportunities for the expansion Ongoing N/A 9.1.3 of GA users and operators within the south eastern and the western precincts. 68 ABX should improve direct engagement with GA Ongoing N/A 9.1.3 users to understand their needs, as well as communicating ACCs future aspirations for GA at the airport with existing tenants.

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69 GA development and lease terms (for all precincts Ongoing N/A 9.1.3 with GA uses in them) should be based on a feasibility study analysis. 70 ACC should support the development of existing Ongoing N/A 9.1.3 flying schools and endeavour to attract new schools. 71 ACC should maintain regular communication with Ongoing N/A 9.1.4 seasonal aerial firefighting provider(s) and both Victorian and New South Wales state emergency providers. 72 ACC should investigate the possibility of a Short term N/A 9.1.4 permanent aerial firefighting base at ABX and understand the operational needs for such a facility through a benchmarking analysis of other facilities around Australia. 73 ACC may also consider the opportunity to develop a Short term N/A 9.1.4 multi-use area for emergency services (aerial firefighting and aeromedical operations) within the western precinct. 74 ACC should investigate the opportunity for an Short term N/A 9.1.4 aeromedical provider to utilise ABX as a base and what infrastructure are required to support operations. 75 The OLS should be reviewed regularly and Ongoing N/A 10.2.2 incorporated into the DCP to ensure that it adequately protects the airport and is a consideration for ACC when considering development surrounding the airport. 76 TAG recommends that ACC remain cognisant of any Ongoing N/A 10.3.1 developments in the legislation with regard to the required implementation of these PSZ. 77 The current RESA in place at ABX should be Ongoing N/A 10.3.2 maintained in future. 78 The ANEF for ABX should be endorsed by AsA and Short term N/A 10.4.7 be incorporated into local planning instruments (LEP and DCP) and be used as a tool for awareness with the community. 79 ACC should ensure that future residential Short term N/A 10.4.7 development in close proximity to ABX is protected by the ANEF contours which have been endorsed by AsA.

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Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...... i List of Figures ...... x List of Tables ...... xi Abbreviations ...... xii Glossary ...... 1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 Overview of the Airport ...... 1 Aim and objectives of the master plan ...... 1 Methodology and consultation ...... 1 Report structure ...... 2 2 STRATEGIC VISION AND OBJECTIVES ...... 4 Strategic vision ...... 4 Strategic objectives ...... 4 3 BACKGROUND INFORMATION ...... 6 Historical background ...... 6 Regional context ...... 6 Socio-economic context ...... 7 Regulatory and policy context...... 8 Previous and current master plans and studies ...... 11 4 CURRENT SITUATION ...... 13 Ownership and management ...... 13 Site description ...... 13 Surrounding land ...... 14 Existing activities and services ...... 14 Existing infrastructure and facilities ...... 16 Ground transport ...... 26 Utility and services ...... 31 Environmental values ...... 33 Heritage values ...... 33 Benchmarking and competitor analysis ...... 33 5 SWOT ANALYSIS ...... 39 Strengths and advantages ...... 39 Weaknesses and constraints ...... 40 Opportunities and prospects ...... 42 Threats and risks ...... 43 6 CRITICAL AIRPORT PLANNING PARAMETERS ...... 46 Forecast of future passenger and general aviation operations ...... 46 Forecast of freight operations ...... 49 Aerodrome reference code system (ARC) ...... 53 Selected design aircraft ...... 54

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Passenger terminal ...... 56 Security requirements ...... 58 Airport safeguarding considerations ...... 59 Environmental considerations...... 59 Heritage considerations ...... 59 7 MASTER PLAN ...... 60 8 STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT ...... 63 Infrastructure and facilities ...... 63 Ground transport ...... 73 Commercial development ...... 77 Route development ...... 79 9 LAND USE PLAN ...... 85 Land use precinct guidelines ...... 87 10 AIRPORT SAFEGUARDING PLAN ...... 99 National airports safeguarding framework ...... 99 Airspace protection surfaces ...... 99 Safety areas ...... 101 Aircraft noise ...... 103 11 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ...... 108 Short term ...... 108 Medium term ...... 109 Long term ...... 111 Policy strategy suggestions ...... 111 Annual Tasks ...... 112 12 COSTING ESTIMATES ...... 113 Short term ...... 113 Medium term ...... 113 Long term ...... 114 13 APPENDICES ...... 117 Appendix A: Albury Airport ANEF contours ...... 118 Appendix B: Albury Airport N60 Noise Above contours ...... 119 Appendix C: Albury Airport N70 Noise Above contours ...... 120

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List of Figures Figure 1: Relative location of other airports in the region providing RPT services...... 7 Figure 2: Land use zoning around ABX (adapted from ALEP, 2010) ...... 13 Figure 3: Historical RPT passenger and aircraft movements per financial year (ACC, 2017; BITRE, 2017) ... 14 Figure 4: ABX Terminal after completion of the expansion ...... 17 Figure 5: Passenger flow across the week commencing 27th November 2017 ...... 19 Figure 6: Hertz and Avis/Budget car rental storage area ...... 20 Figure 7: Albury Airport ERSA (Airservices Australia) ...... 21 Figure 8: ABX Taxiway layout ...... 22 Figure 9: ABX Apron layout ...... 24 Figure 10: Ground transport overview ...... 26 Figure 11: General car park current occupancy analysis - August to October 2017 ...... 27 Figure 12: Maximum number of bays used by patrons grouped into four categories ...... 28 Figure 13: Secure car park current occupancy analysis ...... 29 Figure 14: Maximum number of bays used by patrons grouped into three categories ...... 30 Figure 15: Utilities and services at ABX ...... 32 Figure 16: ABX Bush Fire Prone Land Map (NSW Planning & Environment, 2017) ...... 33 Figure 17: RPT passenger movement forecasts for ABX ...... 47 Figure 18: RPT aircraft movement forecasts for ABX ...... 48 Figure 19: General aviation forecast by aircraft type for ABX ...... 49 Figure 20: RPT practical freight capacity FY2016/17-FY2031/32 ...... 51 Figure 21: Charter freight practical capacity FY2016/17-FY2031/32 ...... 52 Figure 22: RPT freight throughput forecasts FY2016/17-FY2031/32 ...... 53 Figure 23: Total forecasted passenger number in the terminal building in FY2031/32 ...... 58 Figure 24: ABX Master Plan conceptual layout ...... 61 Figure 25: Potential future RPT apron layout ...... 69 Figure 26: General car park demand forecast and capacity thresholds ...... 75 Figure 27: Secure car park demand and forecast and capacity thresholds ...... 75 Figure 28: ABX Master Plan Land Use Precincts ...... 86 Figure 29: ABX Airside precinct conceptual layout ...... 88 Figure 30: Terminal precinct conceptual layout ...... 90 Figure 31: ABX Northern precinct conceptual layout ...... 92 Figure 32: ABX Western precinct conceptual layout ...... 95 Figure 33: ABX South-eastern precinct conceptual layout ...... 97 Figure 34: QLD Government PSA ...... 102

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List of Tables Table 1: Key socio-economic statistics (ABS, 2017) ...... 8 Table 2: Summary of the current flight schedule ...... 18 Table 3: Current daily peak ...... 19 Table 4: Runway characteristics ...... 21 Table 5: Overview of the peak and average occupancy of the general car park ...... 28 Table 6: Overview of the peak and average occupancy of the secure car park ...... 31 Table 7: Movement figures and services of RPT competitor airports to ABX (ACC, 2017; BITRE, 2017) ...... 35 Table 8: Comparison of runway characteristics ...... 36 Table 9: Comparison of available navigation aids ...... 37 Table 10: Economic assumptions overview ...... 46 Table 11: RPT passenger movement forecast for ABX ...... 47 Table 12: RPT aircraft movement forecast for ABX ...... 48 Table 13: General aviation forecast by aircraft type for ABX ...... 49 Table 14: Aircraft specific assumptions for practical freight capacity ...... 50 Table 15: Forecast RPT freight throughput overview ...... 52 Table 16: Aerodrome Reference Code (MOS Part 139) ...... 54 Table 17: Aircraft design characteristics ...... 55 Table 18: GA aircraft design characteristics ...... 55 Table 19: Forecast aircraft fleet mix in 2032 ...... 57 Table 20: Expected future passenger flow during the morning peak ...... 57 Table 21: Maximum number of passengers at each movement area...... 58 Table 22: Summary of area utilisation ...... 63 Table 23: Future required freight areas overview ...... 65 Table 24: Overview of current and forecasted peak demand ...... 75 Table 25: Passenger profile overview ...... 80 Table 26: OLS building height restrictions ...... 85 Table 27: ANEF site zoning acceptability ...... 104 Table 28: Typical noise levels ...... 105

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Abbreviations AAA Australian Airports Association ABS Australian Bureau of Statistics ABX Albury Airport ACC Albury City Council ACN Aircraft Classification number AFMS Aeroplane Flight Manual narrow runway Supplement AGL Aeronautical Ground Lighting ANEF Australian Noise Exposure Forecast ANEI Australian Noise Exposure Index ARC Aerodrome Reference Code ARFFS Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting Service ARFL Aeroplane reference field length AWIS Aerodrome Weather Information Service CAGR Compound Annual Growth Rate CASA Civil Aviation Safety Authority CTAF Common Traffic Advisory Frequency DIRD Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development DME Distance Measuring Equipment DVOR Doppler VHF Omni-directional Radar FOD Foreign Object Damage GA General Aviation GDP Gross Domestic Product GSP Gross State Product ILS Instrument Landing System IWI Illuminated Wind Indicators MAGS Movement Area Guidance Signs MOS Manual of Standards MTOW Maximum Take Off Weight OLS Obstacle Limitation Surface PAL Pilot Activated Lighting PAPI Precision Approach Path Indicator PCN Pavement Classification Number PHP Peak Hour Passenger PANS-OPS Precision Approach Navigation Surfaces – Operations

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RPT Regular Passenger Transport RTIL Runway Threshold Identification Lights TFI Tourism Futures International TAF Aerodrome Forecast TAG The Airport Group TWY Taxiway USD United States Dollar VOR VHF Omni-directional Radar

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Glossary Aerodrome/ A defined area on land or water (including any buildings, installations and Airport equipment) intended to be used either wholly or in part for the arrival, departure and surface movement of aircraft. Airside The movement area of an airport, adjacent terrain and buildings or portions thereof, access to which is controlled. Apron The part of an Airport used for the purpose of enabling the passenger to board, or disembark from aircraft; for loading cargo onto, or unloading cargo from, aircraft; and or for refuelling, parking or carrying out maintenance on aircraft. Air traffic control A service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on tower the ground and through controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled airspace. General aviation Civil aviation other than large-scale passenger or freight operations.

Landside The area of an airport and buildings to which the public normally has free access. Movement Area The part of an airport used for the surface movement of aircraft, including manoeuvring areas and aprons. Regular Public A service consisting of Regular Transport aircraft operations, as prescribed in Transport Service the Civil Aviation Regulations. Runway Long strip of ground with a hard surface which an aircraft takes off from or lands on. Taxiway A route along which an aircraft can taxi when moving to or from a runway.

Albury City Council Albury Airport Final Draft Master Plan 2018

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1 INTRODUCTION

Overview of the Airport Albury Airport (IATA: ABX, ICAO: YMAY) is located approximately 5km north-east of the city centre of Albury in New South Wales, near the state border with Victoria. The airport also serves Wodonga, the neighbouring City, located on the Victoria side of the border (aligned with the Murray River). Together, the two cities function as one economic centre. The airport provides Regular Passenger Transport (RPT) services to its community as well as servicing General Aviation (GA) users, Air Ambulance services, the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), seasonal aerial firefighting operations and aircraft maintenance. In the 2016/17 financial year (FY), ABX ranked as 28th largest airport in Australia based on RPT passenger numbers, with a throughput of 262,545 passengers. RPT services are provided by QantasLink, Virgin Australia, Regional Express (REX) and JETGO. There are up to 180 flights a week offered, including daily flights to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, as well as twice weekly services to the Gold Coast.

Aim and objectives of the master plan The aim of this master plan is to safeguard the development of ABX and make recommendations for future operations, taking into consideration the role of the airport and the commitment of Albury City Council (ACC) to drive the economic and social development for the Albury-Wodonga region. This 15-year master plan is designed to ensure the airport has capacity to grow and develop to meet regional demand and capitalise on its economic development potential. The key objectives of this master plan are to: • Provide an overview of the current regulatory context of the airport; • Outline the existing activities and facilities at the airport; • Forecast air traffic demand for the next 15 years; • Maintain the ability for RPT, GA, and emergency services aircraft to operate safely; • Facilitate the ability for the airport to grow and expand in response to the regional demand; • Safeguard the long-term plans of Albury City for the airport and nearby areas; • Ensure compliance with relevant regulations; and • Develop an implementation plan to meet future capacity needs.

Methodology and consultation This master plan report has been produced based on a desktop review of the airports regulatory context, key planning, aviation, and research documents. The master plan has considered several recent studies relevant to the airport as well as the region, including: • AAA Regional Airport Master Planning Guideline – March 2014; • Albury Airport Marketing Strategy FY16-20; • Albury Airport Aviation Strategy – November 2015; and • Albury Airport 2016-2017 Business Plan – July 2016. The desktop review was supported by airport site inspections and broad ranging stakeholder engagement with both internal and external airport stakeholders. The consultation was based on aviation and land use planning topics, in addition to airport development opportunities and operational issues. This approach provided a wide range of stakeholders the opportunity to participate in the process of preparing the new master plan for ABX. The engagement occurred either in groups or individually using the following methods: • Face to face meetings; • Teleconferences; • Online survey; • Information stand at the Albury Airport Open Day 28/10/2017; and • Project update presentation for Councillors at Council meeting 27/11/2017.

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The following key stakeholders were engaged: • Airlines (Qantas, Virgin, Rex and JETGO); • Car Rental; • Ground Transport (taxi and shuttle bus); • Albury City Council and City of Wodonga; and • Other stakeholders, including (but not limited to) Airservices Australia (AsA), Fire and Rescue NSW, flight schools and General Aviation (GA) users.

The Airport Group (TAG) coordinated and chaired each engagement session. Key findings from the stakeholder engagement have been incorporated into the master plan and the minutes and a survey summary report have been provided to ACC.

Report structure The report is structured in twelve key sections, as outlined below. • Introduction; • Strategic vision and objectives; • Background information; • Current situation; • SWOT analysis; • Critical airport planning parameters; • Master plan • Strategy development; • Land use plan; • Airport safeguarding plan; • Implementation plan; and • Appendices.

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2 STRATEGIC VISION AND OBJECTIVES

Strategic vision ABX is striving to be the leading regional airport in Australia and seeks to amplify the growth and prosperity of the region by connecting our community and businesses to the world.

Strategic objectives To achieve its vision, a series of strategic objectives have been developed for the airport, outlined below. • Adopt a holistic and contemporary 15-year Master Plan for Albury Airport; • Ensure accessibility for the community and wider region; • Provide for the future of Albury Wodonga through facilitating the safe operation of the airport; • Enable opportunities for growth in passenger, general aviation, and critically important emergency services at Albury Airport; • Ensure Albury Airport supports the Albury 2030 Community Plan; • Develop the airport in a manner which accommodates future forecast growth; • Support growth of strategic transport services in the region; • Appropriately safeguard the airport in relation to new land use and development surrounding ABX; and • Maintain strong existing community relationships through the implementation of the Albury Aviation Strategy and Marketing Plan as well as the Master Plan.

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3 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Historical background ABX commenced aviation services in 1938 at the current location, based on the recommendation of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm. RPT services to Melbourne and Sydney were introduced after the reconstruction and expansion of the airport in 1964. In 1992, the ownership of ABX was transferred from the Commonwealth to Albury City under the Aerodrome Local Ownership Plan.

Regional context The two cities Albury and Wodonga are the largest ‘twin town’ in the Riverina Murray Region. Located on the Hume Highway between Sydney and Melbourne, they function together as a single economic centre. As of 2016, the two cities combined form one of the major inland cities of Australia, forming the 20th largest city with a population of 92,009 living within an area of 74,051 hectares (741km2). The catchment area of ABX includes the broader regional area and has approximately 200,000 people. Located on the main transport corridor (including rail) between the two largest Australian cities (Melbourne and Sydney), Albury-Wodonga is strategically well located.

3.2.1 Major projects Within Albury-Wodonga there are several infrastructure projects either planned, in development, or have been realised recently. There are a number of local and regional projects and developments which may affect airport throughput. The following projects have been identified as examples of key projects for the region which may impact the airport through socio-economic activity: • Albury Industrial Hub (NEXUS Industrial Precinct) – is a 450ha site for large or heavy industrial use, located 10km north of Albury’s CBD. It is located directly on the Hume Freeway and has access to the rail line between Melbourne and Sydney. The project is staged with the first lots available in 2018. The precinct incorporates an open access intermodal rail hub currently moving 20,000 TEOs p.a. • Airside North – is a 27-lot site for small and medium sized industry, located directly on the northern side of ABX. The majority of stage one lots have been sold and construction is ongoing. • Airport Park – is an area located directly on the south-east side of ABX for medium sized light industry. At the time of writing, all but one lot in stage two have been sold and there is an opportunity to progress stage three and four when sufficient market demand exists. • East Albury Industrial Precinct – is a 31.4ha area divided into three parcels located between ABX and the Murray River. The objective of the project is to create land for high quality light industry together with a site for bulky goods. • Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail – will provide a high-capacity freight link between Melbourne and Brisbane, running through Albury Wodonga. The Australian Government committed to invest $9.3 billion to develop and build the Inland Rail. The section to and from Albury Wodonga will be an upgrade of the existing track. The first trains are scheduled to run in 2024-25. • Logic – is a 567ha site 14km west of Wodonga for manufacturing, transport and logistic companies (SCT Logistics operates an intermodal rail hub within the precinct). It is located at the intersection of the Hume Freeway and Murray Valley Highway and next to the Melbourne – Sydney rail line.

3.2.2 Other airports in the region The closest airport to ABX providing RPT services into the region is Wagga Wagga Airport, which is approximately 135km north. Canberra Airport, approximately 343km north-east, and Melbourne Tullamarine, approximately 315km south-west are the closest airports offering international flights. In addition, they each offer significant domestic connections and Melbourne in particular causes passenger leakage from ABX due to the excellent condition of road networks between Melbourne and ABX. Figure 1 below shows the airports in the region of ABX providing RPT services. Further details and comparison can be found in section 4.10. There are also several regional airports in close proximity to ABX not providing RPT service, these are: • Benalla; • Corowa; • Corryong; • Deniliquin;

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• Mount Hotham; • Shepparton; • Tocumwal; • Wangaratta; and • Yarrawonga.

Figure 1: Relative location of other airports in the region providing RPT services

Socio-economic context The two cities of Albury Wodonga have experienced consistent and stable population growth from 2006 to 2016 by 13%. As the largest ‘twin town’ in the Riverina Murray, it is forecast that the population will increase a further 35% by 2036 to 124,472. In March 2017 Albury Wodonga had an unemployment rate of 6.2% which is slightly (0.3%) above the Australian average. Albury-Wodonga features a large and diversified economic base, with stable population growth and strong health care, manufacturing and public administration and safety industries. Approximately 7,205 business are located in Albury-Wodonga, providing 43,639 jobs and supporting the growth of the economy. In 2017, the gross regional product of Albury-Wodonga was valued at $6.9 billion. Major employment sectors within Albury Wodonga include the following1. • Health Care and Social Assistance – is the largest and most emerging employment sector, reflecting 15.9% of total employment. The Albury Wodonga Health Service, including the public hospitals of Albury and Wodonga, is a major employer in health care. The Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre was opened in late 2016 and contributes further to the growth of this industry sector. • Retail Trade – 11.7% of all persons employed in Albury Wodonga are working in the retail trade sector, including grocery, clothing, footwear stores and other kinds of retailing. • Public Administration and Safety – is one of the largest performing industry sectors, contributing to 10.3% of employment. In addition to the Australian Defence Force and the Government Administration, one of the largest employers in this industry is the Australian Taxation Office with a local workforce of approximately 800 people. • Manufacturing – is one of the most significant employer industries in Albury Wodonga, comprising 9.2% of total employment. Even though the number of employees in this sector has reduced over recent

1 Source: ABS, Census of Population and Housing 2011 and 2016, complied by .id

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years, it remains an important industry for the area, particularly in regard to the economic value added to the region. An overview of the key socio-economic statistics is shown in Table 1, below. Table 1: Key socio-economic statistics (ABS, 2017) Statistic Albury Wodonga Combined Population (FY2015/16) 52,165 39,844 92,009 Average growth in population since +5.5% +10.6% +7.6% FY2010/11 Number of jobs (2016) 24,819 18,820 43,639 Health Care Health Care Primary industry of employment and Health Care and Social and Social and Social percentage employed (2016) Assistance (17.3%) Assistance Assistance (14.1%) (15.9%) Median age (2016) 38.4 35.6 N/A Median total income (2011) ($)2 44,586 46,643 N/A Gross regional product (2016) (m)3 3,674 3,195 6,869

Regulatory and policy context The development of ABX has been considered relative to Commonwealth, State and Local Government regulation and policy. This master plan is to be viewed as complementing State and Local Government land use planning while ensuring the operational integrity and continued viability of the airport. Major Commonwealth agencies and legislation that control, support or could have influence on the airport’s operations including: • Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA); • Airservices Australia (AsA); • Regulations administered by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development (DIRD); • Australian Federal Police; • Department of Immigration and Border Protection; • Civil Aviation Act 1988; • Air Navigation Act 1920; • Air Services Act 1995; • Aviation Transport Security Act 2004; • Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999; • Endangered Species Protection Act 1992; • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1982; and • Australian Heritage Commission Act 1975. Discussion of key documents follows.

3.4.1 Federal regulation

Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 The Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservations Act 1999 (EPBC Act) is the Australian Government's key piece of environmental legislation which commenced 16 July 2000. The ‘EPBC’ Act provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places defined in the Act as matters of national environmental significance. It is not likely the development at ABX will have national environmental significance, but it is important to acknowledge the EPBCA nonetheless.

2 Excluding government pension and allowance 3 Source: ABS, Gross State Product, 2014 / 2015 National Input Output Tables and 2016 Census Place of Work Employment Data, complied by Remplan

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Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations 1996 The Federal Minister for Transport protects the airspace surrounding an Airport in accordance with the directions provided in the Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations 1996. The objective of these Regulations is to establish a system for the protection of airspace at, and around, airports in the interests of the safety, efficiency or regularity of existing or future air transport operations into or out of airports.

National Airport Safeguarding Framework The National Airports Safeguarding Framework (NASF) is a national land use planning framework administered by DIRD that provides guidance on development that affects or is in close proximity to aviation operations. The NASF aims to: • Improve community amenity by minimising aircraft noise-sensitive developments near airports; • Improve safety outcomes by ensuring aviation safety requirements are recognised in land use planning decisions; and • Improve aircraft noise disclosure mechanisms.

Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (CASR) The CASR Part 139 Aerodromes and the Manual of Standards Part 139 (MOS) define the requirements for aerodromes used for air transport operations. In August 2017 CASA released a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM 1426AS) which proposes several changes to the requirements. The updated MOS is expected to be published after the finalisation of this master plan. Any future development at the airport must consider any amendments made which differ from those regulations outlined in this master plan.

3.4.2 State regulation

Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 & Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 In the state of NSW planning is mainly governed by the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation which provide the overarching structure for planning. In addition to these two key pieces of legislation is the State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs) and Local Environmental Plans (LEPs) must be considered as they support the Act and the Regulation. These are outlined below.

State Environmental Planning Policies The SEPPs outline the specific planning issues approaches of the NSW Government. There are approximately 66 SEPPs of which the SEPP Infrastructure 2007 is particularly relevant for Albury Airport, as summarised below.

State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007 The SEPP Infrastructure 2007 is relevant for Albury Airport as it defines air transport facilities and the permitted developments. In addition, it provides a consistent planning regime for infrastructure and the provision of services across NSW, along with providing for consultation with relevant public authorities during the assessment process. The SEPP supports greater flexibility in the location of infrastructure and service facilities along with improved regulatory certainty and efficiency.

3.4.3 Regional planning frameworks

Riverina Murray Regional Plan 2036 The Riverina Murray Regional Plan 2036 describes the vision of the NSW Government for the Riverina Murray Region in which Albury is located. The plan encompasses this vision, the goals, directions and the actions for a 20-year timeframe. The plan defines that ABX has to be protected from the encroachment of incompatible development and that 20% of the flight slots at Sydney International Airport should be allocated to regional NSW services, such as ABX.

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3.4.4 Local government regulation

Albury Local Environmental Plan 2010 The Albury Local Environmental Plan 2010 (ALEP) is the legal planning document for the Albury Local Government Area which provides the rules and guidelines for the control of land (both private and public) through zoning. It aims to reduce possible conflict between adjoining land uses,and ensures that there is adequate land to meet the diverse needs of a viable city (ACC, 2017). Detail of how this impacts Albury Airport is outlined in section 4.2 and 4.3.

Albury Development Control Plan 2010 The Albury Development Control Plan 2010 (ADCP) is a supporting document that compliments the requirements contained within the ALEP and is comprised of a written document and associated maps. The aim of the ADCP is to encourage and facilitate a high standard of design, minimise land use conflicts and clearly set out the processes, procedures and responsibilities of applicants and Council. It also seeks to protect heritage significance, encourage innovative design and ensure developments are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable (ACC, 2017).

Detail of how this impacts Albury Airport is outlined in section 4.2 and 4.3.

Albury Bush Fire Prone Land Map The Albury Bush Fire Prone Land Map identifies all land across the Albury Local Government Area that can support a bushfire, or is likely to be subject to bushfire attack. The bush Fire Prone Land Map is prepared by Council in conjunction with the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and is certified by the Commissioner of the NSW RFS.

3.4.5 Other relevant planning considerations

Australian Airports Association The Australian Airports Association (AAA) is the national voice for Australian airports and represents the interests of over 260 airports and aerodromes across Australia. In 2013, the AAA commissioned the Regional Airport Master Planning Guideline to assist regional airport operators who often do not have the planning knowledge or resources typically available to the larger airports. This master plan partly reflects the 2014 revised version of these guidelines.

International Air Transport Association The International Air Transport Association (IATA) produces the Airport Development Reference Manual (ADRM) which provides guidance on designing airport facilities. These standards are adopted globally, and are widely accepted as best practice within Australia. The standards provide airport operators with guidelines for terminal facilities space standards and waiting times for each of these service levels. The IATA, in collaboration with the Airports Council International (ACI), has recently updated the ADRM. The 10th Edition of the ADRM was published in 2014. New guidelines were introduced to include facilities involving self-service processing which did not exist in the past editions of the ADRM. The IATA IDRM explains that the approach to Level of Service (LoS) has been modified to better reflect the current aviation market from a global perspective. The new updated benchmarks for LoS will now reflect a range of values for space and time to allow an airport to tailor its service level to the market and region it serves. The IATA recommends that the appropriate LoS value should always be established in consultation with all stakeholders, including the airport's airline community, airport management and other service providers. The ADRM 10th Edition defines three LoS: overdesign; optimum; and sub optimum. The level adopted for this master plan is ‘Optimum’. How this applies to ABX is detailed in section 8.

Airport safeguarding In addition to the regulatory and policy context outlined above there are also other relevant documents to be considered for the airport safeguarding. These are further discussed in section 10.

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Previous and current master plans and studies In 2015, ACC conducted a market research exercise and based on the research, produced an Aviation Strategy 2015 which described the aviation market performance of ABX. Building on the Aviation Strategy 2015, the 2016 Aviation Marketing Strategy for ABX FY16 to FY20 was produced which describes the marketing plan to maximise ABX’s chance of success as well as to reduce demand risk for airlines. In 2016, ACC prepared the Albury Airport 2016-2017 Business Plan, which is updated on an annual basis. Connell Wagner produced the most recent Albury Master Plan Albury (Airport Development Strategy 2005) in June 2005, with a timeframe of 15 years. Components of the 2005 master plan where internally updated in 2015 by the ACC. This master plan aims to build on the Connell Wagner master plan where appropriate. In addition, information from the 2015 internal ACC update, as well as from the marketing strategy and business plan are incorporated into this master plan.

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4 CURRENT SITUATION

Ownership and management Albury City is the owner and operator of ABX and has been since the Commonwealth transferred the ownership in 1992.

Site description The airport site is approximately 112ha in area. ABX is located approximately 5km north-east of the Albury city centre at the state border between New South Wales and Victoria. The airport is located on the Riverina Highway, and the Hume Highway is located nearby on the western side of the airport site. The airport has one main access road, Airport Drive. Which provides access south of the site, directly off the Riverina Highway. The Murray River is located on the southern side of the Riverina Highway.

4.2.1 Zoning As shown in Figure 2 below, the entire airport site is zoned as ‘Infrastructure’ (SP2 Airport) in the ALEP 2010. The objectives of this zone are the following: • To provide for infrastructure and related uses. • To prevent development that is not compatible with or that may detract from the provision of infrastructure. In the State Environmental Planning Policy (Infrastructure) 2007, airport is defined as the following: “airport means a place used for the landing, taking off, parking, maintenance or repair of aeroplanes (including associated buildings, installations, facilities and movement areas and any heliport that is part of the airport).” The Policy outlines further, that the “development for any of the following purposes may be carried out with consent on land within the boundaries of an existing air transport facility, if the development is ancillary to the air transport facility: a) passenger terminals, b) facilities for the receipt, forwarding or storage of freight, c) hangars for aircraft storage, maintenance and repair, d) premises for retail, business, recreational, residential or industrial uses”.

Figure 2: Land use zoning around ABX (adapted from ALEP, 2010)

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Surrounding land The main land surrounding the airport site is zoned as ‘general industrial’ (IN1) as shown in Figure 2. In addition, there is a ‘private recreation’(RE2) zone in the north which is a racecourse, as well as a ‘general residential’ (R1) zone south-west of the airport, on the other side of the Riverina Highway. For the ‘general industrial’ zone in the south of the airport a master plan for the ‘East Albury Industrial Precinct’ was developed in 2012. The plan states that the safe and efficient operation of the airport has priority. A possible impact from the project on the airport could be a suggested roundabout to link the airport entry/exit (Airport Drive) with the Riverina Highway (and a new build road to the south and the new industrial area). How this would affect the traffic going to and coming from the airport is not part of this master plan.

Existing activities and services The following section describes the existing aviation and non-aviation activities at ABX at the time of writing.

4.4.1 Non-aviation related There are minimal non-aviation related activities at ABX. The 412 Squadron of the Australian Air Force Cadets has a facility for training 96 cadets at the airport. The Local Emergency Operations Centre is also located at the airport entry.

4.4.2 Aviation related

Airline operations Albury Airport is currently served by four airlines offering RPT services. The airlines operating at ABX are QantasLink, Virgin Australia, Regional Express (REX) and JETGO. There are up to 180 flights a week offered, including daily flights to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, as well as twice weekly service to the Gold Coast. RPT aircraft operated currently at ABX are the Dash8-Q300, Dash8-Q200, Dash8-Q400, ATR-72, Embraer ERJ145 and Saab 340.

Passenger movements The historical RPT passenger and aircraft movements between 1989/90 and 2016/17 FYE are illustrated in Figure 3. Since 1989, Albury has seen overall passenger growth. However, over this period ABX experienced some major decline and growth in the number of RPT passengers and aircraft movements.

350,000 14,000 Aircraft movements (No.) Aircraftmovements 300,000 12,000

250,000 10,000

200,000 8,000

150,000 6,000 Passenger Passenger (No.)

100,000 4,000

50,000 2,000

0 0

Financial year

Passengers - Total In- & Outbound Aircraft Movements - Total In- & Outbound

Figure 3: Historical RPT passenger and aircraft movements per financial year (ACC, 2017; BITRE, 2017)

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The major decrease in the FY2001/02 was caused by several significant events, including the 2001 terror attacks in the USA and the collapse of Ansett Australia. Virgin Australia started operating to ABX in 2008 with attractive airfares which stimulated the demand, however the global financial crisis in 2008 did have an impact on the demand at ABX. Following this period, Virgin Australia increased its fares and changed the aircraft operated to a smaller aircraft, which, in combination with the ceased Brindabella Airlines service (CBR to ABX) in 2012, affected passenger throughput.

Air freight operations The air freight to and from ABX is mainly composed of mail, small packages and pets. Aside from the belly freight as part of the RPT operation, ABX is also served on a regular basis by a small charter freight aircraft.

General aviation operations As part of the general aviation operation at ABX, several individuals and businesses have their aircraft based at ABX from where they are stored and operated for personal and business purposes. In addition, multiple companies offer charter operations from ABX, including scenic flights with fixed-wing as well as rotary-wing aircraft.

Aero-medical ABX is typically used numerous times a day by several different aero-medical/emergency services including air ambulance and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. This predominantly includes fixed-wing, and to a lesser extent rotary-wing aircraft operation. The allocated medical-apron is used for the patient transfer between the aircraft and the ambulance.

Aerial firefighting operations Since the mid-1990s ABX has served as a base for aerial firefighting operations during the summer. Since 2014, Large Airtankers (LATs) have been intermittently based at ABX during the firefighting season. During the 2016/17 fire season, 10 aircraft, including airplanes and helicopters, were based at Albury Airport.

Aircraft Maintenance Several companies offer maintenance services for multiple kinds of piston engine and turbo prop aircraft (both fixed- and rotary-wing) at ABX.

Fuel Refuelling for RPT aircraft at Albury is provided through tankers transporting fuel supplied from the World Fuel Services depot (stored in underground tanks). This is a suitable system given the changing RPT aircraft types and parking configuration that is likely to continue evolving into the future. For GA piston aircraft, an Avgas bowser is located in the GA area. Current fuel infrastructure is indicated to have 15 to 20 years life expectancy remaining.

Flight training Riverina Aviation College and Smartair provide fixed-wing aircraft training on a wide range of airplanes. Rotary- wing aircraft training at ABX is offered by Forest Air and Helifly. Besides the flight schools, there is also flight training offered on warbirds.

Other aviation related activities • Aerial Survey and Surveillance; • Airspace Design; • Agricultural Operation e.g. aerial spraying; • Aerial work; • Aircraft Ferrying; • Aircraft Hire; • Ground Handling; and • Albury Aero Club (offers hangar space as well as airplanes for hire).

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Existing infrastructure and facilities The following section describes the existing infrastructure and facilities at ABX at the time of writing, both landside and airside.

4.5.1 Landside

Terminal The airport is serviced by one terminal which was initially constructed in 1982/83 and renovated and expanded in 2009. The terminal was undergoing an expansion at the time of writing4 and is expected to be completed in mid-2018. Analysis of the terminal within this master plan assumes the completion and operation of the terminal expansion as the ‘current’ area. As shown in Figure 4, the terminal area accommodates departing and arriving passenger processing functions, including passenger check-in, security screening, passenger departure lounge, arriving passenger bag claim, and supporting facilities such as car rentals and passenger amenities. After completion of the expansion works, the terminal will have a total area of 3,339m2.

4 Early 2018

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Figure 4: ABX Terminal after completion of the expansion

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Current peak period demand The week commencing 27 November 2017 was selected as the base point for the calculation for the current peak period number. The methodology used for calculating the number is outlined below: 1. Identify the key functional areas of the terminal; 2. Estimate the passenger flow and passenger dwell times through within the identified key functional areas of the terminal (in collaboration with ACC); 3. Identify average passenger load factor (63%) based on the data provided by ACC; 4. Use the flight schedule during the study week, the passenger flow and dwell times and the load factor to calculate the passenger flow through the key functional areas (including ‘meeters and greeters’); 5. Sum the passenger numbers at these key functional areas across each day of the week; 6. Identify the maximum passenger number occurring at any specific time interval within the terminal for each day; and 7. Select the highest number as the current peak period number for a 15-, 30- and 60-minutes interval.

Current peak hour demand – airport schedule ABX experiences surges in passengers using the airport depending on the day and the time. The airport has two noticeable peaks: one in the morning between 9:15 – 9:45 and one in the afternoon between 15:45 – 16:45. A summary of the flight schedule at ABX (as at week commencing 27 November 2017) is presented below in Table 2. Further detail on the current schedule and peak period aircraft movements is provided in the supporting Terminal Planning Technical Paper. Table 2: Summary of the current flight schedule Number of Number of Total Date Day of week arrivals departures movements 27th November 2017 Monday 13 13 26

28th November 2017 Tuesday 13 13 26

29th November 2017 Wednesday 14 14 28

30th November 2017 Thursday 14 14 28

1st December 2017 Friday 14 14 28

2nd December 2017 Saturday 8 8 16

3rd December 2017 Sunday 11 11 22

Total weekly movements 174

The following estimated passenger dwell times are used to calculate the passenger flow numbers within the terminal5. They correspond to the arrival/departure of a single aircraft: Check-in:

• 60% of all departing passengers check in and are at the airport 1 hour prior to departure. • All departing passengers check in and are at the airport 30 minutes prior to departure. Public departures hall/café area:

• Following check-in, passengers move to the public departures hall until 45 minutes prior to departure (after which they pass through security and on to the departure gates).

5 These assumptions exclude anomalies and outliers in the data.

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Departure gate

• 40% of all departing passengers are at the gate 45 minutes prior to departure. • All departing passengers are at the gate 15 minutes prior to departure. Arrivals hall/baggage claim area:

• 50% of arriving passengers exit the terminal building within the first 15 minutes of arrival. • All arriving passengers exit the terminal building within the first 30 minutes of arrival. Based on the assumptions and methodology listed above, Table 3 lists the maximum number of passengers estimated for the study week during any one 15-minute interval. It shows the current peak period number at ABX being 287 and occurring on Thursday. Table 3: Current daily peak

Day Maximum number of passengers

Monday 224

Tuesday 155

Wednesday 224

Thursday 287

Friday 247

Saturday 127

Sunday 145

The calculated daily flow of passengers across the study week is shown in Figure 5. It can be seen that for Thursday, this peak is reached at approximately 09:30. When correlated with the aircraft movements, this peak corresponds to five aircraft arrivals between 09:20 and 09:35 and four aircraft departures between 10:00 and 10:45. Assuming an average load factor of 63%, the five arrivals reflect a total passenger count of 164 and the four departures correspond to a total passenger count of 143.

300

250 Monday

200 Tuesday

150 Wednesday Thursday 100 Friday

50 Saturday Number of pax terminal in

0 Sunday

4:30 5:15 6:00 6:45 7:30 8:15 9:00 9:45

15:45 16:30 10:30 11:15 12:00 12:45 13:30 14:15 15:00 17:15 18:00 18:45 19:30 20:15 21:00 Time of day

Figure 5: Passenger flow across the week commencing 27th November 2017

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Car rental At Albury Airport there are currently four rental car companies represented in the kiosks within the terminal and the car storage and collection points in the terminal plaza area.

Kiosks within the terminal In the terminal there are five car rental desks – Avis, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty and one vacant at the time of writing. After completion of the terminal extension the car rental desks will be located in the south-eastern part of the terminal, next to the baggage claim.

Rental car storage The four car rental companies Hertz, Thrifty, Avis and Budget (the latter two are operated by the same franchisee) have their car storage areas within a short distance from the terminal on the opposite site of the Airport Drive. Avis/Budget and Hertz have on their premises a wash and fuel facility.

Figure 6: Hertz and Avis/Budget car rental storage area

4.5.2 Airside

Runway 07/25 Albury Airport’s single runway has a paved length of 1,900m by 30m wide and fulfils the requirements for Code 3C aircraft. Runway 07/25 as shown in Figure 7 below, is aligned east to west and has 3m wide sealed shoulders that prevent erosion resulting from propeller wash and water run-off from the main runway pavement. Although the runway length of 1,900m exceeds the requirement of 1,800m for Code 4 aircraft reference field length (ARFL), in practice, there are no Code 4C aircraft operating in Australia with an ARFL of less than 1,900m when operating with a full payload. As such, a reduction in maximum payload would be needed for Code 4C aircraft operations. However, as fuel is a considerable component of payload, this would not be a concern for the airlines utilising the Code 4C aircraft to short-haul destinations such as the eastern state capital cities and Adelaide. The runway has turning nodes (widened on both sides to provide a total width of 45m) at both ends and also at 370m from the Runway 25 threshold (as a legacy from a previously shorter runway). Runway 07/25 has a medium strength flexible pavement constructed with a grooved asphalt surface,and has a Pavement Classification Number (PCN) of 29. The runway was overlaid with asphalt in 2014 to maintain its shape and surface integrity. It was also grooved for high friction characteristics at the same time. A summary of the runway characteristics is outlined in Table 4 below.

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Figure 7: Albury Airport ERSA (Airservices Australia)

Table 4: Runway characteristics

Characteristic Runway 07/25 Runway length (m) 1,900 Runway width (m) 30 Runway shoulders (m) 3 (sealed) Runway strip width (m) 150 Pavement type Flexible Pavement subgrade strength C Pavement Classification Number 29 (PCN) Tyre pressure limitation (PSI) 203 Runway surface Grooved Medium Intensity Runway Lights Lighting Runway Threshold Identification Lights Slope guidance PAPI

Taxiway system

High strength taxiways All high strength taxiways are 15m wide on the straights and surfaced with asphalt. Wide fillets on Taxiways A, B, E, and F provide routes for up to Code C aircraft from the RPT, Southern and GA aprons to the runway. The runway is serviced by a high strength parallel taxiway (TWY A) which only partially extends to the runway length to and from the RPT apron. The two, high strength entry and exit taxiways from the runway are designated TWY E and F. TWY B is also a high strength taxiway that connects the Southern Apron and the GA Apron to TWY E and the western end of the runway. TWY B is in reasonable condition but was not part of the runway overlay major intervention in 2014. TWY F was reconstructed in 2013 and is in excellent condition. TWY A and E are in very poor condition with multiple cracks that have been sealed in a timely manner but will require resurfacing in the near future. See Figure 8 for representation of the taxiway layout at ABX.

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Low strength taxiways A low strength 12m wide Code B parallel Taxiway (TWY C) extends only a further 25% of the runway length from the western extremity of the RPT apron. This taxiway can currently only take GA aircraft that are under 5,700kg Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) east of the Aero-medical Apron. The bituminous sealed surface of this low strength taxiway is in poor condition. The low strength 7.5m wide TWY D caters for only Code A GA aircraft that are less than 5,700kg MTOW. TWY D links the GA apron and other aprons to the parallel TWY A and the RPT apron and was resealed in 2016, the pavement is in good condition. TWY G is also 7.5m wide with an aged bituminous spray seal surface that is in reasonable condition. Overall, this low strength taxiway system is in reasonable condition as it is not taking heavy aircraft and so the damage is currently restricted to the wearing surfaces from traffic and the elements including ultra-violet radiation and water. See Figure 8 for representation of the taxiway layout at ABX.

TWY A TWY F TWY C

TWY E

TWY D

TWY G

TWY B

Figure 8: ABX Taxiway layout

Apron areas

Regular Public Transport (RPT) Apron Albury Airport has a RPT domestic apron with five angled parking positions for up to Code 3C (e.g. Embraer ERJ145, Saab 340 or Dash8-Q400 size) aircraft. Some of these Code C positions can be double stacked (one behind another) with the shorter-bodied Saab 340 aircraft if required. Alternatively, parking position 1 can also function as 1A for horizontal parking of a Boeing 737-800 aircraft. All bays on the RPT apron are currently power-in and power-out positions. A power-in/power-out operation is an aircraft taxiing into its parking stand under its own power and, on departure, the aircraft turns and manoeuvres out from the stand, again under its own engine power. These positions require considerable space for the manoeuvring of the aircraft but require minimal labour and resources in the departure process. As such, this power-in/power-out arrangement is preferred by the airlines.

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The departing passengers walk to the aircraft along the edge of the apron closest to terminal face. There are no aerobridges at the Airport and are unlikely to be needed into the future. The apron pavement was fully reconstructed and expanded in 2013 and is in reasonable condition with minimal damage, aside from some wheel indents from the main gears of the differing RPT aircraft. These wheels are both heavily loaded and highly pressurised causing a concentrated load over a small area. In addition, these aircraft are standing overnight most nights of the week. As a result, the loads are exerted over a considerable time on a flexible pavement that, by design, spreads the load by bending. Upon release of the load, some of the bending is retained and the pavement surface distorts. This is very common damage that occurs across most regional and capital city airports and the distortion in Albury is lower than average found at other regional airports.

Aero-medical apron The Aero-medical apron sits immediately adjacent to eastern edge of the RPT and can accommodate up to four King-Air aircraft. This can be a busy facility during the day with many of the aircraft bays occupied with medical transports and ambulances transiting to and from the airfield. The apron’s pavement surface is in good condition, however it is a bituminous spray seal surface that does suffer from aggregate loss. This requires regular sweeping to ensure no foreign object damage (FOD) to aircraft.

General Aviation (GA) aprons There are four GA aprons with several parking bays for GA aircraft comprising of: • Itinerant GA Apron for light aircraft (MTOW < 5,700kg) visiting Albury is in good condition with only minimal structural damage apparent • Northeast GA Apron for light aircraft generally stationed at Albury with hangars fronting the apron on two sides only. The third available side is occupied by a rental car lease. The pavement surface is in poor condition. • Southeast GA Apron for light aircraft with hangars fronting the apron on three sides. The pavement surface was reconstructed in 2017 and is in good condition but will need ongoing monitoring and sweeping to ensure stone loss does not create a FOD issue. During the reconstruction work a concrete pad was constructed beside the Avgas bowser to park refuelling aircraft. • Southern Apron which has a higher strength pavement is capable of taking heavy water and fire- retardant carrying fixed wing aircraft, RAAF’s C130 Hercules aircraft and large helicopters and is in good condition.

Helicopter pads Helicopter operations are carried out from four landing pads in a zone in the northern end of the GA area. Helicopter operations have a large spread of airspace during manoeuvring operations and the current location is ideally suited to this.

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RPT Apron Aero-medical Apron

Helipads

Itinerant GA Apron

Northeast GA Apron

Southeast GA Apron

Southern GA Apron

Figure 9: ABX Apron layout Air traffic control ABX’s air traffic control tower is operated by AsA on land leased from ACC. The tower is 10m high and is approximately 25 years old. During operational hours the controllers within the tower are responsible for directing all aircraft landings, take-offs, and all movements on the runway and taxiways at the Airport. The condition of the tower is adequate for its function and any upgrade would be the responsibility of AsA. Outside of normal hours of operation, the airspace is not controlled and common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) procedures apply. The passenger numbers at Albury Airport are below the threshold that requires controllers to be present on-site to manage the local airspace for landings and take-offs. However, AsA completed a study under the National Towers Program with the conclusion that the control tower at Albury should remain operational for the foreseeable future. A manufacturing building was erected on land sold by the Council over 10 years ago that partly obscures the vision of light aircraft taxing on the low strength parallel TWY C. ACC recognises that any future development, including any terminal expansion, will need to be developed without obscuring the lines of sight from the tower.

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Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (ARFFS) Albury Airport is below the existing threshold of 350,000 annual RPT passengers which requires an Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting Service (ARFFS) to be provided by AsA6. As such, the NSW Fire Service (2km away by road) performs the current response for ABX if and when it is required.

Navigational and landing aids The following ground based radio navigation aids and visual landing aids are provided at the Airport: • VOR – VHF Omni-directional Radio Range, providing radial tracks to the beacon through 360° of the magnetic compass; • DME – Distance Measuring Equipment, which provides the air distance between the aircraft and ground installation; and • PAPI – Precision Approach Path Indicator systems, providing visual slope guidance for approaches to both runways 07 and 25; Sitting within a valley, ABX is affected by early morning fog on an average of 20 mornings per annum, which restricts visibility. Currently, a lack of precision approach navigation equipment and surrounding precipitous terrain requires a high altitude and visibility minima to ensure safety. As a result, approaches into the Airport are sometimes restricted until fog has lifted. Restrictions on ground movements of aircraft also apply during fog, such that departures can also be affected. An overview of how this may be addressed in the future is outlined in section 0.

Airport lighting In general, aeronautical ground lighting (AGL) at ABX comprises two systems: • Medium intensity runway and taxiway lighting; and • Apron flood lighting using high energy efficient LED lights were installed in 2014. Specifically, the runway and taxiway lighting systems consist of: • Medium Intensity Runway Edge Lighting; • Runway Threshold and End lights; • High intensity Runway Threshold Identification Lights (RTIL) to allow the identification of the threshold in poor light; • Blue edge lights on the high strength taxiways and aprons (TWYs A, B, E and F); • Blue reflectors on the low strength taxiways (TWYs C and D); • Runway 07 Right side PAPI; • Runway 25 Left side PAPI; • Lighting management system controlling intensity, switching and power failures; • Movement Area Guidance Signs (MAGS); and • Illuminated Wind Indicators (IWI) at each end of the runway. Overall, the runway and taxiway lighting system including the control system is in good working order. The cabling powering the runway lights is within a recently installed pit and duct system and so new primary cabling and transformers are well protected and in an excellent condition. The runway edge lights have been in place for many years and ABX is envisaging replacing these elevated lights with their LED equivalents in the next 5 years. The taxiway lighting circuits remain direct buried and are reaching the end of their useful life and so are a concern as the cabling is failing.

6 In December 2016, DIRD reviewed the ARFFS regulatory policy and recommended to increase the threshold from 350,000 to 500,000 RPT passengers. The recommendation was to trigger a risk review at 500,000 to determine if ARFFS is required or not. At the time of writing (early 2018) the CASR Subpart 139.H (MOS) was not yet been amended and the threshold remains at 350,000.

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Hangarage There are a number of hangars at ABX for GA users. The hangars to the south west of the terminal have runway access via three separate aprons and Taxiway B and D. There are also some private hangars which are located outside of the airport boundary to the east of the terminal. These hangars have access to the airfield through constructed taxiway links onto Taxiway C.

Meteorological facilities The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has a weather station at ABX, located west from TWY B. ABX is a Category B airport for which BOM produces Aerodrome Forecasts (TAF) CAT B, as well as providing an Aerodrome Weather Information Service (AWIS).

Ground transport ABX is accessed from the Airport Drive in the south, which is connected to the Riverina Highway. There is currently no public bus connection to ABX, however there is shuttle bus and taxi service. There are 7 bays for taxis and 2 bays for the shuttle bus, and four loading bay zones available which are located in close proximity to the terminal. The closest public bus stop is located approximately 1.2km towards the city centre on the Riverina Highway. The pick-up/drop-off area for taxis and the shuttle bus is in front of the terminal. For public car parking, ABX offers a general car park for up to 327 vehicles (including 12 designated disabled parking bays) and a covered secure car park accommodating up to 100 vehicles (including two designated disabled parking bays). The public pick up/drop off zone is within the general car park. In addition to the public car parking, ABX has a 27-bay staff car parking area to the west of the terminal. Figure 10 below, identifies the key areas ground transport components of ABX.

Figure 10: Ground transport overview

4.6.1 Car park analysis

General car park The general car park is an uncovered sealed car park with 315 parking bays. In addition, it has 12 designated disabled car park bays. The secure car park is a covered, sealed and fenced car park with 98 parking bays. In addition, it has two designated disabled car park bays.

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There are evident peaks in general car park use. Figure 11, below, provides an overview of the general car park usage from August to October 2017. The peak in car park utilisation occurred on Thursday morning, 31 August, 2017 when 215 bays (reflecting 68%) were occupied. The lowest number of parking bays used during the observation period was 53 (17%) and occurred on late Sunday evening, 8 October 2017.

250

215

200

150

100 Number of parking bays 50 53

0

3-Oct 6-Oct 9-Oct

7-Aug 3-Sep 6-Sep 9-Sep

12-Oct 15-Oct 18-Oct 21-Oct 24-Oct 27-Oct

22-Aug 24-Sep 10-Aug 13-Aug 16-Aug 19-Aug 25-Aug 28-Aug 31-Aug 12-Sep 15-Sep 18-Sep 21-Sep 27-Sep 30-Sep 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Calendar week and day

Max of Parking Bays used Average of Parking Bays used Min of Parking Bays used

Figure 11: General car park current occupancy analysis - August to October 2017

The busiest period of utilisation occurred during the middle of the week, peaking on Thursday. This correlates with the passenger peak period calculations outlined in this Master Plan. The lowest level of utilisation on average and at peak times were Monday and Sunday. There are also evident peak times of day for the general car park use, based on the analysis of the utilisation during the observation period. This revealed two peaks: one at around 09:00 and a second one at around 16:00. These peaks correlate with the passenger peak periods resulting from the flight schedule. The maximum number of parking bays used (215) occurred at 09:00 and the minimum utilisation (53 bays) occurred late in the evening. In Figure 12 below, the patrons are grouped into four different categories (up to 30 minutes; more than 30 minutes up to a day; more than a day up to a week; more than a week), showing the maximum number of parking bays occupied over the observation period. The patrons staying at the general car park for more than a day and up to a week required with 135 bays (43%), the highest of the four categories.

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160 135 140

120

100

80

56 Number ofparking bays 60 49 37 40

20

0

3-Oct 6-Oct 9-Oct

7-Aug 3-Sep 6-Sep 9-Sep

12-Oct 15-Oct 18-Oct 21-Oct 24-Oct 27-Oct

28-Aug 10-Aug 13-Aug 16-Aug 19-Aug 22-Aug 25-Aug 31-Aug 12-Sep 15-Sep 18-Sep 21-Sep 24-Sep 27-Sep 30-Sep 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Calendar week and day

Up to 30min - Max of Parking Bays used Up to a day - Max of Parking Bays used

Up to a week - Max of Parking Bays used More than a week - Max of Parking Bays used

Figure 12: Maximum number of bays used by patrons grouped into four categories

Based on the number of entries into the general car park, the majority (68%) of patrons stayed for up to 30 minutes. 22% stayed for up to a day and 10% parked for longer than one day. Table 5 provides an overview of the peak and average occupancy over the observation period (August to October 2017). The peak occupancy and the highest average both occurred in August 2017.

Table 5: Overview of the peak and average occupancy of the general car park

Peak occupancy (no. of Average occupancy (no. Month bays/%) of bays/%)

August7 215 (68%) 149.3 (47%)

September 207 (65 %) 143.7 (45%)

October8 205 (65%) 133.3 (42%)

Overall 215 (68%) 142.6 (45%)

7 Starting on 7th of August 2017 8 Ending 29th of October 2017

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Forecast occupancy and demand of the general car park is outlined in section 8. This section also outlines conclusions and recommendations for the expansion of the general car park.

Secure car park The secure car park is a covered, sealed and fenced car park with 98 parking bays. In addition, it has two designated disabled car park bays. The secure car park does not have prominent peak contrasts between the weekends and the weekdays as compared to the general car park. Utilisation is more consistent over the three months and reaches a peak utilisation of 67 bays (reflecting 68%) on Thursday evening the 19 October 2017, shown in Figure 13 below.

80

67 70

60

50

40 Number ofparking bays

30

20 23

10

0

3-Oct 6-Oct 9-Oct

7-Aug 3-Sep 6-Sep 9-Sep

27-Oct 12-Oct 15-Oct 18-Oct 21-Oct 24-Oct

10-Aug 13-Aug 16-Aug 19-Aug 22-Aug 25-Aug 28-Aug 31-Aug 12-Sep 15-Sep 18-Sep 21-Sep 24-Sep 27-Sep 30-Sep 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Calendar week and day

Max of Parking Bays used Average of Parking Bays used Min of Parking Bays used

Figure 13: Secure car park current occupancy analysis The peak number on Thursday in the secure car park correlates with the passenger peak period and the general car park peak. The busiest days of occupancy were Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On average, Monday was the quietest day of the week. In contrast to the general car park, the secure car park experienced peak occupancy in the late afternoon at around 16:00. During the observation period there were limited secure car park entries from 18:00 to 04:00. Overall, the average peak occupancy was at around 06:00 and at 18:00.

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The maximum number of parking pays used by categories of patrons depending on their length of stay (i.e. staying up to a day; more than a day up to a week; and more than a week up to a month) during the observation period is illustrated in Figure 14. There was only a small maximum number (three bays, or 3%) used by patrons staying for up to a day. Most of the bays were occupied by patrons staying up to a week, which peaked with 52 bays (53% of the car park). Patrons staying for up to a month peaked at 20 bays (20%).

60 52

50

40

30 Number ofparking bays 20 20

10 3 3 3

0

3-Oct 6-Oct 9-Oct

7-Aug 3-Sep 6-Sep 9-Sep

15-Oct 18-Oct 12-Oct 21-Oct 24-Oct 27-Oct

10-Aug 13-Aug 16-Aug 19-Aug 22-Aug 25-Aug 28-Aug 31-Aug 12-Sep 15-Sep 18-Sep 21-Sep 24-Sep 27-Sep 30-Sep 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Calendar week and day

Up to a day - Max of Parking Bays used Up to a week - Max of Parking Bays used

Up to a month - Max of Parking Bays used

Figure 14: Maximum number of bays used by patrons grouped into three categories

Majority (81%) of the entries into the secure car park comes from patrons staying for up to a week. Patrons staying for up to a month were the second largest group with 11% followed by 8% of the patrons staying for up to a day. An overview about the peak and average occupancy of the secure car park for the observation period is shown in Table 6 below. October 2017 recorded the peak occupancy as well as the highest average of used parking bays.

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Table 6: Overview of the peak and average occupancy of the secure car park

Peak occupancy (no. of Average occupancy (no. Month bays/%) of bays/%)

August9 53 (52%) 38.1 (37%)

September 52 (51%) 39.3 (39%)

October10 67 (66%) 43.5 (43%)

Overall 67 (66%) 40.3 (39%)

Forecast occupancy and demand of the secure car park is outlined in section 8 This section also outlines conclusions and recommendations for the expansion of the secure car park.

Utility and services The utility services at ABX include water, power, telecommunication and sewerage. In addition, the airport operates a photovoltaic solar array system (42kW) installed on the roof of the secure car park. No shortages or issues concerning the utility services have been identified during the stakeholder engagement. The overall layout of these utilities and services are indicated in Figure 15, below.

9 Starting on 7th of August 2017 10 Ending 29th of October 2017

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Figure 15: Utilities and services at ABX

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Environmental values

4.8.1 Flood There are several open unlined drains across the airport site and there is a north-south running open concrete- lined stormwater drainage channel at the western end of the runway. A retarding basin is located on the north of the airport boundary on Fallon Street which is connected to a piped system under the runway. The ‘Albury Floodplain Risk Management Study and Plan’ published in 2016 highlights some flooding risk for ABX. The study identifies some flooding risk at a 5%, 2% and 1% annual exceedance probability (AEP) resulting from three different catchments. In the case of a probable maximum flood (PMF) event, the study shows a flooding risk at several areas on the airport including airside and landside facilities. In the event of a flood event, operations and development at ABX may (or may not) be affected and this should be managed in accordance with appropriate policies and procedures.

4.8.2 Bush fire According to the Albury Bush Fire Prone Land Map, ABX is not located in an area that is identified to be impacted by bushfire. This means that no bush fire protection measures are mandatory for the airport. As highlighted in Figure 16 below, some areas in the north and the south of ABX are identified as bush fire prone land and are classified as ‘Vegetation Category 2’. Category 2 areas are smaller, isolated and less-dense pockets of vegetation which are of a lesser hazard than ‘Vegetation Category 1’ (which is the most hazardous vegetation category and contains the densest vegetation). There is a 30m buffer around the Vegetation Category 2.

Figure 16: ABX Bush Fire Prone Land Map (NSW Planning & Environment, 2017)

Heritage values Based on a desktop review of ACC published documentation, there is no identified heritage on the airport site.

Benchmarking and competitor analysis This section compares ABX to regional airports in the region with regard to movements, services and the airports characteristics, supporting the overview of airports providing RPT services in the region of ABX (identified in section 3.2.2). The three capital airports in the region of ABX, Canberra Airport, Melbourne Tullamarine Airport as well as Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport offer more services as well as international flights. The relatively close distance and good road network between ABX and Melbourne Tullamarine Airport causes leakage of potential ABX passengers.

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4.10.1 Movements and services Table 7 compares the movement figures and services of RPT operations11. Within the comparison, it was identified that Albury Airport, Dubbo, and Tamworth each have four airlines servicing them. There are no low- cost carriers serving the airports reviewed, and REX operates at all but one airport. Although Albury does not have the largest number of destinations, it has the second largest number of weekly services.

11 As of April 2018.

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Table 7: Movement figures and services of RPT competitor airports to ABX (ACC, 2017; BITRE, 2017)

Airport Passengers Aircraft Movements Number of Number of Airlines Airport Growth Growth Destinations Airlines FY2015/16 FY2016/17 FY2015/16 FY2016/17 Services Destinations Serving (%) (%) per week JETGO, Albury BNE, MEL, QantasLink, 246,512 262,545 6.50 7,646 8,388 9.70 174 4 4 (ABX/YMAY) OOL, SYD REX, Virgin Australia Fly

Armidale Corporate, 128,583 129,715 0.88 4,822 4,736 -1.78 100 2 BNE, SYD 3 (ARM/YARM) REX,

QantasLink

Bathurst 19,981 21,053 5.37 1,909 1,943 1.78 34 1 SYD 1 REX (BHS/YBTH)

BHQ, BNE, FlyPelican, Dubbo CAZ, CBR, 189,408 207,891 9.76 7,263 8,094 11.44 200 8 4 JETGO, REX, (DBO/YSDU) NTL, MEL, Qantaslink SYD Griffith 62,134 67,019 7.86 3,539 3,590 1.44 64 2 NRA, SYD 1 REX (GFF/YGTH) Qantas, REX, Mildura ADL, BHQ, 218,224 223,401 2.37 7,283 7,331 0.66 146 4 3 Virgin (MQL/YMIA) MEL, SYD Australia Fly Orange 49,471 56,183 13.57 2,390 2,496 4.44 57 2 BNE, SYD 2 Corporate, (OAG/YORG) REX Fly Corporate,

Tamworth JETGO, 164,721 189,628 15.12 4,295 5,309 23.61 118 2 BNE, SYD 4 (TMW/YSTW) QantasLink,

Virgin Australia Wagga Wagga BNE, OOL, JETGO, 214,247 216,991 1.28 7,122 7,343 3.10 168 4 3 (WGA/YSWG) MEL, SYD Qantas, REX

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4.10.2 Airports Characteristics In this section the different airport characteristics are compared. Table 8 shows the runway characteristics and Table 9 the available navigation aids. Majority of the airports in the region of ABX have two runways, however in most of the cases only one runway is used for RPT operations. The runway of ABX is the third longest after the main runways at Tamworth and Orange which both exceed 2200m. With regard to navigation aids, only Wagga Wagga and Tamworth have an Instrument Landing System (ILS) in place. Tamworth and Albury are the only airports which have an Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower. Most airports provide a Visual Approach Slope Indicator System. Table 8: Comparison of runway characteristics

Runway Max Tyre No. of Width* Subgrade Airport Length PCN* Pressure* Surface* Runways (m) Strength* (m) (kPa) Albury 1 1900 30 29 C 1400 Grooved (ABX/YMAY)

Armidale 1738 2 30 20 C 700 (ARM/YARM) 1116

Bathurst 1705 2 30 12 C 650 (BHS/YBTH) 1315

Dubbo 1708 2 45 14 B 700 (DBO/YSDU) 1067

Griffith 1704 2 30 16 B 1400 (GFF/YGTH) 600

Mildura 1830 2 45 32 C 1350 Grooved (MQL/YMIA) 1139

Orange 2213 2 30 39 C 1500 (OAG/YORG) 723 2200 Tamworth 1110 4 45 19 C 780 Grooved (TMW/YSTW) 1020 842 Wagga Wagga 1768 2 45 20 C 1400 (WGA) 894 * Main runway

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Table 9: Comparison of available navigation aids Visual Approach Airport ILS NDB VOR DME ATC Slope Indicator System Albury No No Yes Yes Yes PAPI (ABX/YMAY)

Armidale No Yes No Yes No PAPI (ARM/YARM)

Bathurst No Yes No No No PAPI (BHS/YBTH)

Dubbo No Yes No No No AT-VASIS (DBO/YSDU)

Griffith No Yes No No No PAPI (GFF/YGTH)

Mildura (MQL/YMIA) No Yes Yes Yes No AT-VASIS/T-VASIS

Orange No No No No No PAPI (OAG/YORG)

Tamworth Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes PAPI (TMW/YSTW)

Wagga Wagga (WGA) Yes Yes Yes Yes No PAPI

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5 SWOT ANALYSIS Based on the thorough review of the existing situation at ABX, an analysis of the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats (SWOT) was conducted and is presented below in conjunction with proposed courses of action.

Strengths and advantages

Identified strengths and advantages Suggested action(s)

Four airlines serving ABX, which provide • Maintain regular communication with current airlines to support current services and to ensure competition/options/choice awareness of any changes to services planned. • Remain open to potential new airlines establishing new routes and/or services on existing routes. • Monitor performance/data (e.g. load factor) to act proactively if needed. Provision of regular RPT flights to Brisbane, Gold • Similar as above, maintain regular communication and act proactively if needed. Compared to other Coast, Melbourne and Sydney regional airports, four destinations is a great achievement. Good relationship and regular dialogue with • Try to enhance the existing relationships and be more strategic with the engagement, e.g. launching airlines joint advertisements/marketing campaigns for Albury Wodonga. Collaborative marketing would be beneficial for both parties. • Maintain the framework for regular engagement through the Albury Airport Users Advisory Committee (AAUAC). Close distance to the city centres of Albury and • Maintain existing transport accessibility to ABX via road. Wodonga • Improve public transport accessibility to ABX. Regular aero-medical transport operation • Maintain effective accessibility process on airside/landside for ambulance to/from air ambulance servicing the community/regions transfers. • To ensure capacity of RPT expansion in conjunction with maintaining the aero-medical service, identify potential future aero-medical apron area with airside/landside access. • Continue to keep separation of aero-medical and RPT operations where possible to mitigate conflict of operations. • Consider marketing the importance of ABX and Albury Wodonga for the aero-medical transport in the community/region, e.g. launch fund raising campaign for RFDS or cancer research etc.

Seasonal aerial firefighting use ABX as a base • Maintain regular communication with the aerial firefighting service provider. • Investigate possibility for a permanent base at ABX.

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Large modern terminal with capacity to • Review and ensure capacity is sufficient and that the passenger flow behaviours as expected. accommodate significant passenger growth • During off-peak periods, consider the space for other uses, e.g. functions in the café. Availability of developable area within the airport • Investigate the possible development of a multi-use area for emergency services (particularly in the site (western and northern precinct) western precinct). • Allow for expansion of the GA uses (both business and private). • Utilise land without easy airside access for commercial development. Potential to extend the runway within the existing • Safeguard the full potential length of the runway for future expansion, if/when required. airport boundary • Ensure area at the runway ends remains obstacle free, both within and outside the airport boundary, through planning controls. Air traffic control tower at ABX provides controlled • Maintain ATC operations at ABX. airspace • Engage in regular communication with AsA to remain aware of any planned service changes. • Safeguard air traffic control tower line of sight through land use planning controls and oversight. Marketing/Aviation strategies which guide ABXs • Regularly update strategies and engage with airport stakeholders to ensure relevance. growth; • Continue collaboration with Albury Wodonga destination marketing teams to promote the airport through the ‘Albury Wodonga’ brand. Sound financial results • Review potential to strengthen results both with aviation and non-aviation businesses through varied revenue streams. • Review and ensure sustainability of sound financial results for the long-term. Well served by car rental companies • Maintain regular communication with current providers to remain aware of requirements for the future. • Engage with other rental car companies to ascertain demand for more providers. • investigate the establishment of ready bays for rental cars to provide an additional revenue stream.

Weaknesses and constraints

Identified weaknesses and constraints Suggested action(s)

Expansion of airside infrastructure is • Safeguard remaining vacant land adjoining ABX through planning controls and ongoing oversight. constrained by the airport boundary and • Review and/or update LEP and DCP for land adjoining the airport site to ensure safeguarding. adjoining land uses Runway and runway strip width is highly • Maintain runway in good condition to ensure the operation is not constrained. constrained in the north and south • Continue to protect the runway strip for a 30m wide runway. • Maintain communication with the airlines to understand future design aircraft plans.

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Lack of parallel taxiway limits the runway • Extend parallel taxiway over the full length of the runway to Code 4C capable. capacity and increases runway occupancy • Prior to extension, ACC could prepare airfield capacity study to identify constraints and possible times mitigation measures (in conjunction with AsA). Upcoming airside infrastructure maintenance • This is an inevitable operational requirement of an airport. This can be prepared for effectively through and enhancement cost forward planning of CAPEX for ABX and preparation of a thorough review, e.g. the production of an asset management plan. Regular fog weather events interrupt airport • Continually review navigation aid infrastructure option(s) supported by engagement with AsA. operations Short driving distance to Melbourne causes • Investigate potential additional services/providers on ABX-MEL route. leakage • Review schedule of current service to ensure timing is appropriate for the passenger profile. • Maintain marketing strategy to improve service performance by increased load factors. • Continue to research and understand the market for ABX-MEL, e.g. why there is a lack of uptake from other airlines. Discontent among some of the GA business • Improve direct engagement with users to understand needs better. and leisure airport users • Communicate future GA strategy of ABX to users.

Limited pickup areas for taxis and shuttle bus; • Engage with Taxi/Shuttle bus providers to understand needs both now and in the future. • Consider alternate location(s) for waiting areas for both services. Signage (e.g. ground transport) in and around • Improve signage and way finding techniques inside and outside of the terminal. the terminal is not clear Lack of facilities for aero-medical operations • Engage further with aero-medical operators to understand their needs. (e.g. toilets and shelter) • Provide facilities for aero-medical staff (e.g. toilets). • Provide facilities for patient transfers to improve transfer process in all weather conditions and increase privacy. No ready bays for rental cars • Work with the rental car providers to determine the requirements and demand for ready bays. • Rearrange car parking area to include a number of ready bays, preferably during a time of car park expansion for construction efficiencies. Rental car storage areas on high value airport • Review lease terms for use of site at end of lease period(s). land

No public transport (buses) to ABX • Understand passenger demand for public transport to assess feasibility .

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• Engage with public transport provider (Dyson Group) to evaluate service to ABX and the city centre(s). Airport access road gets congested at peak • ACC plan to build roundabout at ABX access road (Airport Dr – Riverina HWY) will reduce this times congestion. Cargo and baggage make-up area not ideally • Establish concept for future layout based on area and processing requirements, in addition to airport designed management preferences. • Prepare strategy to improve/increase the area when required.

Opportunities and prospects

Identified opportunities and prospects Suggested action(s)

Growing population, local economy and • Understand the needs for businesses which may benefit from being in Albury Wodonga and use ABX as increasing number of businesses. In particular, attraction (ABX as a sell factor). the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail project • Market ABX as a part of regional development to support business growth e.g. resulting from the Inland may have a positive effect on regional growth Rail project. Interest in permanent aerial firefighting base at • Approach State emergency providers of NSW and VIC and establish regular exchange. ABX • Understand operational needs for an aerial firefighting base. • Undertake study of other airport facilities used by them to better understand the requirements. • Identify potential area for permanent base in airport Master Plan. New direct routes (e.g. Canberra, Adelaide) • Undertake demand analysis for any new route. • Prepare business case for any new route. • Discuss potential new routes with current and alternative airlines. • Prepare possible business attraction package if considered viable. • Engage further with current and alterative airlines to establish service. Planned expansion of medical facilities in the • Collect data from medical facilities in the region to ascertain future plans and aero-medical requirements. region will increase aero-medical operations • Once scope of need established, identify requirements for infrastructure e.g. apron, taxiways, access, facilities. • Investigate desire for aero-medical base at ABX e.g. RFDS.

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Potential growth of flying schools at regional • Understand and support the development of existing flying schools. airports • To possibly attract new flying schools, develop list of all flying schools in Australia. • Review the flying schools by State and understand their current facilities. • Start with the largest, engage with them and try to establish needs, including an understand of timing factors of expansion.

Threats and risks

Identified threats and risks Suggested action(s)

Potential loss of GA business and leisure • Engage with existing users to understand desires to potentially mitigate loss. users • Regularly communicate future GA strategy of ABX to users. • To counteract potential loss, engage with broader/regional GA market to investigate potential establishment of ABX as a GA regional hub. Potential changes in airline fleets could affect • Maintain open discussion(s) with all airlines to understand fleet plans prior to changes, increasing frequency and/or capacity of RPT services preparedness of ABX. Potential decline/loss of RPT services and/or • Maintain existing strong relationships with airlines. destinations • Monitor performance/data (e.g. load factor) to act proactively if needed. • To counteract loss of services and/or destinations, continue to engage with the market to establish routes/services. Unknown effect of technology and services • Engage (read/review) with industry regarding ground transport changes. In particularly, ABX should impacting the ground transport – car sharing understand the strategy of Uber in the short term as a potential ground transport disrupter. (e.g. Uber) and driverless cars • Proactively develop strategies to take advantage of ground transport disruption at ABX e.g. a charging strategy for Uber. • Engage with comparable regional airports served by Uber to learn from their experiences (best practices and lessons learned). Planned residential development in the east • Maintain communication between ABX and ACC planning department regarding operations and planning (Thurgoona Wirlinga Precinct) has the strategies for the area. potential for future issues (noise, height of • Ensure DCP protects airport operations through obstacle limitation restrictions. development etc) • Obtain ANEF endorsement (as part of this Master Plan process) and incorporate the ANEF in the DCP and LEP where appropriate. Use this as a tool for awareness and communication with the community. Close proximity of ABX to the CBD and • Obtain ANEF endorsement (as part of this Master Plan process) and incorporate the ANEF in the DCP housing development encroaching ABX will and LEP where appropriate. Use this as a tool for awareness and communication with the community.

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more than likely cause increase in future noise complaints Potential future regulatory changes for narrow • Continually review changes/proposed changes in legislation to ensure preparedness. runway operations • Provide input to future proposed changes in regulation wherever possible. Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail project may • Create rail/airport linkage opportunities where possible e.g. regional airfreight to rail freight transfer. have a negative effect on the air freight market • Product differentiation for rail and airfreight should limit negative impact(s).

Future slot availability at capital city airports • Actively engage with airlines and operators to ensure the viability of existing and new routes into ABX (i.e. SYD, MEL, BNE) may become a threat to and work together to ensure that these operations are an effective use of the slots at a given airport. Albury Airport

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6 CRITICAL AIRPORT PLANNING PARAMETERS

Forecast of future passenger and general aviation operations Traffic forecasts for ABX based on the period from FY2016/17 to FY2031/32 have been prepared by Tourism Futures International (TFI). The forecasts are based on three scenarios (high, central and low). The approach adopted by TFI to forecasting is based on a number of elements, including: • A review of the traffic history available for domestic and international passenger traffic for Australia and Australian airports. Traffic activity data has been obtained from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) and ACC; • Analysis of the aviation and business environment and current airline schedules; and • The use of the models TFI has developed over the past 25 years for forecasting Australian airport growth. The main influences on domestic growth are Australian Gross Domestic Product (GDP), State Gross State Product (GSP) or a local indicator for regional airports, airline capacity and airfares. Results from aggregate and market-based models are compared before finalising results.

6.1.1 Summary of drivers and assumptions TFIs forecasts are underpinned by drivers which are utilised to determine forecast growth rates. The drivers used by TFI for ABX include: • Population in NSW and Victoria and the greater ABX catchment; • Economic growth in the states of NSW and Victoria and an estimate of income and employment growth in the ABX catchment; and • Travel costs, fares and exchange rates. An overview of the economic projections used for the ABX traffic forecasts are presented in Table 10. Table 10: Economic assumptions overview

Average Growth Over Incomes Catchment Population Fares USD Period FY2011/12 to FY2016/17 0.5% 0.9% -1.1% 5.9%

FY2016/17 to FY2021/22 1.1% 1.3% 0.0% -0.4%

FY2021/22 to FY2026/27 0.9% 1.2% -0.4% 0.0%

FY2026/27 to FY2031/32 0.9% 1.2% -0.3% 0.0%

It should also be noted that an additional assumption specific to the high forecasts is that they also include an additional route serviced by a Q400/ATR aircraft, with four services a week building up from FY2019/20 to FY2021/22.

6.1.2 Passenger and aircraft movement forecast A calculated central, low and high forecast scenario for ABX, including RPT passenger and aircraft movements have been prepared. Given the uncertainties associated with passenger demand, it is recommended to review the outlook annually to consider alignment with actual figures, and to produce a new forecast every five years, unless the forecast is found to be significantly different to actual figures prior.

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RPT passenger movement forecasts Figure 17 and Table 11 represent the passenger movement forecasts for ABX from FY2016/17 to FY2031/32 for the high, central and low scenarios.

450,000

400,000

350,000

300,000

250,000

200,000

RPTPassenger 150,000

100,000

50,000

0

Financial Year High Scenario Central Scenario Low Scenario

Figure 17: RPT passenger movement forecasts for ABX

Table 11: RPT passenger movement forecast for ABX

Passenger Movements Financial year Central 5-year High (‘000) 5-year CAGR Low (‘000) 5-year CAGR (‘000) CAGR12

2016/17 263 – 263 – 263 – 2021/22 323 4.2% 288 1.9% 276 1.0%

2026/27 365 2.5% 319 2.0% 299 1.6%

2031/32 411 2.4% 351 1.9% 322 1.5%

12 Compound Annual Growth Rage (CAGR)

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RPT aircraft movement forecasts Figure 18 and Table 12 represent the RPT aircraft movement forecasts for ABX from FY2016/17 to FY2031/32 for the high, central and low scenarios.

14,000

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000 RPT aircraft movement

2,000

0

Financial Year High Scenario Central Scenario Low Scenario

Figure 18: RPT aircraft movement forecasts for ABX

Table 12: RPT aircraft movement forecast for ABX

RPT Aircraft Movements Financial Central 5-year year High (‘000) 5-year CAGR Low (‘000) 5-year CAGR (‘000) CAGR

2016/17 8.4 – 8.4 – 8.4 – 2021/22 9.9 3.4% 8.9 1.1% 8.5 0.3%

2026/27 10.8 1.6% 9.4 1.2% 8.9 0.9%

2031/32 11.7 1.7% 10.0 1.2% 9.2 0.8%

General Aviation aircraft movement forecasts A 15-year forecast has also been produced for general aviation (GA) aircraft movements at ABX. GA movements have been forecast based on a central scenario and broken down into fixed and rotary wing aircraft types. Figure 19 and Table 13 provide an overview of the projected number of total movements at ABX.

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45,000

40,000

35,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000 Aircraft Aircraft movement 10,000

5,000

0

Financial year

Fixed Wing Rotary Wing

Figure 19: General aviation forecast by aircraft type for ABX

Table 13: General aviation forecast by aircraft type for ABX

GA Movements Financial year 5-year Fixed Wing 5-year Rotary Wing 5-year Total (‘000) CAGR (‘000) CAGR (‘000) CAGR

2016/17 32.7 – 26.6 – 6.1 –

2021/22 35.3 1.5% 28.1 1.2% 7.1 3.3%

2026/27 38.3 1.7% 30.4 1.6% 7.9 2.2%

2031/32 41.5 1.6% 32.8 1.6% 8.8 2.1%

Forecast of freight operations Majority of airfreight to and from ABX is carried in RPT aircraft as ‘belly cargo’. All flights serviced by Virgin Australia, REX and QantasLink currently carry freight. Regional carrier, JETGO, does not currently carry any freight on their ABX operations. In addition to belly freight, ABX also experiences regular movements from a dedicated freight service, which operates on average 10 times per week. However, majority of air freight at ABX is transported via RPT passenger aircraft. Freight stakeholders identified the throughput volumes to be consistent which does not put strain on current freight throughput capacity at the airport.

The forecast freight operations have been considered in two scenarios. First, practical capacity, which assesses the capacity of the aircraft for freight based on specific assumptions year on year until FY2031/32. Secondly, forecast freight throughput until FY2031/32, based on current throughput data available extrapolated based on population forecasts.

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The review of future capacity and throughput for RPT and charter freight are based on very specific assumptions and have separate RPT and charter freight forecasts. Details are outlined in the respective sections below.

6.2.1 Practical freight capacity forecast

RPT freight practical scenario The practical freight capacity endeavours to determine the total available capacity on all aircraft operating to/from ABX. This has been based on the typical and forecasted operating environment and has taken into consideration a number of assumptions to identify a remaining area of the hold available for freight. Assumptions for the RPT practical freight capacity forecast include: • All RPT aircraft operating to and from ABX have capacity available for freight operations; • That RPT aircraft have a make-up of ‘all economy’ configuration; • Aircraft load factors is the average across the planning period from the TFI forecasts for FY2016/17 to FY2031/32; and • Each passenger has one bag weighing the maximum allowable weight per aircraft type.

The design aircraft for each fleet mix group, has been combined with the load factor to produce a set of aircraft specific assumptions, which can be seen in Table 14. The table is an overview of the assumptions which have been used to determine the remaining freight capacity which has formed the baseline capacity for each aircraft type.

Table 14: Aircraft specific assumptions for practical freight capacity

Maximum Total Total Freight Design Load No. Fleet mix No. of baggage baggage freight capacity aircraft factor of group (TFI) seats weight weight capacity remaining type (%) pax. (kg) (kg) (kg) (kg) Dash8 / Dash8- 74 63 47 23 1,072 2,119 1,047 ATR Q400 ERJ ERJ 50 63 32 20 630 1,200 570 145LR SAAB SAAB 340 34 63 21 15 321 950 629

B717 B717 125 63 79 20 1,811 3,200 1,389

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Based on the above assumptions, the practical freight capacity for RPT aircraft across the planning period for the low, central, and high growth scenarios can be seen in Figure 20.

10,000

9,000

8,000

7,000

6,000

5,000

4,000

3,000 Freight capacity Freight capacity (tonnes) 2,000

1,000

0

Financial year

Low Scenario Central Scenario High Scenario

Figure 20: RPT practical freight capacity FY2016/17-FY2031/32

Charter freight practical scenario To determine the practical freight capacity for the charter freight services at ABX, the operators aircraft movements have been forecasted until FY2031/32. The central figure has been based on historical average growth rate of 1%. The low and the high forecasts adopted have growth rates of 0.5% and 1.5% respectively. These aircraft movement numbers have been assessed against the capacity of the aircraft and other assumptions to provide a practical capacity value for freight operations. The assumptions on charter freight operations for practical capacity are as follows: • The design aircraft is a AeroCommander 500S which has 500kg capacity for freight; • The charter freight service to/from ABX has two other stops en route, and capacity available for Albury is 1/3 of the total capacity (166kg) both inbound and outbound; and • The freight load is equal between inbound and outbound movements.

Figure 21 depicts the practical freight capacity over the FY2016/17 to FY2031/32 period for the low, central, and high growth scenarios.

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120

100

80

60

40 Freight capacity Freight capacity (tonnes) 20

0

Financial year

Low Scenario Central Scenario High Scenario

Figure 21: Charter freight practical capacity FY2016/17-FY2031/32

6.2.2 Forecast freight throughput

RPT freight throughput forecast The forecast freight throughput (tonnes) has been based on the historical varying information provided by existing operators and growth rate assumptions to FY2031/32.The assumptions for the RPT freight throughput forecasts, include: • Based on the annual throughput of 108.23 tonnes in FY2016/17; • Forecast growth of freight operations has been considered in conjunction with TFI’s yearly assumptions on population. With central being equivalent to 1% of that value, and low and high being 0.5% and 1.5% respectively; and • Allowance for an additional operator to begin to provide freight services from FY2019/20, utilising an ERJ type aircraft.

An overview of the RPT forecast with low, central and high throughput scenarios can be found in Table 15. Table 15: Forecast RPT freight throughput overview 5-year 5-year 5-year Financial Low throughput Central High average average average year (tonnes) (tonnes) (tonnes) growth growth rate growth rate rate 2016/17 108.23 – 108.23 – 108.23 –

2021/22 126.47 3.37% 132.51 4.19% 139.11 5.24%

2026/27 130.63 0.66% 139.10 1.00% 149.48 1.89%

2031/32 134.67 0.62% 147.51 1.21% 163.05 1.82%

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The low, central, and high forecast scenarios for RPT freight throughput to FY2031/32 can be seen in Figure 22.

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

40 Forecast Forecast throughput(tonnes)

20

0

Financial year

Low Scenario Central Scenario High Scenario

Figure 22: RPT freight throughput forecasts FY2016/17-FY2031/32

Aerodrome reference code system (ARC) One of the most important elements of the CASA Manual of Standards Part 139 (MOS) is the ARC system. In this regard the MOS states: Australia has adopted the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) methodology of using a code system, known as the Aerodrome Reference Code, to specify the standards for individual aerodrome facilities which are suitable for use by aeroplanes within a range of performances and sizes. The Code is composed of two elements: element 1 is a number related to the aeroplane reference field length; and element 2 is a letter related to the aeroplane wingspan and outer main gear wheel span. A particular specification is related to the more appropriate of the two elements of the Code or to an appropriate combination of the two Code elements. The Code letter or number within an element selected for design purposes is related to the critical aeroplane characteristics for which the facility is provided. There could be more than one critical aeroplane, as the critical aeroplane for a particular facility, such as a runway, may not be the critical aeroplane for another facility, such as the taxiway. The CASR and MOS are the key documents to be referred to when designing an airport/aerodrome and the ARC system forms a critical starting point for the design process. The ARC is based on the characteristics of an aircraft, not the airport. Once the critical aircraft (or design aircraft) is determined then the aerodrome facilities are designed and built to meet those characteristics. The table below indicates the aircraft characteristics that determine the ARC.

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Table 16: Aerodrome Reference Code (MOS Part 139)

Aerodrome Reference Code

Code Element 1 Code Element 2

Code Aeroplane reference field Code Outer main gear wheel Wing span number length (ARFL) letter span

Up to but not including Up to but not including 1 Less than 800m A 15m 4.5m

800m up to but not including 15m up to but not 4.5m up to but not 2 B 1200m including 24m including 6m

1200m up to but not 24m up to but not 6m up to but not including 3 C including 1800m including 36m 9m

36m up to but not 9m up to but not including 4 1800m and over D including 52m 14m

52m up to but not 9m up to but not including E including 65m 14m

65 up to but not 14m up to but not F including 80m including 16m

The Code number for element 1 of the ARC is determined from column 1 of Table 16. The Code number corresponding to the highest value of the ARFL for which the runway is intended must be selected. ARFL is defined in the MOS as: The minimum field length required for take-off at maximum certificated take-off mass, sea level, standard atmospheric conditions, still air and zero runway slope, as shown in the appropriate aeroplane flight manual prescribed by the certificating authority or equivalent data from the aeroplane manufacturer. Field length means balanced field length for aeroplanes, if applicable, or take-off distance in other cases. As noted in the MOS Part 139: The determination of the aeroplane reference field length is solely for the selection of a Code number and must not be confused with runway length requirements, which are influenced by other factors. The Code letter for element 2 of the ARC is determined from column 3 of Table 16. The Code letter, which corresponds to the greatest wingspan, or the greatest outer main gear wheel span, whichever gives the more demanding Code letter of the aeroplanes for which the facility is intended, must be selected. Unless otherwise agreed by CASA, aerodrome operators are required to maintain the airport’s runways and taxiways in accordance with the standards set out in the MOS Part 139 applicable to the ARC for that runway or taxiway. Any proposed change to the selected design aircraft may impact the ARC of ABX.. TAG recommends that ACC continue to monitor the design aircraft suitability of ABX as per the ARC code system.

Selected design aircraft The current runway and RPT taxiways at ABX are compliant for Code 3C aircraft such as the Dash8-Q400, ATR-72, Dash8-300 and Saab 340. The largest of these aircraft is the Dash8-Q400 which technically is a Code 3D aircraft, however in Australia it is often operated as a Code 3C. Therefore, the Dash8-Q400 is considered as the current largest design aircraft for ABX. Based on the passenger forecast the Code 4C aircraft Boeing 717-200 is considered to be the most likely as the future design aircraft. The 2005 Strategic Development Plan explains that “certain Code 4C aircraft (e.g. B717, B737 and A320) are permitted to operate from 30m wide runways in Australia under dispensations granted by CASA”. These

Albury City Council Albury Airport Final Draft Master Plan 2018 54 dispensations are no longer granted by CASA, however, under new rules introduced by CASA in November 2014 (CAR 235A-minimum runway width for aeroplanes), suitably assessed and approved Code 4C aircraft such as the B717-200, B737-800 and A320 can operate on a 30m wide runway. In effect, this regulation puts the onus on the airlines to have the aircraft assessed by the original equipment manufacturer or by flight testing of the aircraft to determine their capability to operate safely on narrow runways. After the completion of satisfactory assessment, the aircraft is issued with an approved Aeroplane Flight Manual Narrow runway supplement (AFMS), appropriate approved documentation, or specific OEM AFM runway width limitation. Airlines also need to carry out specific training of flight crew for narrow runway operations. The new rules recommend that airport operators include in their Aerodrome Manual the requirement for airplane operators for an aircraft assessment on the narrow runways.

Table 17, below, shows the indicative characteristics of the aircraft design currently operating at ABX, as well as that of the incoming new design aircraft expected to join the Qantas and Virgin fleets in the short term. Please note: this is for indicative purposes only. Specific values for particular aircraft should be obtained from the aircraft operator or the aircraft manufacturer. Table 17: Aircraft design characteristics

Aircraft Seats ARFL (m) MTOW (kg) ACN * Code

F100 100 1,695 46,090 31 3C

Dash8-Q400 76 1,354 29,265 18 3C

B717 110/125 2,130 54,885 37 4C

A320-200 189 2,058 77,395 47 4C

A320neo 189 2,400 79,400 48 4C

B737-800 189 2,256 79,230 51 4C

B737 MAX 200 200 tbc 82,418 53 4C

C-130 N/A 1,100 79,333 37 4D

* ACN = Aircraft Classification number. The ACN is based on the aircraft’s MTOW on a flexible pavement with a sub-grade rating of “C”.

TAG recommends that ACC review the current PCN in light of recent runway works and continues to do so regularly in future and in conjunction of completion of further works on runways and taxiways to ensure compatibility and suitability for selected design aircraft operations.

6.4.1 General aviation design aircraft The largest GA aircraft operated at ABX are the Gulfstream VI (G650) and the Bombardier Global Express. As shown in Table 18 below, their aircraft characteristics are lower in MTOW and ACN compared to the RPT design aircraft. Table 18: GA aircraft design characteristics

Aircraft Seats ARFL (m) MTOW (kg) ACN Code

G650 N/A 1,786 45,178 30 3C

Global Express N/A 1,814 45,132 30 3C

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Passenger terminal Terminal planning for airports is based on the peak period number of passengers in the terminal forecast at a point in the future. This number forms the design peak hour load and is used to determine spatial requirements for different areas of the terminal. Determining the design peak hour load requires knowledge of the peak traffic patterns at the airport and is not a direct translation from annual traffic, due to the existence of local variations. For instance, arrivals and departures may cluster around a few peak hours; however, the peak hours for arrivals may be different from that for departures. Ultimately, the design peak load is a compromise between economy and provision of sufficient capacity to meet peaks, or a compromise between efficiency and quality of service. Future peak airport traffic patterns and flow of traffic within a terminal are largely dependent on the following factors: • The design aircraft expected to service an airport, their corresponding load factors and the flight schedule; • Technological advancements in terminal planning or technologies that will improve efficiency of passenger flow within a terminal; • Population growth forecasts, expected regional economic growth patterns and planning guidelines aimed at achieving that growth; and • Level of service (LoS) and functional area guidelines determined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Building on the current peak hour assessment of the terminal at ABX in section 4.5.1, this section outlines the future peak period demand for ABX.

6.5.1 IATA guidelines The IATA has established guidelines for terminal area and the LoS of a terminal facility. The respective terminal area for each key functional area is defined by the IATA Airport Development Reference Manual (ADRM). The current version is the 10th edition (5th release). The ‘optimum’ LoS is defined as a terminal which provides “sufficient space to accommodate the necessary functions in a comfortable environment” with “acceptable processing and waiting times”. This is recommended as a minimum objective of any terminal.

6.5.2 Future peak period demand at Albury Airport The future peak period number at ABX is calculated for FY2031/32 using the following methodology: 1. Review the annual passenger movement forecast produced by TFI and identify the forecasted number of aircraft and passenger movements for FY2031/32. For planning purposes, the high forecast scenario is chosen; 2. Identify the corresponding load factor and the forecasted split of aircraft types; 3. Develop a flight schedule for a typical week in FY2031/32 based partially on the current flight schedule and to reflect the forecast annual aircraft and passenger movement numbers; 4. Identify the busiest day of the week; 5. Use the future flight schedule designed for the busiest day, the current passenger flow and dwell times and the load factor to estimate the passenger flow through the key functional areas of the terminal including ‘meeters and greeters’; 6. Sum the passenger numbers at these key functional areas across the busiest day; 7. Identify the maximum passenger number occurring at any specific time interval within the terminal for that day; and 8. Select the highest number as the future peak period number for a 15-, 30- and 60-minutes interval.

6.5.3 Future flight schedule at Albury Airport The traffic forecasts shown in Section 6.1 correspond to the aircraft mix presented in Table 19. In FY2031/32, ABX is forecasted to accommodate a larger aircraft type, namely the 125-seat Boeing 71713. However, the proportion of this design aircraft is expected to remain relatively low, with only 3.1% of B717 movements forecast. The smaller SAAB 340 (or similar) aircraft are expected to attribute to almost half of all RPT

13 QantasLink operates the Boeing 717-200 with two different configurations (110 and 125 seats). For safeguarding purposes, the configuration with 125 seats has been chosen for this study.

Albury City Council Albury Airport Final Draft Master Plan 2018 56 movements. A combination of Dash8-Q400 and ATR72 aircraft are expected to account for 44% of all movements, followed by 10% of ERJ-145 aircraft movements. Table 19: Forecast aircraft fleet mix in 2032 Percentage of all Number of weekly RPT Aircraft type movements movements B717 3.1% 7

Dash8-Q400 and ATR72 43.6% 98

ERJ-145 9.51% 21

SAAB 340 43.8% 99

– – Total of 225 weekly movements

A potential future flight schedule is presented in the supporting Terminal Planning Technical Paper. The future schedule is based on the peak period identified in the schedule in the observation period (week of the 27 November 2017). Building on this peak schedule period, aircraft types in the future schedule are based on the aircraft split assumptions developed in the forecast by TFI. The current Thursday schedule facilitates approximately 28 total aircraft movements and it is expected that it will increase to 34 total movements in FY2031/32. This corresponds to the addition of three flights on a Thursday in FY2031/32.

6.5.4 Future peak period number at Albury Airport Based on the future flight schedule developed, it is estimated that the peak period number at ABX for a 15- minute interval will be 326. This will occur at approximately 09:30, driven by a mix of eleven arriving and departing aircraft movements. Table 20 shows the flow of passengers through the terminal during the morning hours of 08.30 am and 10.30 am. Table 20: Expected future passenger flow during the morning peak

Terminal Area 08:30 08:45 09:00 09:15 09:30 09:45 10:00 10:15 10:30

Check-in 45 56 50 28 10 7 2 - - Public departures 30 41 28 13 4 4 - - - hall/Café Departures gate 12 46 115 181 141 61 22 22 1

Arrivals hall - - 80 62 171 80 - - - Total number of passengers inside 87 143 273 283 326 151 24 22 1 terminal

The passenger flow across the busiest day FY2031/32 is depicted in Figure 23.

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350

300

250

200

150

terminal 100

50

-

Total passenger Totalpassenger number the in

4:30 5:00 5:30 6:00 6:30 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30

10:00 15:30 21:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 Time of day

Figure 23: Total forecasted passenger number in the terminal building in FY2031/32

Table 21 shows the maximum number of passengers expected in each movement area throughout the day. It can be seen that the departures gate is expected to experience the most strain at any one 15-minute interval. Table 21: Maximum number of passengers at each movement area.

Maximum number of passengers Movement area 15 Minutes 30 Minutes 60 Minutes Check-in 56 107 181 Public departures hall/café s 41 71 111 Departures gate 181 322 498 Arrivals hall 171 251 393 Overall peak period number 32614 – –

The future terminal area requirements for ABX are presented in section 8.1.1.

Security requirements Security screening is required at airports that operate RPT services and open charter aircraft greater than 20,000kg. In compliance with the Aviation Transport Security legislation, passengers undergo security screening after checking in and before moving to the departures gate. Random explosive trace detection is carried out post screening. Carryon baggage is also screened at the passenger screening point while checked baggage is screened as it progresses from check-in though the baggage make-up system. Current operations at ABX include the service of a smaller RPT aircraft operated by REX, which is currently not subject to security screening. As such, the current terminal layout (and current expansion project) are designed to accommodate two departure areas. Any future change in operations and terminal redevelopment at ABX must consider the requirements of the Aviation Transport Security Act 2004 and Aviation Transport Security Regulations 2005.

14 This is not the sum of all movement areas as they do not record the maximum number of passengers stated simultaneously.

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Airport safeguarding considerations Development on the Airport must be carried out and constructed in a manner that does not compromise the efficiency of navigation aids or the operational capability of aircraft using the Airport. In that regard all developments will be required to give due and proper consideration where applicable to the following issues: • Navigation Aid infrastructure safety zones and signal direction; • Air traffic control tower line of sight; • Minimising sun glare from reflective surfaces; • Wind turbulence impacts during construction and of the finished facility; • Height limitations in respect of OLS, PANS-OPS, and VSS surfaces; • Height limitations including dishes and aerials; • Lighting that may illuminate above the horizontal. Within the approach and take-off surfaces this is more critical; • Public Safety Zones (PSZ); and • Runway End Safety Area (RESA). The National Airports Safeguarding Framework includes guidelines which provide proponents of development and local government with further information about how to address risk to aviation safety posed by development. An Airport Safeguarding Plan is presented section 10 which addresses the above considerations in the context of ABX.

Environmental considerations There are some environmental considerations within and near to the airport site. The details of these are provided in section 4.8. Although these are not considerable significant environmental concerns and will likely have minimal effect on development of the airport, they must be acknowledged and considered in any airport development.

Heritage considerations There are no identified heritage sites within the airport site, as outlined in section 4.9. It is important to note that this is based on a desktop analysis and should be reviewed and considered in any airport development.

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7 MASTER PLAN

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Figure 24: ABX Master Plan conceptual layout

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Placeholder

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8 STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT The strategy development presented here elaborates on the recommendations made in this Master Plan. It is divided into landside facilities, airside and aviation infrastructure, ground transport, commercial development and route development. The recommendations made in this section are presented conceptually in the Land Use Plan precinct drawings and description in section 9 and are incorporated in the implementation plan section 11.

Infrastructure and facilities Major infrastructure and facilities that need to be considered in the future planning for ABX include: • Terminal facilities; • Freight facilities; • Airside infrastructure including runways, taxiways and apron areas; • Air traffic control tower; • Rescue and firefighting facilities; • Navigation aids; • Aerodrome lighting; • Fuel facilities; and • Access roads and car parks. Each aviation support and landside facility will have requirements and they should be located in an appropriate location for aircraft operations and airport user needs. This section outlines the future requirements for these support facilities based on forecasts and regulatory requirements.

8.1.1 Landside facilities

Terminal facilities The total terminal area required to address the forecasted peak period number for FY2031/32 is calculated to be 3,295m2 which can be accommodated within the existing terminal area of 3,339.2m2. Table 22 outlines the detailed splits for each terminal area according to the peak demand forecasted and the IATA LoS standards. Spatial requirements for other areas such as offices and amenities are also outlined. Table 22: Summary of area utilisation Future area Area available15 Terminal area Functional area required FY (m2) 2031/32(m2) Check-in Check-in queueing area 266.4 233.7 Bag drop and check-in desk 73.9 73.9 Total check in area 340.3 307.6 Public departure hall/café Circulation area 479.9 479.9 Concession (café) 327.0 327.0 Total check in area 806.9 806.9 Security Security queue area 87.9 51.2 Security checkpoint 38.8 73.1* Total security area 126.7 124.3 Departure gate Total gate area 420.7 424.9 Total arrival hall and baggage Arrivals hall, baggage claim 841.9 687.1 claim area Baggage and cargo Baggage make-up 370.5 485.2* Cargo 63.6 32.6

15 Current area assumes completion of current expansion project in mid-2018.

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Total baggage and cargo area 434.1 517.8* Other areas Airline offices 131.2 131.2 Airport management offices 68.3 84.4 Comms room 15.2 15.2 Amenities 132.9 190.4* Meeting room and others 21.0 21.0 Total other area 368.6 426.1* Total terminal area 3,335.5 3,2957 * The terminal footprint has the area to meet the purposes of the current and future expansion requirements with internal realignment. Future terminal expansion recommendations The current terminal area is sufficient for both current and future operations. However, as outlined above, some areas within the terminal may require expansion while others are larger than required. To reduce the requirement for significant terminal expansion, flexibility within the current layout should be considered. Nevertheless, a terminal expansion to the west will be required to enlarge the baggage make-up area and to alter the cargo processing area layout as it is unlikely that the realignment of existing area for this purpose would be possible within the current terminal. There are some areas of the terminal, such as the airport offices, which could be relocated out of the terminal building and reused for an alternative use, such as security expansion or a retail area. In addition to adapting the current terminal building, the area directly adjoining the terminal in the west should be utilised for more critical uses. The staff car parking area is located in a prime landside/airside site which should be utilised for more critical airport operational requirements. Overall, the ABX terminal is in a good position for future expansion. It has been designed in a layout which can accommodate expansion or adaptation without significant capital expenditure or interruption to services to the east and/or the west. The current expansion plans are expected to accommodate the forecast growth at ABX in the short to medium term. Recommendation 1: TAG recommends ACC review the passenger and aircraft movement forecast annually to consider alignment with actual figures, and to produce a new forecast every five years, unless the forecast is found to be significantly different to actual figures prior. If a significant deviation is found, the terminal peak period calculation should be reviewed and revised to ensure the operation of the terminal is safeguarded for the future and that investment can occur in a timely, cost efficient manner.

Recommendation 2: Assuming forecast figures align with actual movements, TAG recommends ACC review the terminal functional area expansion requirements holistically again, including the passenger flows, in the medium term (in the next two to 10 years).

Recommendation 3: ACC should establish a concept for future layout of cargo and baggage make up areas which is more efficient, based on area and processing requirements as well as airport management preferences.

Recommendation 4: The security checkpoint and queuing area will likely be constrained within the master planning period based on the forecast peak period. ACC should adopt operational measures to mitigate expansion requirements where required.

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Recommendation 5: ACC may consider the use of terminal facilities for other uses during off peak period, such as functions in the café, to better utilise the terminal and revenue opportunities in off peak periods.

Freight handling The forecasts for FY2031/32 indicate that throughput will be approximately 163.05 tonnes per annum. The current area available is 63.6m2 and in FY2031/32 for RPT freight handling, 32.6m2 will be required. This has been determined based on the assumption of predominantly manual operations as per the IATA ratios. However, this calculation does not consider the different types of freight or location and configuration of processing areas. At ABX, a common type of freight is animal crates which have a higher volume to weight ratio than other types of cargo in addition to consideration of additional space around crates. Assuming some consideration of additional space for pet crate processing, the calculated required area may not reflect the true requirements for cargo processing. In addition, based on the feedback from ACC, the current cargo area itself is sufficient, however there are significant issues resulting from the current location and layout of the cargo area. The location of cargo processing is near significant electricity cabling and switchboards for the airport, creating potential safety hazards. In addition, there is currently no landside accessibility for the cargo area which results in the general public accessing the airside area of the airport and entering the baggage make up area (where the cargo is currently processed), without appropriate security clearance. Further, there is often empty animal crates stored on the parking area outside the terminal, to the west of the baggage make-up area. The forecast throughput of the charter freight operations based on the IATA space planning ratios would require 21.92m2 of space based on predominantly manual operations. Based on engagement outcomes, it has been indicated that the handling of this service requires limited dedicated on airport facilities. Freight and goods are transferred directly from the aircraft to a vehicle, which drives airside to meet the aircraft. Table 23 provides an overview of the future required areas for RPT and charter freight at ABX in FY2031/32. A consideration of this is the distinction between freight types and the required future facilities for their specific operations. Table 23: Future required freight areas overview Forecast throughput Freight type Required area (m2) (FY2031/32) (tonnes) RPT 163.05 32.60 Charter 109.60 21.92 Total 272.66 54.52

It is evident that within the current and future (FY2031/32) aircraft movement network servicing ABX there is significant surplus capacity to accommodate the forecast/projected increase in freight in both RPT and charter operations. This includes potential unexpected changes in demand. Despite this, the layout is not conducive to efficient operations. Relocating and/or reconfiguring the current RPT freight area at ABX would allow fora facility which could accommodate landside access and processing for the general public with an airside connection providing a seamless and safe transfer of freight (animal freight in particular) would be a significant improvement. Further, an increase in size of the area should be considered to allow for sufficient storage and processing of animal crates, in addition to regular small package and mail freight typically processed through RPT aircraft. Expansion of the cargo area should be considered in correlation with expansion of the baggage make-up area and could potentially be located to the west of the terminal or consider the use of one of the office areas located on the western wall of the terminal. Recommendation 6: TAG recommends that ACC investigate alternative layout or locations for RPT freight handling facilities to increase efficiency and reduce existing constraints. If possible, this should be considered in correlation with any expansion on the baggage make-up area.

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Recommendation 7: The existing area and functionality of the charter air freight operations is sufficient for current and forecast future operations.

8.1.2 Airside and aviation infrastructure

Runway 07/25 Runway 07/25 has the length to accommodate Code 4C aircraft, such as a B717-200, or B737-800/A320-200, with a reduced payload. Code 4C aircraft such as the B717-200, are considered to be the most likely design aircraft for future domestic RPT operations to or from Albury. Code E operations are not planned for Albury Airport as this is unlikely to be a feasible option due to cost, terrain constraints, infrastructure requirements and typical market for Albury Airport. Based on the passenger forecast, it is likely that the airlines will operate into ABX utilising Code 4C aircraft that have obtained narrow runway capabilities and pilots trained in narrow runway manoeuvres. As such, the widening of the runway pavement to 45m and runway strip width to 280m (the draft future MOS standard), is potentially not required. Due to the likely continuation of the eastern capital city destinations being only short hauls from Albury, the existing 1900m runway will be of sufficient length for Code 4C aircraft. A small extension of the runway 07/25 of approximately 310m to provide a runway length of 2,210m within the boundaries of the Council owned land is feasible but not necessary in the long-term. A very limited extension of the runway 07/25 of approximately 60m on the western end is also possible. There are terrain obstacles that limit the benefits of the short 60m extension on the western end and so not considered beneficially feasible. As the current runway pavement is rated as low strength soils below the pavement, a B717 aircraft would have to operate with weight restrictions to take-off. A thicker pavement would be needed to achieve a PCN of 37 for the B717 or of 44 to support the larger B737 or A320 aircraft. This increase from the current PCN of 29 could be achieved in the future by a thick asphaltic overlay estimated at 120mm. This strengthening could be staged with first component being in 2028 as part of the intervention maintenance of the runway’s surface. If the B717 design aircraft begins operations at ABX (as forecast in FY2024/25) the strengthening of the runway may be required earlier. Otherwise, no significant maintenance is expected to be required on the runway in the next seven to ten years. In case a strengthening of the runway would not be required, a surface area enrichment spray treatment may be a viable method to extend the life of the runway beyond the planned overlay lifespan of 2028. Recommendation 8: ACC should maintain the runway at ABX in good condition and continue to protect the required strip width for a 30m wide runway.

Recommendation 9: TAG recommends that ACC regularly engage with airlines to understand their planned design aircraft to/from ABX. Any changes in operating aircraft (e.g. addition of. B717 design aircraft) may trigger the requirement to strengthen the runway ahead of the schedule outlined in the implementation plan (section 11).

Recommendation 10: ACC should safeguard the full potential length of the runway for future expansion if/or when required.

Recommendation 11: ACC should ensure the runway ends remain obstacle free, both within and outside the airport, through planning controls.

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Recommendation 12: ACC should monitor and continually review any proposed changes to regulations, particularly for narrow runway operations, to ensure preparedness.

Taxiway system

High strength taxiways The high strength taxiway system (TWY A, B and E) will require surface re-shaping and strengthening within the next ten years. TWY A and E need to be redone in the next two years, however TWY B should be sufficient for another 5-10 years. This re-surfacing will also add strength for the long-term objective of utilising the taxiways for Code 4C aircraft. The provision of a parallel taxiway (TWY C) to the runway with RPT aircraft capabilities will have benefits for the efficient use of the runway and the expansion of the RPT parking on the eastern face of the existing RPT apron. In the long term, this parallel taxiway will also increase opportunities for development of airside facing land (south-eastern precinct), particularly if alternative sites or infrastructure can be sourced for AsA’s VOR facility. The pavement surface of this existing 12m wide low strength parallel taxiway (TWY C) will need to be raised by approximately 200mm to obtain the required strength. The pavement on the eastern end of the taxiway will need to be reconstructed to match levels with the existing aprons. Given that the Dash8-Q400 and Code 4C aircraft may be taxiing along this taxiway in the future, the recommended width is 15m to safeguard it for future operations dependent on the adoption of the new standard currently being exhibited. The reconstruction and upgrade of TWY C to a Code C taxiway is currently planned between 2018 and 2020.

Although an extension to the existing intermediate turning nodes at 420m from the eastern end of the runway is practical and will be a lower cost than a full length taxiway extension to runway 25 threshold, the benefits are considerably less as most RPT aircraft will still need to turn and backtrack, albeit shorter, on their landing and take-offs. The additional cost for the taxiway to extend to the runway 25 threshold will considerably reduce the runway occupancy by eliminating turns on landings and take-offs. A cost-benefit study is likely to recommend the full extension of the taxiway as a single project.

The timing of the full length extension will be dependent upon time modelling of the aircraft movements but initial assessment is that likely required beyond 2032.

Recommendation 13: The surfaces of the high strength taxiway system (TWY A, B and E) at ABX be re-shaped and strengthened within the timeframe indicated in the implementation plan in Section 11. It is recommended that priority be given to the upgrades for TWY A and E as TWY B is in better condition.

Recommendation 14: TWY C should be strengthened to obtain the required strength for 4C aircraft and areas that align or link to apron areas should be reconstructed to match the strength of that apron. TWY C should be upgraded to a Code C taxiway with a width of 15m to accommodate future Code C and design aircraft use. The implementation plan recommends that this should be undertaken in the short term, as can be seen in section 11.

Recommendation 15: ACC may, in conjunction with AsA, prepare an airfield capacity study of ABX to identify constraints and possible mitigation measures in the medium term to limit any impacts that the constraints of not having a parallel taxiway has on operations

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Recommendation 16: The implementation plan has allowed for a two-stage expansion and strengthening process for TWY C, with a long-term completion period (10+ years) planned for the full parallel extension to a code 4C capability. The staging areas are depicted in section 9.1.1.

The timing of the delivery of the full extension should be reviewed if the development of the south eastern precinct proceeds earlier than outlined in the implementation plan and would be benefited by the construction of the sealed TWY C extension.

TAG recommends that a detailed cost-benefit study should be prepared for the provision of the TWY C extension to review the proposed staging options and consider the potential for construction as a single project, and the associated costs.

Low strength taxiways The low strength taxiways catering for GA aircraft will require regular resealing of the wearing surfaces for protection of the underlying pavement from the elements. Recommendation 17: TAG recommends that ACC review the condition of the general aviation taxiways at ABX on a regular basis and reseal wearing surfaces as required.

Apron areas

Regular Public Transport (RPT) Apron The five power in/power out parking positions for Code 3C aircraft will need progressive expansion as the passenger numbers grow. Based on the forecast and peak period calculations it is expected that in the duration of this master plan up to six RPT aircraft will be parked on the apron simultaneously. This will likely include Code 4C aircraft. As a result, the apron will need extending to accommodate the increased number of parking positions with larger aircraft.

A potential future apron layout is illustrated in Figure 25 below. This layout depicts the capacity of the apron in its current location with the forecast design aircraft. This would accommodate seven aircraft including three of the size of a B717. With an increase in the apron width the ability of power-out manoeuvre can be maintained. However, this would result in the requirement to relocate the aero-medical apron. Alternatively, a tug push-back manoeuvre could be applied in the future which would reduce the required width of the parking position.

Independently from the chosen future apron layout, the apron pavement will need an overlay to restore shape and retain the water seal within the next 10 years and this is probably best timed with the overlay of the taxiways.

It is unlikely that an underground re-fuelling system or aerobridges will be needed, even with the introduction of Code 4C aircraft.

Recommendation 18: The RPT aircraft parking apron should be extended to accommodate up to six parking positions in the future peak period.

Recommendation 19: A pavement overlay should be undertaken on the RPT apron to restore shape and retain the water seal, as outlined in the implementation plan (section 11).

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Figure 25: Potential future RPT apron layout

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Aero-medical apron The relocation of the aero-medical apron will likely be required for the future expansion of the parking positions of RPT apron (see Figure 25 above). The next logical available land is on the western precinct. An extension of Lockheed Drive would provide the landside access for ambulance entry onto the apron. An overview of how this may be incorporated is presented in Section 9. Recommendation 20: The aero-medical apron should be relocated to the western precinct prior to the RPT apron expansion and maintain ease of accessibility for patient transfers and ambulance vehicle access, as outlined in section 9 and as per the implementation timeline in section 11. The proposed location should provide separation from RPT services and mitigate any operational conflicts.

General Aviation (GA) aprons The pavement surface of the northeast GA apron will require reconstruction in the next five years. The present apron space is accommodating the demand for GA aircraft parking for both permanent and itinerant aircraft. In order to address any future demand for hangar, the logical siting for expansion is to the west of the existing southern GA apron (western precinct). Recommendation 21: The northeast GA apron will require reconstruction in the medium term, as outlined in the implementation plan and cost estimates.

Helicopter pads The current four landing pads close to the runway and existing parking on the grass to the south is likely to be adequate for the foreseeable future.

Fuel facilities The fuel facilities at ABX meet all the regulatory requirements and have a life expectancy for a minimum of another 15 to 20 years. The infrastructure is adequately positioned and fit for purpose.

Air traffic control and ARFFS No expansion or alteration of the air traffic control tower and the services provided at ABX is envisaged for the foreseeable future. The current requirement for an ARFFS to be located at an airport with more than 350,000 annual passengers impacts ABX within this master planning period16. The MOS stipulates that each runway end must be reached within three minutes from the ARFFS facility. In producing this Master Plan, three potential locations have been identified. The most central position for an ARFFS station is within the south-eastern precinct (detailed in Section 9) in the west of the precinct, near current the DVOR. This land already belongs to AsA and would likely support the compliance with the required response time (identified in the master plan drawing, section 7). An alternative location is the eastern edge of the northern precinct. This location is reasonably central, however there may be restrictions for building height limits due to OLS. In addition, the site is not currently serviced by road, utilities, and services (identified in the master plan drawing, section 7). A third location may be within the terminal precinct, adjoining or near the control tower. The reason for this location would be to allow AsA to co-locate facilities, however the access to the runway is slightly impeded from this site due to the GA areas and the RPT apron and terminal facility.

16 In December 2016 the DIRD reviewed the ARFFS regulatory policy and recommended to increase the threshold from 350,000 to 500,000 RPT passengers to trigger a risk review, deciding if ARFFS is required or not. At the time of writing this Master Plan (beginning of 2018) the CASR Subpart 139.H (MOS) was not yet amended.

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Recommendation 22: ACC should regularly engage with AsA and remain aware of any planned service changes.

Recommendation 23: ACC should maintain air traffic control operations at ABX and safeguard tower line of site through land use planning controls and oversight.

Recommendation 24: It is likely that within the planning period for this Master Plan, ABX will trigger the AFFRS station requirements. To support this, two years prior to ABX reaching the trigger point, ACC should undertake an investigation for the ideal location options for the ARFFS station, AsA should be consulted in this process. In order to safeguard a preferred location for future development, TAG has nominated two locations, in the northern precinct and south eastern precinct, as potential sites (identified in Figure 24). Based on a high-level desktop review, the northern precinct site would be the preferred option.

Navigational and landing aids The positioning of the VOR and DME ground based navigational and landing aids may need to be rationalised to facilitate the development of prime airside facing land adjacent to the runway on the eastern side of the airport. The logical relocation site is south-east of the runway 25 threshold that will give the same level of navigational service but not quarantine land that is developable for aviation purposes. It should be noted that AsA has previously advised ACC that the VOR and DME would be redundant within 10 to 15 years. In order to minimise the effect of fog on operations and to enhance the reliability of morning flights in poor visibility, the following navigation aids have been considered during the master planning process for Albury Airport. • Barometric Vertical Navigation (Baro-VNAV) approach procedures provide lateral and vertical guidance for the final approach. The VNAV procedures are an overlay of standard RNAV procedures (based on GPS technology), with a vertical path provided by barometric (pressure altimeter) means. The DIRD has listed ABX as a priority location for the deployment of Baro-VNAV procedures, however, AsA has not yet been able to implement the approaches. At the time of writing, JETGO was the only airline operating at ABX which has the required avionic capability to use Baro-VNAV during an approach. The minima at ABX would be reduced by approximately 90ft if a Baro-VNAV was implemented. A limitation on the implementation of Baro-VNAV has been the existing offset RNAV procedures. AsA has committed to revising the RNAV's to accommodate a Baro-VNAV overlays. The cost of implementing Baro-VNAV is the design cost as the infrastructure (pressure and temperature sensors) already exists at ABX. • ILS – Instrument Landing System would reduce the minima for ABX to approximately 250-300ft above ground level (currently 500ft). A high-level estimate of the cost to implement an ILS is $1.2m. It is also important to acknowledge that ICAO has committed to phase out the ILS by 2025. This would result in a significant investment for the ILS which would be redundant within approximately eight years. • GBAS – Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS) is an augmentation system to minimise errors associated with GPS. With a ground installation uploading position correction, aircraft with the necessary avionics can fly precision approach guidance in three dimensions. Invariably, this allows much lower height and visibility minima, however cannot guarantee a successful landing, especially with fog. The estimated cost of a GBAS is approximately $1.2m, but that would provide approaches to both ends of the runway. The reduction in the minima if a GBAS was implemented would be the same as for ILS in the range of 250-300ft above ground level with current approvals. • SBAS – Space-Based Augmentation System is an alternative augmentation system for GPS. It uses geo-stationary satellites receiving ground control station corrections and re-transmitting correction signals to produce vertical guidance which is better than Baro-VNAV, but not at precision performance. The current systems cover the Northern hemisphere and Australia is not presently in a service volume. Although the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development has committed to launching a geo-stationary satellite, the time line is, as yet, unclear. The SBAS would not require any infrastructure cost outlay from ABX. The SBAS can use the instrument landing procedures and would only require the cost of designing the procedures for SBAS.

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Recommendation 25: ACC should continue to review the existing navigational aid infrastructure and future option(s) to limit regular disruptions to operations in addition to ongoing engagement with AsA.

Recommendation 26: The Baro-VNAV is not considered to be a required investment for ABX at the time of writing. The minima would be marginally reduced and AsA has a commitment to providing the Instrument Flight Procedures. Further, only one airline currently servicing ABX has the avionics to use the Baro-VNAV during an approach.

Recommendation 27: ILS is also not considered a viable option for ABX as the cost of a ground installation exceeds $1m and would require private funding. The significant outlay and the medium lifetime of the infrastructure is not conducive to investment in an ILS.

Recommendation 28: TAG recommends that ACC thoroughly evaluate the benefits and/or costs of the implementation of GBAS if considering investing in the system. The GBAS system may include benefits such as an ILS-like performance with multiple runways covered, and that the system use will increase into the future. Similar to the ILS, however, funding is a major consideration and doesn’t guarantee successful all-weather approaches.

Recommendation 29: TAG recommends that ACC engage a specialist consultant to produce three-dimensional modelling of the airport protection volumes for instrument procedures. Three-dimensional modelling of the airport protection volumes for instrument procedures would allow the Airport to manage the airspace necessary to protect current and future Instrument Flight Procedures. MOS Part 139, requires the Airport to include this information in the Airport Manual, however, the information supplied by AsA does not allow the Airport to determine the protection volume, or prepare the information in a form that could be provided for advice to planning authorities. A three- dimensional model allows for interactive and accurate investigation of whether a development would affect the Instrument Flight Procedures. This allows the airport to provide local government planning authorities sufficient information to prevent intrusions which may render future flight paths, mentioned above, impossible or less usable.

Recommendation 30: TAG also recommends that ACC does not invest in significant infrastructure for alterations of the current navigational and landing aids at ABX. The cost for implementation, lifespan of the technology, and actual impact on the minima for ABX does not make the investment worthwhile. ABX should maintain the current aids and prepare for the implementation of the SBAS. As noted above, the SBAS would not require any infrastructure cost outlay from ABX. The SBAS can use the instrument landing procedures and would only require the cost of designing the procedures for SBAS.

Airport lighting The cable of the taxiway lighting circuits is planned to be replaced in 2018. Later, the provision of a parallel taxiway and potential widening of taxiways will require the upgrading of the taxiway lights, MAGS and cabling. This lighting upgrade is likely to extend beyond the bounds of the pavement works and utilise conduits to ensure uniformity and stability of the taxiway lighting for the full extent of the taxiway. The provision of a low visibility instrument approach will also require enhancement of the lighting on the runway to a high intensity system including high intensity approach lighting (HIAL) on one end of the runway.

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It is envisaged that the runway edge lights will be replaced with LED equivalents in the next five years. As the edge lights are correctly located and elevated this replacement will be a relatively simple remove and install method. Recommendation 31: TAG recommends ACC upgrade taxiway lighting concurrently with complementary works to taxiways, i.e. widening or extensions, as per the implementation plan Section 11.

Recommendation 32: Within the next five years, the runway edge lights should be upgraded to LED, as outlined in the medium-term component of the implementation plan in section 11.

Ground transport The following drawing outlines the future considerations for ground transport for ABX to FY2032.

8.2.1 Access roads There is currently one access road into ABX. There is some congestion at the entry point during peak times. ACC is investigating the viability of constructing a roundabout at the intersection of Airport Drive and Riverina Highway to ease congestion and improve safety. Recommendation 33: ACC should maintain existing transport accessibility to ABX via Airport Drive.

Recommendation 34: ACC should plan to build the roundabout in the medium term (as outlined in the implementation plan) to improve accessibility to the airport site and reduce congestion during future peak periods.

8.2.2 Public transport In total seven taxi bays are available, which are not sufficient for peak times where up to 12 bays would be required. There are two shuttle bus bays available, which is not always sufficient, especially if luggage trailers are used. Recommendation 35: ACC should consider improving public transport accessibility to ABX and engage with public transport providers to evaluate potential services to and from the airport.

Recommendation 36: TAG recommends that ACC engage with both taxi providers and shuttle bus operators to understand operational needs both present and future. To reduce congestion, alternative waiting areas may be considered.

8.2.3 Rental car At ABX there are currently no rental car ready bays. Ready bays would ideally be located in close proximity to the terminal face. During the stakeholder engagement period, interest was shown by car rental companies currently operating at the airport, with indicative figures outlined as 10 to 15 bays for each rental car company. Ideally, ready bays would be introduced in small numbers to begin with and an increase in bays could be expanded in stages as demand from rental car companies increases. Recommendation 37: ACC should maintain an ongoing relationship with ABX rental car operators and remain aware of their future operational requirements.

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Recommendation 38: Engage with other rental car providers to ascertain demand for more providers.

Recommendation 39: TAG recommends that ACC undertake an investigation into the potential provision of rental car ready bays at ABX. This may be undertaken via market sounding, and/or an EOI process which is outlined as a stage in the short term of the implementation plan in section 11.

8.2.4 Car parking To ensure future demand for car parking is allowed for in the master planning period, a forecast of demand has been produced. In order to produce the forecast for the car park demand and occupancy thresholds, the following methodology has been adopted. • Current busy months identified within car park data provided (October 2016 and August to October 2017); • Monthly RPT passenger movement figure identified for current busy months; • Current busy months car park data correlated with current busy months passenger data to determine ratio of car park per passenger required; • Based on the high passenger forecast (as adopted for master planning purposes), forecast car park requirements; • Review the current available number of bays and based on forecast peak utilisation, identify when capacity is reached; • Thresholds for occupancy identified within the forecast busy month; • Find the number of bays required to accommodate the estimated peak until FY2031/32 (based on the passenger movement of the identified peak month); • Car park area requirement calculated, based on peak occupancy forecast in correlation with monthly PAX forecast. The following sections present the output of this methodology. This includes the high, central and low growth scenarios and indicates thresholds for when 80, 90 and 100% occupancy will be reached for each car park. It is estimated that 337 bays will be required in the general car park to accommodate the forecast peak demand in FY2031/32. As can be seen in the Figure 26 below, there are points in time where the high, central and low growth scenarios will reach varying levels of occupancy in the master planning period. The general car park is estimated to reach 80% occupancy (252 bays utilised) during the peak period occurring in the FY2021/22. Approximately three years later, 90% (283 bays) occupancy is estimated to be reached in FY2024/25. 100% (315 bays) occupancy during the peak period is estimated to be reached in FY2028/29.

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40,000

38,000 40,000 36,000 38,000 34,000 36,000 32,000 34,000 30,000 32,000 28,000 30,000 26,000 28,000 24,000 26,000

Number of monthly pax movements 22,000 24,000

Number of monthly pax movements 20,000 22,000

20,000

Financial year

100% peak capacity 90% peakFinancial capacity year 80% peak capacity High Pax Forecast Central Pax Forexast Low Pax Forecast 100% peak capacity 90% peak capacity 80% peak capacity High FigurePax Forecast 27: Secure car park demandCentral and Pax forecast Forexast and capacity thresholdsLow Pax Forecast

Figure 26: General car park demand forecast and capacity thresholds

Figure 27 below presents when the secure car park will reach its peak occupancy based on the high growth passenger forecast scenario. An estimated 108 bays will be required to accommodate the forecasted demand for the secure car park. Based on the methodology adopted, the estimated point in time when 80% of all bays (78 bays) are used during the peak period occurs in the FY2020/21. 90% (88 bays) occupancy is estimated to be reached in FY2023/24. 100% (98 bays) occupancy during the peak period is estimated in FY2027/28. In comparison to the general car park, 100% capacity is reached for the secure car park one year earlier. Table 24 below provides an overview about the current and estimated future peak demand for the two car parks at ABX. Table 24: Overview of current and forecasted peak demand

Current capacity Current peak demand (no. of Forecasted peak demand (no. Car park (no. of bays) bays / % of capacity) of bays) General 315 215 / 68% 337 Secure 98 67 / 68% 108

Car park summary It is estimated that the capacity of both car park products need to be increased to handle the forecasted car park peak demand based on the forecasted passenger growth for the next 15 years. The secure car park is

Albury City Council Albury Airport Final Draft Master Plan 2018 75 expected to reach the capacity at peak times in FY2027/28, followed one year later by the general car park in FY2028/29. ACC should investigate car parking expansion options in the medium term to identify the preferred means of expansion and ensure capacity is available based on forecast increase in passenger movements at the airport. The current location of the secure car park inherently limits expansion options available within the current layout. A potential expansion option would be to extend the roof and secure fencing to an area within the general car park in order to allow for forecast growth area requirements. Alternatively, ACC may consider not expanding the secure car parking area and retain the current area as a ‘unique’ car park offering. In order to moderate capacity, car park charges could be increased which would level out the supply and demand, reducing any need for expansion. To expand the car park in general there are two options. First, building a multi-level car park at the current location of the general car park. This option has the advantage of using valuable airport land very efficiently and not impacting any other area of the airport site. This option also allows for the development of additional car park products e.g. short and long term car parking, with minimal adjustment. Or second, to expand the car park to the current vacant lot on the west of the roundabout at the current entry in the corner of the Airport Drive. Expansion of the general car park in this location would have minimal impact on the current car park operations as it would rely on a separate access and entry and exit points. Construction could be completed with minimal impact on the ground transport flow of the airport and the site could be easily accessed off Airport Drive. Given the location of the site being further from the terminal for passengers to access, construction of a car park in this site lends itself to developing a ‘long-term’ car park product. Recommendation 40: TAG recommends that ACC investigate car parking expansion options to identify the preferred means of expansion and ensure capacity is available based on forecast increase in passenger movements at the airport. ABX may consider the options presented in this master plan, and the supplementary car parking study. This should be undertaken in the short term as outlined in the implementation plan (section 11).

Recommendation 41: ACC should investigate potential different car park products (e.g. short term and long term options). This should be done in conjunction with expansion plans, where possible.

Recommendation 42: TAG recommends that ACC reviews, together with the car park management provider, the standard reports from the system to review reporting methods and descriptions.

8.2.5 Ground transport summary Both car parks at ABX will require expansion within the period of this Master Plan. In addition, the ground transport layout and network at ABX will be impacted by a number of variables in the future, including the impact of ground transport disruptions such as uber and other ride share platforms. Further details relating to ground transport development options can be found in the supplementary car park study. Recommendation 43: ACC should improve signage around the ground transport areas of the airport and increase the wayfinding for pedestrians moving around the site.

Recommendation 44: ACC should remain aware of changes to ground transport being experienced at regional airports around Australia. ACC should proactively develop a strategy to create additional revenue streams from future ground transport changes or new services/product types.

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Recommendation 45: ACC should review the car park peak period calculations in conjunction with any passenger movement forecast review to ensure that forecast for usage remains accurate.

Commercial development

8.3.1 Commercial development opportunities The primary opportunities that exist on the airport site to develop aviation based commercial activities are linked to the availability of land for future development. In considering land required for future aviation operations and respective infrastructure requirements, a limited supply of on airport land superfluous to aviation use have been identified and outlined in the Land Use Plan. In addition, a significant proportion of the ABX site is occupied by existing leases. The land which remains available for commercial opportunities within the period of this Master Plan is primarily on the western side of the airport, in close proximity to ABXs general aviation facilities and Drome Street. There is additional potential commercial opportunity on the northern side of the runway in the airport site (parallel to Fallon Street). This Master Plan endeavours to identify potential commercial activities which could be accommodated at ABX to diversify revenue streams and increase revenue generation. Opportunities for commercial development on an airport site should be considered in conjunction with the regulatory framework. Opportunities for future commercial development include: • Hangars (for all aviation uses); • Solar farm(s); • Rental car ready bays at terminal face; • Flying schools with student or instructor accommodation; • Emergency services hub which may include a patient transfer facility, staff quarters and patient and staff amenities, storage facilities for equipment and product; dedicated fuel facility; • Alternative car parking product(s); • Additional aviation facilities and general aviation lease areas; and • Develop the limited land that is ancillary to aviation operation, which may accommodate: o Light industrial; and o Low density commercial. A specific opportunity may exist in the area of land bordering the south eastern edge of the airport site. The AsA land bordering the boundary of the airport site, adjacent to the eastern end of the runway could provide for a potential airport development site if acquired by ABX. This area is currently designated as stage three and four of the Airport Park Masterplan. Recommendation 46: ACC should continue to review their financial results and identify potential opportunities to strengthen results through aviation and non aviation businesses and varied revenue streams.

Recommendation 47: TAG recommends that future development at ABX aligns with the land use precinct guidelines (section 9), as they provide guidance to support consistency and cohesion across the airport site.

Recommendation 48: TAG recommends that before undertaking any future commercial development projects that the appropriate prefeasibility reviews or additional research is undertaken by the appropriate professionals. For example, the feasibility of a project will depend on the market and/or the leasing arrangements offered by ACC.

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Recommendation 49: ACC should identify areas unsuitable for aviation uses and/or without easy airside access and utilise for commercial development opportunities.

8.3.2 Influences on commercial development opportunities The current situation (Section 4) provides insight into the current situation at the airport, including an overview of the adjoining land uses zones. The following section provides more detail and outlines the impacts this context may have on the future of the airport site.

Airport site zoning The objectives and allowable development purposes of the ‘Infrastructure’ (SP2 Airport) zone as per the LEP, have been previously outlined in section 4.2.1. In summary, land uses and development on the airport site are permitted if the development is ancillary to the air transport facility, the site purposes which may be carried out with consent are also listed in section 4.2.1. Impact on airport site The current LEP limits potential to develop revenue generating non-aviation commercial uses, if they are not directly ancillary to the air transport facility use. Recommendation 50: To ensure that ACC remains flexible and able to respond to future markets and development requirements at ABX, some rezoning may be required to allow for non-aviation or ‘ancillary’ uses within some precincts in this Master Plan. TAG does not recommend ‘whole of precinct’ rezoning, but to focus on the areas identified in the concept layouts of each precinct which may be appropriate for non-aviation related uses (namely those identified as ‘commercial’ areas in the western and northern precincts).

Recommendation 51: ACC should ensure the zoning of the areas surrounding the airport safeguard the future development and aviation operations of the airport.

Tenure (off-airport) The current on airport commercial and aviation related activities are leasehold, whilst the land bordering the airport boundary is predominantly freehold. The adjoining Airport Park Estate has been subdivided and sold as freehold, with some lots having direct airside access. Impact on airport site The land surrounding the airport is generally compatible with aviation uses, however the airport site is constrained by the freehold nature of these uses which may impact or limit the expansion of airside infrastructure. Given the land is of freehold tenure ABX and ACC has little ongoing control over the activities and development on the site(s). This is particularly pertinent given that, for example, some of the freehold parcels of land within the Airport Park Estate have direct airside access. Further, the tenure of land surrounding the airport may be a constraint to future airport development as it can inhibit the expansion of the site, for example, any runway widening and resulting larger separation distances, without significant acquisition by ACC for those lots which are freehold. Recommendation 52: In general, TAG recommends that ACC retains ownership of any land adjoining the airport site which is currently owned by Council where possible. If land is sold as freehold, ACC may lose oversight and residual control of the activities and development of the sites adjacent to the airport. Accordingly, appropriate covenants should be registered on the title that endeavours to enforce airport usage obligations and compliance.

Leasehold provides ACC with the advantage of ACC having more control over the activities located on the airport site and a lease will provide an ongoing income stream for the period of the lease to ACC. If land is sold, strict controls should be implemented to ensure current and future airport operations are not impeded.

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Recommendation 53: TAG recommends that only leasehold tenure is offered within the airport site entirely. Freehold is not appropriate in the airport site.

Leases (on-airport) Leases are an integral source of revenue for an airport. At the time of writing, ABX has approximately 34 on- airport and terminal license leases consisting of an array of aviation and non-aviation activities. Impact on airport site The conditions, and particular the length, of a lease may be a hinderance on future development opportunities and locations of infrastructure. The tenancy schedule for ABX identifies that the lease length term for on airport tenancies may have an impact on the airport site and any further commercial development or opportunities to increase revenue. The on-airport tenancies have all been granted long-term leases with a similar end date (30/6/2035) regardless of the lease start date, with a 30-year renewal option. ABXs standard lease document stipulates that if a lease is granted with an option to renew that the lessor must be provided with the opportunity to do so. Thus, there is limited opportunity to rearrange the layout or configuration of the on-airport lease areas until at least 2065. In addition, the current leases enable removal of assets at the end of the lease term. Within the Master Plan planning period, existing leases have influenced the location of future development, additional lease opportunities, aviation infrastructure and commercial activities. Recommendation 54: TAG recommends that ACC offer various leasing models on and adjoining the airport. For example, a ground lease, which would provide ACC with flexibility for future uses of the area and the development of the airport in conjunction with the benefit of owning the infrastructure at the end of the lease term. Alternatively, a ground and building lease would offer greater opportunity to recover infrastructure investment.

Recommendation 55: TAG recommends that ACC review the standard lease documentation for the airport including lease timeframes and options. A review has the potential to provide ACC with greater influence on the airport site and its configuration and development in future. TAG recommends that ground lease terms within the terminal precinct are limited to five to ten year periods inclusive of options. Further, leases that are for businesses which are reliant on the throughput of the airport should have a turnover provision in the lease. Leases further from the terminal precinct should be considered dependent on the development as long as the use has no impact on airport operations of infrastructure. In general, lease terms should require that assets remain on the premise and become the property of ACC at the end of the lease term.

Recommendation 56: TAG recommends that terminal licenses should continue to be granted on a short-term basis as five year leases and limited to a five year option.

Route development The master planning process has incorporated a high-level review of route development. The outcomes of the review take note of the stakeholder engagement program and the review of relevant documentation and previous studies undertaken by ACC. It is an ongoing objective of ACC to improve the route network on offer to/from ABX, in addition to growing the passenger throughput. This section is intended to review the outcomes of previous studies and identify future potential route opportunities and/or target markets for ABX identified during the master planning process.

8.4.1 Previous studies Previous studies have been integral in providing ACC a greater understanding of the Albury Wodonga aviation market and passenger profiling. These studies include the Albury Aviation Strategy 2015, Albury Airport

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Marketing Strategy FY16-FY20 and the Albury Airport Business Plan 2016-2017. Previous studies have also brought attention to target cities, markets or destinations for route development opportunities, and at the back end of business case and route development or airline engagement strategy, new routes and destinations have been implemented.

Albury Aviation Strategy 2015 The ABX Aviation Strategy 2015 was an outcome from the comprehensive market research exercise undertaken by ACC in 2015 to better understand the drivers of aviation to the region and identify strategies to capture future demand. The strategy aimed to outline the current aviation market performance, challenges and opportunities as well as identify airline perceptions of ABX and passenger profiling. This study found that the passenger market is steady in terms of locals and visitors travelling, in addition to the breakdown of passengers making a point to point journey or connecting onwards. An overview of the passenger profile for ABX based on inbound and outbound travellers, can be seen in Table 25. Table 25: Passenger profile overview

Passenger type Inbound Outbound

Business 62% 53% Visiting Friends and 24% 26% Relatives (VFR) Leisure 11% 18%

The strategy identified Brisbane as the best new route opportunity, and the Gold Coast was ranked third in the overview of ultimate destination travelled. The strategy paved the way for the successful implementation of new routes to both Brisbane and the Gold Coast from Albury, with JETGO, services launched in 2016 and 2017 respectively. In addition to Brisbane and the Gold Coast, Townsville and Adelaide and Darwin were identified as ultimate destinations in the strategy. The strategy also highlighted that Canberra was a niche market opportunity for a small regional airline to operate, if the scheduling provided for day trips for travellers. At the time of writing (early 2018), flights to these destinations are still only available by connecting through other ports. Overall, the implementation of this strategy has had a positive influence on the Albury market and has been a driver of the growth and development of the ABX route network. Recommendation 57: The ABX Aviation Strategy should be reviewed and updated in FY20 to reflect an updated context based on market research activities as well as outlined the results of the existing Aviation Strategy. ACC should commence this process in FY19.

Albury Airport Marketing Strategy FY16-FY20 The production of the Albury Airport marketing strategy FY16-FY20 also stems from the market research exercise undertaken in 2015, as outlined above. The marketing strategy aims to activate this knowledge and develop a plan to communicate the airport and Council’s vision and objectives. The marketing strategy focuses on the delivery of passenger and business priority strategies, that were identified in the aviation strategy. The strategy highlights a number of key challenges to the future growth (passengers and network) of the airport, this includes the general decline in passenger numbers, passenger leakage of the outbound travel market, the number of available destinations and the reliability on connections and scheduling for passengers. The implementation of the marketing plan has had beneficial influences on the passenger market, route network and demand for services to/from ABX. It has increased public awareness of the airport and the available route network, provided locals with easy to access information regarding the airport via tools such as social media and the website, and focused on the delivery of key messages which target the existing market and aim to combat passenger leakage through the promotion of ABX.

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The marketing strategy outlined an action plan which included intense airline relationship building, the engagement of local businesses and the development of marketing tools to increase passenger loads, which has been undertaken. The action plan was likely influential in the implementation of the above new routes from JETGO into the ABX market. The future growth of the ABX route network and passenger numbers travelling to/from ABX will be supported by the ongoing management and implementation of the marketing strategy. Recommendation 58: The ABX Marketing Strategy should be revised and updated in 2020 to reflect the outcomes of the previous term and provide guidance for the next strategy period. ACC should commence this process in FY19.

Recommendation 59: ACC should continue to work in conjunction with Wodonga to continue the collaboration of the Albury Wodonga destination marketing teams to promote the airport through the dual brand. This strategy should also be considered for attracting businesses to locate within the region and further support regional business growth.

Albury Airport Business Plan 2016-2017 The Albury Airport Business Plan 2016-2017 highlights the airports strategic position to take advantage of the aviation market. The business plan outlines ACC’s aim to continue to work with the partner airlines, local business and regional tourism organisations to generate increased opportunities to ‘FlyAlbury’. The business plan takes into consideration the work undertaken in preparing the aviation strategy and marketing strategy. The purpose of the business plan aims to provide Council with recommended actions to arrest the continued decline of RPT passengers to the region; map out the opportunities and associated actions with the intention of building the market; and improve the market demand of ABX within its immediate catchment area and beyond. All of these goals are ongoing challenges experienced by ABX in the aviation market, which are highlighted in the two previous strategies discussed. The outcomes of the business plan include managing the ongoing relationship with airlines including the fees and charges strategy that RPT airlines are subject to. These are factors are a consideration for airlines when considering the implementation of a new service or route and as such, Council offers a rebate scheme for new services or increased passenger numbers to contribute to the viability of launching a new service. This encourages active participation in the Albury Airport marketplace. Recommendation 60: The ABX Business Plan should be updated on an annual basis. This may be undertaken during February and March in advance of the upcoming financial year and budget preparations and endeavour to ensure sustainability and sound financial results for the long term of ABX.

8.4.2 Stakeholder engagement The master planning process included a detailed stakeholder engagement program. This included one on one discussions with airlines operating to/from ABX in addition to a community survey.

Airline engagement TAG engaged with airlines operating to ABX in a workshop and one-on-one teleconference format. The broad outcomes from airline engagement relevant to routes and the regional aviation market, include: • The Albury aviation market is relatively steady, and the market seems to be served well with the existing airlines and routes; • Rapid significant amounts of growth not foreseen within the Albury market; • The airlines identified their passenger profile as predominately visiting friends and relatives (VFR), followed by business and leisure travellers; • Peak periods are more likely to be business passengers, with VFR and leisure travelling during the off-peak hours; • A significant percentage of passengers originating at ABX are connecting onwards. Popular onward destinations include:

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o Sydney (to connect with cruises and international flights); o Brisbane; o Gold Coast; o Perth; o Adelaide; and o Townsville. • International connectivity originating in Albury experienced by airlines is also strong.

Community engagement The online community survey featured an array of questions about the airport infrastructure, reasons for travel and discussion points for route development. It should be noted that the community survey was a relatively small sample (43 completed surveys).

An overview of the outcomes from community stakeholder engagement includes: • Predominant onward destinations include Adelaide, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast; • Adelaide and Canberra were ranked the highest as desired new direct destinations; • Majority of people surveyed agree or strongly agree that departing from ABX is their first preference; • The community wish for ABX to remain as a ‘regional’ airport; • Majority agree that ABX is very or extremely important to the local economy, community and the greater region; and • Overall, an expanded route network is desired for by the community, with the most desirable destinations including Adelaide and Canberra. Some interest was also noted for Cairns, Hobart and the Sunshine Coast.

8.4.3 Future opportunities Based on review of the existing strategies and engagement conducted as part of this Master Plan, there are two key opportunities identified for route development at ABX, which include destination (city pairs) development and airline engagement strategies.

Destination city pairs The city pairs which represent future opportunities for ABX, as identified in both previous studies and engagement which support the business, leisure and VFR travel markets, are: • Albury – Canberra; and • Albury – Adelaide.

Other opportunities for consideration, identified through the master plan engagement, are predominantly suited to leisure passengers and include: • Albury – Cairns; • Albury - Hobart; and • Albury – Sunshine Coast.

Airline engagement strategies Engaging directly with potential airlines rather than focusing on particular destinations should also be considered. Discussions may be centred around their route networks, and opportunities they may see in the ABX market. Discussions with existing airlines in the Albury market, and other airlines operating and focusing on servicing and linking regional destinations in New South Wales would be advisable. In addition, the triangulation of routes may also be considered as a strategy to promote future route development opportunities and could be considered as a discussion point when engaging with airlines. Triangulation of routes to include ABX or in addition to an existing route to/from ABX may make servicing an additional airport feasible for an airline. As an example, ABX already exists in a triangulation network by JETGO, whom operate Albury – Gold Coast – Rockhampton. This is advantageous as the central destination (Gold Coast) is a popular leisure market and destination for travellers from either direction and operates where a direct point to point service may not be as commercially viable.

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Recommendation 61: TAG recommends that ACC considers the positioning of the airport and continues to engage in discussions with airlines to discuss the possibility of new routes and/or additional services, to/from ABX on a regular basis to accommodate any changes in the market and or demand.

Recommendation 62: TAG recommends that prior to implementation of a route development strategy, a business case or prefeasibility study should be undertaken. This will provide detailed insight into the demand and market for a route opportunity, and justify the feasibility of the service, and the work required by ACC and the associated airline in order to implement the service, if it were to eventuate.

Recommendation 63: ACC should review the scale of leakage between ABX and MEL and consider the schedule and its appropriateness for the passenger profile. Further, ACC should investigate the potential additional services/providers on the route (if identified as a feasible route).

Recommendation 64: Maintain high levels of engagement and relationships with current RPT airlines to support current services and to ensure awareness of any changes to services planned, particularly through existing channels such as the AAUAC.

Recommendation 65: ACC should remain open to potential new airlines establishing new routes and/or services on existing routes, whilst monitoring the opportunities presented by slots at destination airports.

Recommendation 66: ACC should monitor the operational performance and data (e.g. load factor, on time performance) of RPT airlines and services and act proactively if required to ensure services are meeting the needs of the community and users.

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9 LAND USE PLAN The following describes the land use precinct guidelines developed for ABX as part of this Master Plan. All development within the airport site must abide by the relevant Local, State, and Federal regulations. As outlined in section 4.2, ABX is zoned within ‘Infrastructure’ (SP2 Airport). This allows for development that is ancillary to the air transport facility, including: a) passenger terminals; b) facilities for the receipt, forwarding or storage of freight; c) hangars for aircraft storage, maintenance and repair; and d) premises for retail, business, recreational, residential or industrial uses. Guidelines for land use have been developed independently from the LEP. Development which is not considered ancillary to airport use may require rezoning in order to comply with the LEP. TAG recommends that ‘whole of precinct’ rezoning does not occur, and rezoning should only be considered for development in areas defined as ‘commercial’ in this Land Use Plan, and the preceding Strategy Development Plan. All other uses should remain as compliant with current zoning regulations as ancillary airport uses. This Master Plan establishes six key precincts for the future development of ABX (see Figure 28 following). 1. Airside precinct 2. Terminal precinct 3. Northern precinct 4. Western precinct 5. South-eastern precinct Any buildings should be designed in a way which complements the passenger terminal. The relevant professional advice and designs must be received to ensure feasibility, and development must comply with ACC planning regulations. In addition, the building design in the precincts must consider the OLS contour restrictions imposed by Runway 07/25 and the line of sight from the air traffic control tower. The ERSA for ABX states that the highest runway end elevation at ABX is 539ft (164.287m). For the purposes of this section, this is the assumed building site ground level for the entire airport site. The building height restriction is the difference between the OLS contour height and the building site ground level. The following Table 26 shows the building heights permitted within the OLS contours of ABX which must be considered in any development. Table 26: OLS building height restrictions

OLS contour (m) Building site ground level (m) Building height restriction (m)

165 164.287 0.713

175 164.287 10.713

185 164.287 20.713

195 164.287 30.713

207 164.287 42.713

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Figure 28: ABX Master Plan Land Use Precincts

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Land use precinct guidelines A land use precinct plan supported by precinct specific concept layout designs and descriptions is presented following.

9.1.1 Airside precinct Development and uses within the airside precinct are solely dedicated to the provision and protection of aircraft operations at ABX. Only development and infrastructure integral to the efficient and safe operation of aircraft will be permissible in this precinct. This includes any alterations to runway, taxiways, or apron layouts. Ancillary uses to aircraft operations should also be permissible within this precinct, such as hangars and ground services support facilities. Non-aviation related uses should not be permissible within this precinct.

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Figure 29: ABX Airside precinct conceptual layout

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9.1.2 Terminal precinct The intent of this precinct is to service the passenger terminal as effectively as possible, while allowing for concurrent supporting or ancillary uses of the precinct. Areas within this precinct may either have airside access or be located further from the Airside precinct. Development should reflect the location of the site accordingly. Aviation-related activities which may require airside access and be located within the Terminal precinct include GA uses and ground service equipment support services. Land uses which do not need direct airside access may include: • Car parking; • Rental car facilities; • Ground transport; • Car wash; • Fuel service station; • Airport operation offices; • Aviation related training facility; • Airport cafés and retail; • Areas for expansion of the passenger terminal; and • Hotels and short-term accommodation. Any development within this precinct should consider potential terminal expansion area (west of existing terminal) so as to not impinge any future expansion requirements. Figure 30 depicts a conceptual layout of the terminal precinct, incorporating existing development. Existing lease areas are also presented as these leases will continue beyond the period of this Master Plan. The layout also depicts an indicative inclusion of the roundabout at the Airport Drive and Riverina Highway intersection which is planned by ACC and potential expansion zone along the Riverina Highway easement if land is deemed surplus to future road transport requirements. A future terminal expansion area to the west is indicated in hatched white. As outlined previously, the baggage make-up and freight processing facilities in the ABX terminal require some expansion and/or realignment. Expansion to the west would allow for this with minimal impact on other operational areas of the airport. This expansion would require the relocation of the staff car park, currently located next to the terminal. The general and secure car parking areas will also require future expansion, likely within the period of this Master Plan. For the general car park, there are two options for this expansion, a multi-level car park within the existing car park area, or an at grade car park expansion in the Multi Use Zone B. The expansion of the secure car park would need to be considered in conjunction with the general car park, however likely would remain within the current secure and general car park footprint. Multi-Use Zone A could be used for several uses outlined in the list above, however, this area is likely to be used for expansion of the Local Emergency Operations Centre.

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Figure 30: Terminal precinct conceptual layout

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9.1.3 Northern precinct The northern precinct provides opportunity for both aviation and non-aviation related commercial development. It is the intent of the precinct to accommodate general aviation hangars as well as businesses that wish to be located at the airport without the need for airside access. Land uses within this precinct may include: • Rental car storage areas; • Offices for both airport and non-airport-related businesses; • Aviation related business (e.g. aviation maintenance); • General warehousing and freight; • Commercial development; and • Light industry. A conceptual layout for the northern precinct is shown in Figure 31 following. Building setbacks resulting from the OLS do not take into consideration the exact ground level and should be considered as indicative only. Any development in this area must further investigate and comply with actual OLS height restrictions. The required apron for GA hangars could be accessed via a taxiway from the western end of the runway. Five Code B and two Code C hangars are depicted in the layout for illustrative purposes. There are also areas for commercial and car park incorporated in the layout for this precinct. Due to the OLS, higher buildings are required to be on the north side of the precinct towards Fallon Street. It should be noted that the development of this precinct may require the relocation of the wind sock. Access to the northern precinct has been indicated to utilise the existing entry off Fallon Street with a road reserve. The conceptual layout presented allows for development of GA uses and commercial uses to occur independently, given the separation of the uses by road. Development of this precinct would be subject to market demand of GA hangars and office and commercial land in ABX. This layout allows ACC with flexibility in how to respond to demand independently for both uses. Recommendation 67: ACC should provide opportunities for the expansion of GA users and operators within this precinct and the western precinct.

Recommendation 68: ABX should improve direct engagement with GA users to understand their needs, as well as communicating ACCs future aspirations for GA at the airport with existing tenants.

Recommendation 69: GA development and lease terms (for all precincts with GA uses in them) should be based on a feasibility study analysis.

Recommendation 70: ACC should support the development of existing flying schools and endeavour to attract new schools. This may be done by collating a database of existing flying schools. ACC should engage with flying schools to discuss needs and an understanding of timings for potential expansion.

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Figure 31: ABX Northern precinct conceptual layout

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9.1.4 Western precinct The western precinct provides ABX with the most potential for expansion. The intent of this precinct is to allow for aviation related development, in particular for business or activity which require access to the runway, taxiway, and apron system. Land uses which may be accommodated in this precinct include: • Emergency services operations (e.g. aerial firefighting, air ambulance operations); • General aviation hangars (private or business); • Helipads; • Aviation related business (e.g. aviation maintenance); • Freight and related warehousing; and • Apron areas for parking of large charter and military aircraft The illustration of the western precinct (Figure 32) presents a conceptual layout for development. Two small commercial areas are indicated in the western precinct. ACC should only allow aviation related commercial development in these zones. Access to the western precinct has been depicted via (future) bridge access with continuation of North Street. Alternatively, access is illustrated with a new road access which extends from Lockheed Drive in the south of the airport site. Prior to confirming preferred road alignment and construction, ACC should engage a transport engineer to establish feasibility of these access roads. The potential future users of the western precinct and their vehicle access requirements will impact this. As outlined previously in the Master Plan, the expansion of the RPT apron parking bays will require the relocation of the aero-medical apron. The aero-medical apron is depicted in the north western corner of the western precinct layout. This apron would ideally have access directly to RWY 07 by utilising the future extension of TWY A. A patient transfer facility is located adjoining this apron with landside/airside access for medical personnel. This facility will ensure protection from the elements for both medical personnel and patients and privacy when transferring to/from ambulances to aero-medical aircraft. Adjoining the aero-medical apron, a multiuse apron has been illustrated in the layout. This apron may be used for more significant GA, charter or military aircraft operations, as well as emergency services and aero-medical providers. This apron area has been designed in a manner to accommodate regular use of the firefighting aircraft currently operating seasonally out of ABX, including the use of LATs, helicopters, and smaller firefighting aircraft. Adjoining this apron is a multiuse facility, which could be used for supporting facilities which require landside access. This may include area for provision of support services for firefighting services and personnel, such as fire-retardant tanks, fuelling facilities, and offices, bathroom facilities, and short-term accommodation for personnel. An area for further GA expansion is allocated within the southern end of the western precinct. An indicative layout for Code B hangars is present. This area should be developed in two separate stages after all lots in the airside precinct are exhausted. The concept layout also depicts potential car parking areas for users of the western precinct. The development of the western precinct would require relocation of the BOM weather station which should be considered prior to any development. The selection of an alternative site for the BOM should be done in conjunction with The Bureau of Meteorology. Usually, this would be free from any major hazards (i.e. a flood or bush fire zone) and any major obstructions that may impair the collection of suitable weather information data. Recommendation 71: ACC should maintain regular communication with seasonal aerial firefighting provider(s) and both Victorian and New South Wales state emergency providers.

Recommendation 72: ACC should investigate the possibility of a permanent aerial firefighting base at ABX and understand the operational needs for such a facility through a benchmarking analysis of other facilities around Australia.

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Recommendation 73: ACC may also consider the opportunity to develop a multi-use area for emergency services (aerial firefighting and aeromedical operations) within the western precinct. If this were to eventuate, this should incorporate some facilities (e.g. toilets) for uses by operators and an all weather patient transfer facility. Prior to implementation, engagement should be undertaken with aero-medical and other emergency operators.

Recommendation 74: ACC should investigate the opportunity for an aeromedical provider to utilise ABX as a base and what infrastructure are required to support operations. Further, ACC should consider marketing the importance of ABX and the Albury-Wodonga region for aeromedical operations and should support operators through fundraising campaigns.

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Figure 32: ABX Western precinct conceptual layout

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9.1.5 South-eastern precinct The south-eastern precinct incorporates land currently outside the airport boundary. The land is owned by ACC and AsA. The majority of the land in this precinct is part of the Airport Park Masterplan and will support the final stage of its development. Feasibility investigations are currently underway to explore development of the land not impacted by the DVOR. This could result in the creation of a number of parcels with direct airside access that would be available to the market. This area is ideally located for aviation related uses such as GA commercial and aviation-related business and should be protected for such uses. Non-aviation related development in this area should be controlled to ensure compliance with airport operating requirements. Utilisation of this land for aviation related activities should be encouraged and supported in any marketing of the precinct for development. Accessibility to this precinct is provide by the development of a new Code B Taxiway, which has access on to TWY C (future). The Code B Taxiway is present in two stages. Depending on negotiations with AsA for relocation of the DVOR, in addition to the market demand for development each area of this precinct, this taxiway would provide access to the runway without impeding the use and efficiency of operations of TWY C for larger aircraft. The Code B taxiway presented is limited to aircraft with a 20m wing span due to the taxiway strip requirements being constrained by the location of the airside boundary and existing development adjoining the airport. Any buildings developed in this precinct must comply with regulatory setback requirements. Figure 33 illustrates a conceptual layout for the development of the precinct. The concept layout also provides for staging of the development in two stages, providing ACC with flexibility regarding the development of this precinct. Further, the layout also depicts the apron and taxiway access requirements for Code B aircraft. Before the development of this entire precinct can be completed, the existing windsock and DVOR would need to be relocated (dependent on approval from AsA).

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Figure 33: ABX South-eastern precinct conceptual layout

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10 AIRPORT SAFEGUARDING PLAN

National airports safeguarding framework The National Airports Safeguarding Framework provides guidance on planning requirements for development that affects aviation operations. This includes building activity around airports that might penetrate operational airspace and/or affect navigational procedures for aircraft. The Framework was developed by the National Airports Safeguarding Advisory Group, which includes representatives from Commonwealth Infrastructure and Defence departments and aviation agencies; state and territory planning and transport departments, and the Australian Local Government Association. The Framework applies at all airports in Australia and affects planning and development around airports, including development activity that might penetrate operational airspace and/or affect navigational procedures for aircraft. The Australian Government recognises that responsibility for land use planning rests primarily with state, territory and local governments, but that a national approach can assist in improving planning outcomes on and near airports and under flight paths. The aim of the Framework is to: • Improve safety outcomes by ensuring aviation safety requirements are recognised in land use planning decisions; • Improve community amenity by minimising noise sensitive developments near airports, including through the use of additional noise metrics; and • Improve aircraft noise-disclosure mechanisms. The Framework is intended to provide guidance to state, local and territory governments which can in turn be used to guide assessment and approvals for land use and development on and around identified airports. The Framework consists of: • Principles for National Airports Safeguarding Framework; • Guideline A: Managing Aircraft Noise; • Guideline B: Managing Building-Generated Windshear; • Guideline C: Managing Wildlife Strike Risk; • Guideline D: Managing Wind Turbine Risk to Aircraft; • Guideline E: Managing Pilot Lighting Distraction; and • Guideline F: Managing Protected Airspace Intrusion.

As the Framework applies to all airports in Australia, it is critical that it is considered when planning for and operating ABX.

Airspace protection surfaces International standards have been adopted which define two sets of invisible surfaces above the ground around an airport. The airspace above these surfaces forms the airport's protected airspace. These two surfaces are the: • Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS); and • Procedures for Air Navigational Services—Aircraft Operations (PANS-OPS) surface. The Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development describes the two surfaces as: • The OLS as generally the lowest surface and is designed to provide protection for aircraft flying into or out of the airport when the pilot is flying by sight; and • The PANS-OPS surface is generally above the OLS and is designed to safeguard an aircraft from collision with obstacles when the aircraft's flight may be guided solely by instruments, in conditions of poor visibility.

10.2.1 Obstacle limitation surfaces (OLS) OLS are a number of reference geometric surfaces in airspace that determine when an object may become an obstacle to aircraft manoeuvring in flight in the vicinity of an Airport during circling, approach, or departure. They define protection requirements for the initial and final stages of a flight. During these manoeuvres visibility must

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be good enough for the pilot to see and maintain visual reference to the Airport and take responsibility for obstacle avoidance and separation from other aircraft. The objective of OLS is to define a volume of airspace in proximity to an Airport which should ideally be kept free of obstacles that may endanger aircraft in visual operations or during the visual stages of an instrument flight. Even so, the intention is not to restrict or prohibit all obstacles but to ensure that either existing or potential obstacles are examined for their effect on aircraft operations and that their presence is properly taken into account. As the OLS are pertinent to visual operations (both day and night) it may be sufficient to ensure that the obstacle is conspicuous to pilots, and this may simply require that it be marked and/or lit. Of course each new obstacle will in some way restrict the freedom of aircraft operations and inevitably contribute to flight path congestion and delays. If an obstacle is located in the approach and take-off areas pilots will need to make adjustments to their normal take-off and landing to guarantee obstacle clearance. This may mean using less than the full runway length operationally available and may result in significant operational penalties such as fewer passengers, or less cargo, less fuel, or other operational restrictions. The most stringent requirements apply on the extended centre line of a runway in the approach and take-off areas. Depending on the type of aircraft able to use the runway, the approach and take-off surfaces may extend 15km from the runway strip end with the edge boundaries diverging wider with distance from the runway end. At either side of the runway strip and the approach surface are two OLS components called the transitional surfaces. These are intended to protect an aircraft which encounters severe cross winds during the final phase of the approach to land and may then drift sideways as the pilot decides to ‘go around’ for another attempt (missed approach). There are two, or in some cases three, other surfaces which provide obstacle protection for aircraft circling to land – the inner horizontal surface, the conical surface and/or the outer horizontal surface. Depending on aircraft size and the type of activities catered for by the Airport, their combined effect may extend up to 15km radius of the Airport. Obstacles in the vicinity of an Airport, whether they be natural or constructed may seriously limit the scope of the Airport’s operations. Most people appreciate that tall structures and Airports are basically incompatible, but they tend to consider only the immediate approach and take-off areas and of structures that are a short distance away. While this is of primary concern, it is equally true that objects up to 56km from the Airport and apparently unrelated to the runway alignment can affect aircraft approaching or departing an Airport, particularly in poor weather conditions or in instances of ‘One Engine Inoperative’ (engine failure) departures or arrivals. The OLS, in conjunction with the PANS-OPS surfaces are used to define these airspace requirements and to assess the significance of an existing or proposed object.

10.2.2 PANS-OPS The PANS-OPS surfaces are based on criteria released by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in a document named “Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Aircraft Operations” Volume II (document 8168 – PANS-OPS). Aircraft flight paths are accommodated within those unpenetrated surfaces to clear obstacles by a safe margin. All Airports which have a scheduled or regular passenger service or those which allow for “all- weather” operations MUST have such flight paths (procedures). Aircraft not only fly in fine weather conditions, but also in weather which limits the pilot’s ability to see obstacles or the Airport. In these conditions the pilot must rely on instruments in the cockpit to provide navigation. This is called Instrument Flight and there are rules (IFR) which mandate aircraft operations. Instrument Flight Procedures (IFP) are defined flight paths which guarantee the safety of aircraft operating without visual reference, and these are developed per the Airport by AsA in accordance with the criteria in PANS-OPS. The surfaces created to this standard offer aircraft a minimum clearance from obstacles based on statistics, weather records and aircraft performance characteristics. For larger ports, departure procedures are created to safeguard all weather departures and to facilitate Air Traffic Control information services. Large aircraft (greater than 5700kg) must also have a safe departure path in the case of an engine failure of the critical engine after take-off. Approach procedure paths guide a landing aircraft to align with the landing runway and generally position the aircraft at a height, orientation and velocity from which the pilot can make a safe visual landing, or, if unsuccessful, will allow the pilot to go around climb to a safe height to consider the next option.

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Manoeuvring to align with the runway can commence as far as 56km away from the runway and forms a horizontal plane which surrounds the Airport at a safe height. Through that surface, individual surfaces descending to the runway or climbing from the runway form channels of safe heights in 3D. Where flight paths cross, the lowest individual surface is ‘critical’ and will ‘cut’ through other surfaces. With many flight paths the resulting surface will be very complex. The modelling of such surfaces can either be as individual surfaces, which are then easier to interpret, or a combined critical surface model, which has complex interactions modelled as a series of contours and intersecting planes. The latter version, although more difficult to comprehend, allows for determination of a single critical height at any particular location. The PANS-OPS surfaces protect aircraft in all-weather operations and specifically when the ambient conditions do not allow the pilot to see the runway or manoeuvre to avoid obstacles. Because of this limitation, no intrusion is acceptable to the PANS-OPS surfaces under any condition. For certain instrument flight procedures, the Visual Segment Surface (VSS) forms part of the airspace defined through the PANS-OPS. Where pilots are using an instrument flight procedure to perform an instrument approach to a runway with an aligned procedure, the VSS is an additional segment of airspace that needs to be kept clear of obstacles.

OLS and PANS-OPS at Albury Airport The OLS, PANS-OPS, and VSS must be considered when developing at the airport. They will each restrict any development nearby to the airport, particularly development located in close proximity to the runways or taxiways. The level of restriction depends on the proximity and elevation of the site relative to the OLS contours, and the PANS-OPS and VSS surfaces. Spatial planning with regard to these airspace protection surfaces is regulated through the Manual of Standards (MOS) Part 139 – Aerodromes, regulated by the Civil Aviation and Safety Authority. The Advisory Circular 139-21 provides information on VSS requirements. An indicative guide to the OLS contours and how they impact height restrictions at ABX is presented earlier, in section 9. Recommendation 75: The OLS should be reviewed regularly and incorporated into the DCP to ensure that it adequately protects the airport and is a consideration for ACC when considering development surrounding the airport.

10.2.3 Hazardous lighting The source of light emissions near the Airport is a potential source of concern to safe aircraft operations for two main reasons. Firstly, if bright lights, such as floodlights, emit too much light above the horizontal plane, there is the possibility that a pilot can be dazzled and momentarily be unable to read the flight deck instruments or recognise the runway light. Secondly, lights might create a pattern that looks similar to approach or runway lighting and this might cause confusion for a pilot unfamiliar with the Airport. Street lighting, security lighting and illuminated sports grounds are examples that require special consideration. The problem can often be corrected by providing suitable screening or shielding of each light source. CASA has powers to impose requirements on developers of a controlled activity (artificial lighting) to deal with lights that could be considered to cause confusion, distraction or glare to pilots and potentially endanger safe aircraft operations by prevention of clear reception of instruments and air navigation lights. It is preferable if the lighting design can take account of these issues in advance, rather than requiring modification or the extinguishment of the light source after installation is complete. ABX planning schemes should recognise the potential hazard of inappropriate lighting by specifying appropriate performance standards for lighting installations in proximity to Airports. Developers/designers will need to take advice upon the zones of restricted lighting at ABX in accordance with the guidelines issued by CASA - Lighting in the Vicinity of Aerodromes - Advice to Designers.

Safety areas As described earlier in section 6.7, there are two key safety areas which must be considered when safeguarding the airport – the Runway End Safety Area (RESA), and the Public Safety Zone (PSZ). These are described below.

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10.3.1 Public Safety Areas (PSZ) To protect the public from the risk of an incident of an aircraft undershooting or overshooting a runway, many national authorities define an area beyond the runway end in order to enhance the protection of people and property on the ground beyond the end of a runway. These areas are provided to prevent congregation of people in areas which might subject them to increased risk of death or injury in the event of an aircraft incident. These areas are also referred to as Public Safety Zones (PSZ). Currently there is no national regulation requiring the provision of PSZs in Australia and it is acknowledged that PSZ are not currently mandated within NSW legislation however they are included within the context of this report for the purpose of future proofing the airport given the increased acknowledgement of PSZ at airports across Australia, including the recent amendments to Queensland State Planning Policies to mandate them. In Queensland SPP, a PSAs are referred to as Public Safety Areas and form the shape of an isosceles trapezoid 1000m x 350m closest to the runway end, tapering to a width of 250m furthest from the runway (see Figure 34). The area lies lies beneath the approach or take-off path where the aircraft is closest to the ground at the end of the runway.

Figure 34: QLD Government PSA Recommendation 76: It is acknowledged that PSZ are not currently regulated within NSW and therefore not mandated for consideration at ABX, however TAG recommends that ACC remain cognisant of any developments in the legislation with regard to the required implementation of these zones.

10.3.2 Runway End Safety Area (RESA) MOS 139, Chapter 7, describes the requirements for Runway End Safety Areas (RESA) within Australia. RESA must be provided at the end of a runway strip, to protect the aircraft in the event of undershooting or overrunning the runway, unless the runway‘s code number is 1 or 2 and it is not an instrument runway. Previous Australian standard allows RESA to be measured from the end of the runway. RESA standards in this Section are in compliance with the current ICAO standards, including measuring RESA from the end of the runway strip. The new RESA standard shall apply to all new runways and existing runways when it is lengthened. Operators of existing Code 4 runways used by air transport jet aircraft conducting international operations must make provision to comply with the new RESA standards within five years of the promulgation of CASR Part 139. Where it is not practicable to provide the full length of RESA, the provision may include an engineering solution to achieve the objective of RESA, which is to enhance aircraft deceleration. In the latter case, aerodrome operators will need to liaise with the relevant CASA office.

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The minimum length of the RESA must be 90m where the associated runway is suitable for aircraft with a code number 3 or 4 and is used by air transport jet aircraft. In other cases, the minimum RESA length must be 60m. The width of a RESA must not be less than twice the width of the associated runway. The current RESA at ABX is 150m x 90m at both ends of the runway and falls entirely within the airport site. Recommendation 77: The current RESA in place at ABX should be maintained in future.

Aircraft noise

10.4.1 The ANEF System The most common method of determining the noise impact aircraft operations have on areas surrounding an airport is to prepare noise exposure forecasts using the computer-based simulation model developed by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – the Integrated Noise Model (INM). The INM is used to calculate noise metrics utilised by most national authorities in land use planning adjacent to airports. The INM calculates the noise exposure “footprint” based on an analysis of aircraft traffic movements, flight track geometry, runway utilisation data and assumptions on typical current and future aircraft models and fleet mix.

10.4.2 Australian Noise Exposure Forecast An Australian Noise Exposure Forecast (ANEF) is a contour map showing the forecast of aircraft noise levels that are expected to exist around an airport in the future. The ANEF computation is based on forecasts of traffic movements on an average day. Allocations of the forecast movements to runways and flight paths are on an average basis and take into account the existing and forecast air traffic control procedures at the Airport which nominate preferred runways and preferred flight paths for noise abatement purposes. The following factors of aircraft noise are taken into account in calculating the ANEF: • The intensity, duration, tonal content and spectrum of audible frequencies of the noise of aircraft takeoffs, landings and reverse thrust after landing (the noise generated on the Airport from ground running of aircraft engines or taxiing movements is not included for practical reasons); • The forecast frequency of aircraft types and movements on the various flight paths; • The average daily distribution of aircraft takeoffs and landing movements in both daytime (7am to 7pm) and night time (7pm to 7am) hours; and • The topography of the area surrounding the Airport.

10.4.3 Calculation of the ANEF The ANEF system combines noise level and frequency of operations to calculate the average noise level at any point along and to the side of the flight path using the following reasonably simple mathematical procedure. Partial ANEFs are calculated for the frequency of number of night-time and day-time operations of each aircraft type and flight path. These calculations use a value of Effective Perceived Noise Level (EPNL) for each aircraft and takes into account all known annoying aspects in the temporal, frequency spectrum and spatial domain. The EPNL level is obtained by the algebraic addition of the maximum perceived noise level at any instant corrected by noise tonal and duration factors. The EPNL unit is also used for the international certification of new aircraft. These Partial ANEF values are computed for each significant type of noise intrusion. The total ANEF at any point on the ground around the Airport is composed of all individual noise exposures (summed logarithmically) produced by each aircraft type operating on each path over the period of one day. These calculated values do not take account of any background noise levels from road or rail activities.

10.4.4 Noise threshold levels The effects of noise can range from minor to very serious depending on the noise level, its duration and the subject’s sensitivity. Noise, by definition being unwanted sound, elicits a wide range of individual responses in the vicinity of Airports and the reasons for the differences between individuals are largely socially-based and complex to quantify. Research has indicated however, that, unlike an individual’s reaction, community response to noise impact issues is more predictable.

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In the area outside the 20 ANEF contour it is generally accepted that noise exposure is not of significant concern, although there will be some individual exceptions. Within the area between the 20 to 25 ANEF contour, levels of noise are generally accepted to emerge as an environmental problem, and within the 25 ANEF contour the noise exposure becomes progressively more severe. Table 11.1 compares land use to acceptable ANEF contour levels. It should be noted that the actual location of the 20 ANEF contour is difficult to accurately define. This is because variations in actual flight paths, pilot’s operating techniques, meteorological conditions and topography, all have a largely unpredictable effect on the position of the 20 ANEF contour for any given day. Recommendations relating to land use within the ANEF contours are contained in Australian Standard AS2021- 2015. These recommendations are summarised in Table 27, below. This is a summary only; airport operators should consult the Australian Standard for full details of the land use recommendations, and associated notes and conditions. Table 27: ANEF site zoning acceptability

ANEF Zone of Site Building type Acceptable Conditionally Acceptable Unacceptable Accommodation activity (except short–term accommodation, Less than 20 ANEF 20–25 ANEF 25–40 ANEF rooming accommodation), residential care facility

Short-term accommodation, Less than 25 ANEF 25–30 ANEF 30–40 ANEF hotel, rooming accommodation

Educational establishment, child Less than 20 ANEF 20–25 ANEF 25–40 ANEF care centre Hospital, health care service Less than 20 ANEF 20–25 ANEF 25–40 ANEF Community use, places of Less than 20 ANEF 20–30 ANEF 30–40 ANEF worship Office Less than 25 ANEF 25–35 ANEF 35–40 ANEF Light industrial Less than 30 ANEF 30-40 ANEF Greater than 40 Other industrial Acceptable in all ANEF zones

Notes: 1. The actual location of the 20 ANEF contour is difficult to define accurately, mainly because of variation in aircraft flight paths. Because of this, the procedure of Clause 2.3.2 in AS2021 – 2000 may be followed for building sites outside but near to the 20 ANEF contour. 2. Within 20 ANEF to 25 ANEF, some people may find that the land is not compatible with residential or educational uses. Land use authorities may consider that the incorporation of noise control features in the construction of residences or schools is appropriate. There will be cases where a building of a particular type will contain spaces used for activities which would generally be found in a different type of building (e.g. an office in an industrial building). In these cases, Table 27 (above) should be used to determine site acceptability, but internal design noise levels within the specific spaces should be determined by Table 3.3 in AS2021– 2015. This Standard does not recommend development in unacceptable areas. However, where the relevant planning authority determines that any development may be necessary within existing built-up areas designated as unacceptable, it is recommended that such development should achieve the required ANR determined according to Clause 3.2 in AS2021 – 2015. For residences, schools etc., the effect of aircraft noise on outdoor areas associated with the building should be considered.

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In some instances, building applications may be approved in higher noise level areas but require noise mitigation through acoustic materials. This would be on a case by case basis at the discretion of the ACC. In no case should new development take place in greenfield sites deemed unacceptable because such development may impact Airport operations.

10.4.5 Communication of aircraft noise The ANEF system which is based on the Australian Standard AS2021:2015, Acoustics – Aircraft noise intrusion – Building siting and construction is used to describe the description of aircraft noise around an airport within Australia. However, it is also widely recognised that the ANEF system is not easily translated as to how individuals are affected by and react to aircraft noise around an airport when subject to aircraft over flights and the loudness of each event. This is due to the way the ANEF combines the effects of loudness and duration of each noise event when calculating the resultant ANEF contours, especially when these contours which are used when planning identify land use around an airport. Sound levels are identified using a non-linear decibel scale which, when there is a change of between 1 dB(A) and 2 dB(A) in sound level, is usually difficult for most people to detect; whilst a 3 dB(A) to 5 dB(A) change can usually be noticed. In addition, when there is a noise level changes of 10 dB(A) it corresponds to an approximate doubling or halving in noise power or loudness of the source. As we live in an environment where there are different sources that generate noise it is pertinent to understand the differences in sound levels that may be experienced within and outside of a building. These noise levels are shown in Table 28, below. Table 28: Typical noise levels

Activity Typical Noise Level dB(a)

Quiet room 30 Rainfall 50 Conversation at 2m 60 Washing machine 65-70 Inside car, windows closed, 50km/h 67-73 Main road 70 Vacuum cleaner 85-90 Very loud rock music 120

10.4.6 Preparation of noise above contours When these noise levels are compared to that generated by various aircraft types, noise levels of 60 dB(A) and 70 dB(A) are used as a means of identifying areas that may be impacted by aircraft around an airport. Based on this, the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development (formerly the Department of Transport and Regional Services) developed the Transparent Noise Information Package (TNIP), which uses an INM study prepared for an ANEF as a means of identifying the noise impact that may be experienced by people working or residing in areas around an airport. TNIP prepares a set of contours that are described as ‘Number above’, or ‘N’, contours which illustrate the average number of events per day louder than a selected sound level. In the majority of cases, noise levels of 60 dB(A) and 70 dB(A) are used, which are shown on charts as N60 and N70 contours. The 60 dB(A) noise level is generally accepted as intrusive inside certain living areas and the of 70 dB(A) noise level as intrusive within a house with the windows open and at which conversation is disturbed. N60s and N70s contours are used to assist people and communities to better understand the impacts of aircraft noise by providing the estimated number of noise events and loudness of these events that they may experience during an average day.

10.4.7 Aircraft noise at Albury Airport

ANEF assessment at Albury Airport

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The ANEF reflects the noise contours which are considered significant under the AS2021-2000 (the 20,25,30, and 35 ANEF). A review of the forecasted contours identified the following impacts of the ANEF noise contours: • Only the 20 ANEF contours extend past the majority of airports boundary but does not overlay any residential areas; • The 25 ANEF contour is mainly retained within the airport boundary with the exception of a small area to the south-east and south-west which are believed to be mainly over non-residential areas. • The 30, 35 and 40 ANEF contours are entirely retained within the airport boundary. This review also identified the area that the 25 ANEF contour extends past the south-western portion of the airports boundary can be associated with arrivals and departures to the main helipad and the western grass helipad. It identified the area that the 25 ANEF contour extends past the south-eastern portion of the airports boundary can be associated with arrivals and departures eastern grass helipad. The assessment of the FY2031/32 ANEF has also noted the ACC is proposing the development of a large residential area to the north-east and east of the airport that lays below the flight paths of aircraft arriving and departing this airport, but not necessarily below any of the ANEF contours. The ANEF contour chart for Albury Airport can be found in Appendix A: Albury Airport ANEF contours.

‘Noise Above’ contours at Albury Airport The preparation of the FY2031/32 ANEF also included the production of N60 and N70 ‘Number above’ noise contours. These contours provide an indication of the average daily number of aircraft noise events around the airport that exceed 60 dB(A) and 70dB(A). The N60 plot show that there are residential areas to the north, north-west, west and south-west of the YMAY airport which may experience between 5 and 25 aircraft overflights per day that exceed 60 dB(A) respectively and the 20 N60 contour is mainly contained within the airports boundary and where it extends past this boundary it does not overlay any residential area. The N70 plots show that there are residential areas to the north, north-west, west and south-west of the YMAY airport which may experience between 5 and 15 aircraft overflights per day that exceed 70 dB(A) and the 20 N70 contour is contained within the airports boundary. A comparison of the N60 and N70 contours with the area proposed by the residential development indicates some of the areas may be impacted by between 5 and greater than 25 flights per day by aircraft that exceeding 60 dB(A) and between 5 and 20 flights per day that exceed 70 dB(A). The Noise Above contour charts for Albury Airport can be found in Appendix B: Albury Airport N60 Noise Above contours and Appendix C: Albury Airport N70 Noise Above contours Recommendation 78: The ANEF for ABX should be endorsed by AsA and be incorporated into local planning instruments (LEP and DCP) and be used as a tool for awareness with the community.

Recommendation 79: ACC should ensure that future residential development in close proximity to ABX is protected by the ANEF contours which have been endorsed by AsA.

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11 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN The aim of this implementation plan is to give the ABX management a tool to assist in the planning and development process. Key milestones are based on timeline or trigger points. The implementation plan is based on a proposed initial implementation strategy and should be used as a guide only. ABX should remain flexible with future development options and opportunities and the capacity to respond to market drivers and changes in air traffic movements as required.

Short term

Short term (0 – 2 years)

General • Annually review actual passenger movements against forecast figures. • Develop standardised car park reports to allow for accurate understanding of utilisation peak numbers. • Identify areas which require rezoning within the precincts to allow for uses outlined in section 9.1. • Undertake feasibility analysis of the Airport Park Industrial Precinct – Stage 3 (adjoining the south east precinct). • Monitor the update of MOS Part 139 with a view to make any required changes in line with MOS 139. • Update of the ABX Aviation Strategy. • Update the ABX Marketing Strategy. • ACC should review the scale of leakage between ABX and MEL and consider the schedule and its appropriateness for the passenger profile. • Develop and implement marketing strategy for GA and commercial tenants for the entire airport site.

Airside precinct • Re-shape and strengthen TWY A and E. • Completion of cost benefit analysis to determine if TWY C extension to be done as single project • Reconstruct and upgrade TWY C to a Code C taxiway. While doing so replace taxiway lights, MAGS and cabling. • Conduct a detailed investigation into the benefits of GBAS. • Replace taxiway lighting circuits (TWY A, B, and E). • Test the market for potential GA tenants for the last remaining hangar area at the southern GA apron.

Terminal precinct • Investigate car parking expansion options (i.e. multi-level or at-grade) and make decision on strategy for expansion. • Identify strategy for the differentiation of car park products. • Sound out the market for rental car ready bays within the general car park in front of the terminal by preparing an EOI. • If EOI identifies market potential, prepare rental car ready bays for construction within the current general car park layout. • Engage taxi and shuttle bus providers to ascertain their future car parking requirements. • Identify preferred tenancies for the multi-use zone (see section 1.1.1). • Expansion (design and construct) of the emergency operations centre.

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Northern precinct • N/A

Western precinct • Seek engagement and potential demand for multi-use emergency services hub in the north of the precinct. • Approach NSW and VIC Government for emergency services funding to contribute to the development of the precinct. • Prepare RFT for the construction design of preferred road access to western precinct, including investigating the potential bridge access. • Probe the market for potential GA tenants.

South-eastern precinct • Liaise with AsA with a view to acquiring their land. • Liaise with Asa on the ongoing need for a DVOR, and if required long term identify suitable location to relocate. • Probe the market for potential GA tenants.

Medium term

Medium term (2 – 10 years)

General • Annually review actual passenger movements against forecast figures • Produce new passenger and aircraft movement forecast (every five years). • For potential route development develop a prefeasibility study followed by a complete route development strategy. • Review and update (as required) marketing strategy for GA and commercial tenants for the entire airport site. • Complete passenger research study to determine changes to passenger demographic in comparison to Aviation strategy research completed in 2015. • Engage with AsA to develop concept and site identification for ARFFS facility (based on threshold 350,000 RPT passengers).

Airside precinct • Expand RPT apron depending on future scheduled peak periods (four additional aircraft a week forecast from FY2021/22). Only one additional aircraft in the peak period would trigger the requirement for apron expansion. • Relocate aero-medical apron if RPT apron gets expanded. Relocation of the aero-medical apron would result in the requirement for TWY A to be extended to RWY 07, and for the BOM site to be relocated. • Reconstruct pavement surface of northeast GA apron. • Replacement of runway edge lights with LED equivalents. • Strengthening of runway with an overlay may be required if B717 (or similar) begins operations (forecast FY2024/25). Runway centreline lights to be installed at the same time. • If the B717 does not begin operations, a runway enrichment spray will be required nonetheless (2028). • Overlay RPT apron to restore shape and retain the water seal. • Re-shape and strengthen TWY B.

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Terminal precinct • Construct rental car ready bays based on strategy developed in previous stage. • Within this period, the secure car park is estimated to reach 80% peak occupancy (FY2020/22). • Within this period, the general car park is estimated to reach 80% peak occupancy (FY2021/22). • Prepare RFT for the design of the car park based on selected expansion option (identified in section 8.2.4). • Based on the expansion option selected and design produced, prepare RFT for car park construction. • Approach Department of Roads and Maritime to determine potential for acquiring surplus land near airport entrance along Riverina highway. • Based on passenger throughput in this period, review the terminal functional areas for any expansion requirements or alterations, e.g. bag drop and check in kiosks. • Expand the terminal to the west to increase the freight processing area and baggage make-up area and relocate the staff car park. • Construct roundabout at the intersection of Airport Drive and Riverina Highway.

Northern precinct • Sound out the market for potential commercial tenants for this precinct. This includes consideration of infrastructure and servicing costs and possible partial rezoning.

Western precinct • Prepare land in western precinct (groundworks and site preparation). • If interest from emergency service providers is identified, prepare RFT for the construction design of the multi-use apron. • If interest from emergency service providers is identified, prepare the land for construction of supporting infrastructure e.g. patient transfer facility and car parks. • Prepare RFT for the construction design of the aero-medical apron relocation. • Construct an aero-medical apron on the western edge of the multi-use apron. • Depending on the decision for access (e.g. road or bridge), construct road for access into western precinct. • Depending on the decision for access (e.g. road or bridge), build bridge from North Street to the western precinct to facilitate access to the northern end of site. • Relocation of the BOM weather station. • Probe the market for potential commercial tenants for this precinct which includes consideration of partial rezoning. • Probe the market for potential GA tenants for this precinct. • If market identified, construct road access and prepare land with services and utilities to complete Stage 1. • Develop precinct as develop ready for proposed commercial, car parking, multi-use facility, and patient transfer facility areas.

South-eastern precinct • Probe the market for potential tenants in this precinct. This includes a prefeasibility study, which should evaluate the costs of acquiring the land from AsA and potential relocation costs for the VOR, DME and the windsock. • Dependent on outcome of negotiations, acquire land from AsA and details of arrangements for DVOR relocation. • Depending on market interest in precinct development, construct Stage 1 of the Code B Taxiway in this precinct. • Dependant on AsA Negotiations for land acquisition, prepare design of Stage 2 of this precinct depending market demand.

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• Depending on market interest in precinct development, construct Stage 2 of the Code B Taxiway in this precinct.

Long term

Long term (10+ years)

General • Annually review actual passenger movements against forecast figures. • Produce new passenger and aircraft movement forecast (every five years). • For potential route development develop a prefeasibility study followed by a complete route development strategy. • Review and update (as required) marketing strategy for GA and commercial tenants for the entire airport site.

Airside precinct • Expand the parallel TWY C to the full length of the runway (RWY 25). • Complete runway overlay (if not already completed in the medium term as outlined).

Terminal precinct • Review the terminal layout to identify potential for realignment in areas which may need expansion, such as the adjustment of the departures area and arrival hall. • Evaluate requirement for additional security checkpoint area and any operational efficiencies. • Identify preferred tenancies for the multi-use zone (if not utilised for at-grade car park) (see section 9.1.1).

Northern precinct • Probe the market for potential GA tenants for this precinct. • If interest, construct apron, taxiway, and hangar sites, including road for accessibility. • If no interest from GA market, consider other commercial development options.

Western precinct • Investigate the feasibility of conducting Stage 2 of GA hangars.

South-eastern precinct • Within this period, the VOR and DME may become redundant. • Sound the market for potential tenants in this precinct. • If interest is identified and costs are viable, acquire land from AsA for the development of Stage 2 of the south-eastern precinct.

In addition to the above implementation timeframes and guidance, there are several broad policy strategies and regular annual tasks which this master plan recommends ACC undertake.

Policy strategy suggestions • ACC should limit investment in aircraft hangars; • There should be at least one available site for hangarage at all times; and • Lots should be only be provided for leasehold not for freehold.

Albury City Council Albury Airport Final Draft Master Plan 2018 111

Annual Tasks • Continuous engagement with airlines about additional services to/from ABX • Review actual passenger and aircraft movements against forecast. If variation is +-15% a reforecast is recommended; • Review and update key documentation such as the ABX Business Plan on an annual/ongoing basis; and • Monitor ground transport development (e.g. uber) and its potential impact on the use of parking and ground transport access.

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12 COSTING ESTIMATES The following tables outline the cost estimates for key infrastructure upgrades outlined in the about implementation plan. The cost estimate for each component includes allowances for contingency, staging/security, preliminaries, margins, locality index, professional design fees, as well as authorities fees and owners cost. Cost estimates do not include escalation. It should be noted that there are cost efficiencies that can be gained when completing projects in one project, as opposed to staged approach. The major benefit to doing one contract, to doing staged over a period of time is the Effect of Cost Escalation (at about 4% pa compounded) plus any Managing Contractor efficiencies on programme and supervision for one contract compared to smaller compartments. These are difficult to measure in a high-level cost estimate as presented below but should be considered for each of the components of construction/works to allow for efficiencies to be gained where possible.

Short term

Short term (0 – 2 years)

Airside precinct Cost estimate

Reshape and strengthen TWY A and E (assume 60-80mm overlay) $814,949 Reconstruct and upgrade current TWY C to Code C to current taxiway access point (inc. lighting, MAGS and cabling). Area calculated as per Figure $3,823,170 29. Pavement grades adopted from Drawing B11378-A-210 and B11378-A- 212 produced by Rehbein

TWY B and E lighting circuits $77,182

Terminal precinct Cost estimate

Land made developer ready for proposed emergency operations centre $182,100 expansion zone including stop go men

Short term subtotal $4,897,401

Medium term

Medium term (2 – 10 years)

Airside precinct Cost estimate

Expand RPT Apron 6A $277,116

Expand RPT Apron 6B and overlay existing bitumen and replace edge lighting $938,401 with LED equivalents

Reconstruct surface of northeast GA apron (assume 60-80mm overlay) $753,870

Overlay of RPT apron (inc expanded area from Short Term) $2,608,744

Strengthening of runway with an overlay (assume 80mm) (If B717 (or similar) $5,719,223 begin operations)

Albury City Council Albury Airport Final Draft Master Plan 2018 113

Reshape and strengthen TWY B $1,043,496

Terminal precinct Cost estimate

Land made developer ready for new staff car park including stop go men $421,508

Construction of roundabout at Airport Drive and Riverina Highway including clearing, bulkfill (.25m min), bitumen and subbases, kerbs, linemarking, $1,948,393 landscaping, and signage

Western precinct Cost estimate

Groundworks and site preparation (whole precinct) $2,703,132

Construction of Aero-medical apron $3,238,872

Extension of TWY C to join aero-medical apron and runway end (areas as per $889,701 staging presented in Figure 29)

Construction of multi-use apron $11,985,472

Construction of bridge access to Western Precinct $2,161,110

Construction of road which includes clearing, box out, subbase, bitumen, kerbs $2,904,683 including subsoil drainage, linemarking, signage, and services

Relocate BOM weather station $38,591

Stage 1 Hangar development which includes groundworks and site prep, $2,790,704 service to each hangar, and construction of Code B Apron Land made developer ready for proposed commercial, car parking, multi-use $639,117 facility, and patient transfer facility areas

South eastern precinct Cost estimate

Construct taxiway for Code B aircraft (Stage 1 area as per Figure 29) $3,123,031

Construct taxiway for Code B aircraft (Stage 2 area as per Figure 29) $1,652,241

Medium term subtotal $45,837,405

Long term

Long term (10+ years)

Airside precinct Cost estimate Extension of TWY C to runway end (as per staging presented in Figure 29). Pavement grades adopted from Drawing B11378-A-210 and B11378-A-212 $2,796,148 produced by Rehbein Terminal precinct Cost estimate

Albury City Council Albury Airport Final Draft Master Plan 2018 114

Land made developer ready for proposed Multi-Use Zone includes stop go $309,776 men

Northern precinct Cost estimate

Groundworks and site preparation $1,337,449

Services provided to each hangar $621,319

Construction of Code B taxiway and apron $5,245,463

Construction of road which includes box out, sub base, bitumen; kerbs, $413,939 including subsoil drainage, linemarking, signage, and services

Western precinct Cost estimate

Stage 2 Hangar development inc groundworks and site prep, service to each $2,461,957 hangar, and construction of Code B Apron

Long term subtotal $13,186,051

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Albury City Council Albury Airport Final Draft Master Plan 2018 116

13 APPENDICES Appendix A: Albury Airport ANEF contours Appendix B: Albury Airport N60 Noise Above contours Appendix C: Albury Airport N70 Noise Above contours

Albury City Council Albury Airport Final Draft Master Plan 2018 117 APPENDIX A - ANEF REPORT

Appendix A: Albury Airport ANEF contours

Albury City Council Albury Airport Final Draft Master Plan 2018 118

Appendix B: Albury Airport N60 Noise Above contours The N60 plot show that there are residential areas to the north, north-west, west and south-west of the YMAY airport which may experience between 5 and 25 aircraft overflights per day that exceed 60 dB(A) respectively and the 20 N60 contour is mainly contained within the airports boundary and where it extends past this boundary it does not overlay any residential area.

Albury City Council Albury Airport Final Draft Master Plan 2018 119

Appendix C: Albury Airport N70 Noise Above contours The N70 plots show that there are residential areas to the north, north-west, west and south-west of the YMAY airport which may experience between 5 and 15 aircraft overflights per day that exceed 70 dB(A) and the 20 N70 contour is contained within the airports boundary.

Albury City Council Albury Airport Final Draft Master Plan 2018 120 APPENDIX B - AIR TRAFFIC REPORT

Air Traffic Prospects for Albury Airport

Report for AlburyCity

January 2018

Contents

1. Overview and Forecasts ...... 1

1.1 Approach to Forecasts ...... 1

1.2 TFI Forecasts ...... 1

2. Passenger Segmentation & Performance...... 3

2.1 Albury in the Domestic Australian Airport Context...... 3

2.2 Albury in the Sydney/NSW Regional Context ...... 4

2.3 Albury Traffic Performance ...... 6

2.4 Albury Airline Schedules ...... 7

2.5 Traffic Mix ...... 8

2.6 Visitors to Albury/Wodonga ...... 9

2.7 General Aviation ...... 10

3. General Business Environment ...... 11

3.1 Australian and State Economic Outlook ...... 11

3.2 Exchange Rates...... 12

3.3 Oil Prices ...... 13

3.4 Australian and State Population Projections ...... 14

4. Aviation Environment ...... 17

4.1 Travel Costs and Airfares ...... 17

4.2 Fleet Developments ...... 17

Abbreviations and Disclaimer ...... 21

Report Title

1. Overview and Forecasts

Tourism Futures International (TFI) has prepared traffic forecasts for Albury Airport (AA) for the period from FY18 through to FY32. The forecasts were prepared in the period October/November 2017 based on data and economic forecasts available in mid-2017.

1.1 Approach to Forecasts

The approach adopted by TFI is based on a number of elements:

 A review of the traffic history available for domestic and international passenger traffic for Australia and Australian airports. Traffic activity data has been obtained from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) and AlburyCity.

 Analysis of the aviation and business environment and current airline schedules.

 The use of the models TFI has developed over the past 25 years for forecasting Australian airport growth. The main influences on domestic growth are Australian GDP, State GSP or a local indicator for regional airports, airline capacity and airfares. Results from aggregate and market based models are compared before finalising results.

The forecasts generated here are to be used for Master Planning. As the Master Plan is primarily a land use document where staging is not the primary focus, TFI considers it essential to review the outlook periodically as part of specific investment decisions.

1.2 TFI Forecasts

The forecasts for AA are provided in Tables 1.1 and 1.2 along with the forecast growth rates. TFI has used a number of drivers to construct these forecasts:

 Population in NSW and Victoria and the AA catchment.

 Economic growth in the States of NSW and Victoria and an estimate of income and employment growth in the AA catchment.

 Travel costs, fares and exchange rates.

Table 1.1 shows that passenger movements are forecast to grow from 262,545 in FY17 to between 322,000 and 411,000 by FY32. Forecast compound annual growth ranges between 1.4% and 3.0% over the 15-year forecast period. Passenger numbers declined over the period FY09 to FY17 – this decline is examined further in Section 2. It is important to note that TFI has prepared these forecasts in an environment characterised by weak growth in Australian incomes and consumption and the trend for the airlines to delay net additions to their aircraft fleets. This means the risks in the medium-term are largely on the downside.

Table 1.1: Passenger Movements, Actuals FY12 to FY17, Forecasts FY18 to FY32

Year-end Passenger Movements June Central (‘000) 5-year CAGR High (‘000) 5-year CAGR Low (‘000) 5-year CAGR

2012 280 2017 263 -1.3% 263 263 2022 288 1.9% 323 4.2% 276 1.0% 2027 319 2.0% 365 2.5% 299 1.6% 2032 351 1.9% 411 2.4% 322 1.5%

Note: CAGR=Compound Annual Growth Rate. Source: AA actual to FY17, TFI forecasts to FY32.

TFI Report: Air Traffic Prospects for Albury Airport, January 2018 1

Table 1.2: Aircraft Movements, Actuals FY12 to FY17, Forecasts FY18 to FY32 RPT Movements GA Movements Year-end Central 5-year High 5-year Low 5-year 5-year June ‘000 (‘000) CAGR (‘000) CAGR (‘000) CAGR CAGR 2012 9.0 21.5 2017 8.4 -1.4% 8.4 8.4 32.7 8.8% 2022 8.9 1.1% 9.9 3.4% 8.5 0.3% 35.3 1.5% 2027 9.4 1.2% 10.8 1.6% 8.9 0.9% 38.3 1.7% 2032 10.0 1.2% 11.7 1.7% 9.2 0.8% 41.5 1.6%

Note: CAGR=Compound Annual Growth Rate. Source: AA actual to FY17, TFI forecasts to FY32.

Figure 1.1: Albury Passenger Movements (Pax) Actual FY09 to FY17, Central, High and Low Forecasts FY18 to FY32

Source: AA actual to FY17, TFI forecasts to FY32

Key economic projections underlying the airport traffic forecasts are presented in Table 1.3. For the High forecasts TFI has also assumed that an additional route (served with a Q400/ATR aircraft) builds up to 4 services per week over FY20 through FY22.

Table 1.3: Key Economic & Demographic Assumptions Average Growth Over Catchment Incomes Fares USD Period Population

Actuals - 2012 to 2017 0.5% 0.9% -1.1% -5.9% Forecasts - 2017 to 2022 1.1% 1.3% 0.0% -0.4% 2022 to 2027 0.9% 1.2% -0.4% 0.0% 2027 to 2032 0.9% 1.2% -0.3% 0.0% Source: TFI based on economic forecasters, NSW Government

TFI Report: Air Traffic Prospects for Albury Airport, January 2018 2

2. Passenger Segmentation & Performance

2.1 Albury in the Domestic Australian Airport Context

When domestic and regional passengers are considered, Albury ranks as Australia’s 28th largest airport. Table 2.1 shows the Top 30 airports and their domestic passenger numbers in FY17. Also shown in Table 2.1 are the Compound Annual Growth Rates (CAGRs) for the five-year periods, to FY12 and to FY17. Based on BITRE data, passenger numbers at Albury Airport grew by a CAGR of 5.9% during the five years to FY12, from 212,000 to 283,000, but declined by a CAGR of -1.8% during the following five years to 257,00 during FY17.

Table 2.1: Top 30 Australian Airports for Domestic and Regional Passengers, FY17 CAGR Rank Airport Pax ('000s)(a) Share of Pax FY07 to FY12 FY12 to FY17

1 SYDNEY 27,041 23.0% 2.8% 2.4% 2 MELBOURNE 24,928 21.2% 3.7% 3.2% 3 BRISBANE 17,053 14.5% 3.9% 0.8% 4 PERTH 8,030 6.8% 8.1% -1.2% 5 ADELAIDE 7,048 6.0% 2.0% 2.2% 6 GOLD COAST 5,352 4.5% 5.1% 3.1% 7 CAIRNS 4,250 3.6% 2.4% 4.3% 8 CANBERRA 2,932 2.5% 3.3% -1.5% 9 HOBART 2,441 2.1% 2.2% 6.1% 10 DARWIN 1,809 1.5% 5.9% 1.4% 11 TOWNSVILLE 1,489 1.3% 4.9% -1.7% 12 LAUNCESTON 1,335 1.1% 2.6% 3.4% 13 NEWCASTLE 1,214 1.0% 4.5% 0.3% 14 SUNSHINE COAST 1,048 0.9% -2.1% 5.8% 15 MACKAY 751 0.6% 8.7% -7.8% 16 ALICE SPRINGS 617 0.5% -1.6% 1.4% 17 ROCKHAMPTON 566 0.5% 3.3% -5.5% 18 HAMILTON ISLAND 497 0.4% -0.6% 1.8% 19 BALLINA 496 0.4% 0.1% 8.7% 20 KARRATHA 464 0.4% 20.8% -10.3% 21 COFFS HARBOUR 403 0.3% 0.8% 3.7% 22 AYERS ROCK 365 0.3% -4.8% 4.0% 23 BROOME 364 0.3% 3.3% -2.1% 24 PORT HEDLAND 353 0.3% 24.5% -5.7% 25 PROSERPINE 353 0.3% -3.4% 10.4% 26 GLADSTONE 303 0.3% 13.5% -3.1% 27 NEWMAN 294 0.2% 21.3% -0.5% 28 ALBURY 257/263(b) 0.2% 5.9% -1.8% 29 KALGOORLIE 244 0.2% 4.6% -1.6% 30 PORT MACQUARIE 226 0.2% 14.0% 0.1% TOP 30 112,523 95.6% 3.8% 1.8% AUSTRALIA TOTAL 117,729 100.0% 3.8% 1.7% Notes: (a) Based on Domestic and Regional Passengers as per the BITRE source (b) BITRE reports 257,498 passenger movements compared with 262,545 movements reported by Albury Airport and as shown in Table 1.1. Source: TFI based on BITRE.

TFI Report: Air Traffic Prospects for Albury Airport, January 2018 3

Albury-Sydney ranked as Australia’s 43rd largest domestic competitive route during FY17 with 224,400 passenger movements, up 1.2% on FY16 (BITRE data). The number of available seats grew by 1.8% over the same period, resulting in a small decline in the passenger load factor, from 65.2% in FY16 to 64.9% in FY17.

2.2 Albury in the Sydney/NSW Regional Context

Figure 2.1 shows the rolling annual sum of passenger numbers on intrastate domestic routes to/from Sydney for the period from 1997 to the September quarter of 2016 (latest data available). The figure also shows the number of ports connected to Sydney via regular air services.

The trend has been for modest growth and a lower number of routes. In 1997 there were 42 routes connecting regional NSW to Sydney. Following the collapse of Ansett this number had fallen to around 32 routes. By the September quarter 2016 the number of NSW regional routes to Sydney had fallen to 25; only 9 of these routes are competitive.

Figure 2.1: Passengers on Intrastate Domestic Routes to/From Sydney and Number of Operating Routes Rolling Annual Quarters 1997 to September Quarter 2016

Source: TFI based on Transport for NSW data

Transport for NSW regulates low volume intrastate air routes linked to Sydney Airport, designated as those which have fewer than 50,000 passengers annually. These routes are licensed on a one route-one licence policy for a five-year period, with the current licence term expiring in March 2018.

There are currently eight interstate regulated air routes and 18 deregulated routes. The routes between Sydney Airport and each of the following localities are now classified as deregulated - Albury, Armidale, Ballina, Cobar, Coffs Harbour, Cooma, Dubbo, Griffith, Lismore, Merimbula, Moruya, Mudgee, Narrabri, Newcastle (Williamtown), Orange, Port Macquarie, Tamworth and Wagga Wagga. The NSW Government has indicated that a further seven routes are under consideration for deregulation - Bathurst, Broken Hill, Grafton, Moree, Narrandera, Parkes and Taree.

TFI Report: Air Traffic Prospects for Albury Airport, January 2018 4

Table 2.2 provides the estimated number of regional passengers by route to/from Sydney Airport for the twelve months ended September 2015 and 2016 (latest data available). The table also shows operators as at June 2017.

Albury-Sydney is the third largest of Sydney’s regional routes, accounting for 10.2% of Sydney’s regional passenger numbers during the twelve months to September 2016. Albury’s passenger growth amounted 2.9% over the 12-month period, but recorded a CAGR of -1.4% over the five- year period.

Over the past five years, of the deregulated routes with services available during 2016 growth has been strongest to Ballina (CAGR of 6.9%); of the regulated routes growth has been strongest to Moree (CAGR of 4.2%).

Table 2.2: Regional Passengers by Route, Twelve Months to September 2015 and 2016 and Operators on Routes as at June 2017

Regional Pax (000s) Annual Operator on Route 2016 5-Year Route SYD: To/From Percent as at June 2017 Share CAGR 12 mths to 12 mths to Change Sep-15 Sep-16 Deregulated Routes - Ballina Jetstar, Rex, Virgin 350 376 7.2% 17.1% 6.9% Coffs Harbour Qantas, Virgin, Tigerair 333 338 1.5% 15.4% 2.0% Albury Qantas, Rex, Virgin 218 224 2.9% 10.2% -1.4% Wagga Wagga Qantas, Rex 183 189 3.5% 8.6% 0.6% Port Macquarie Qantas, Virgin 185 187 1.4% 8.5% -1.7% Dubbo Qantas, Rex 183 181 -0.7% 8.3% 1.3% Tamworth (a) Qantas, Virgin 154 169 9.9% 7.7% 4.9% Armidale (b) Qantas, Rex 123 129 4.4% 5.9% 4.3% Griffith Rex 62 63 2.6% 2.9% 0.9% Orange Rex 49 50 3.2% 2.3% -3.7% Lismore Rex 24 22 -8.5% 1.0% -14.7% Newcastle (c) Rex, FlyPelican 16 19 15.7% 0.9% -7.4% Mudgee (d) FlyPelican 3 10 0.4% -1.2% Cooma (e) Rex 0 7 0.3% 2.9% Cobar (f) Rex 0 4 0.2% -10.0% Sum Deregulated 1,883 1,969 4.6% 89.7% 2.0% Regulated Routes - Merimbula Rex 35 35 0.8% 1.6% 0.3% Moree Qantas 34 34 0.3% 1.5% 4.2% Lord Howe Island Qantas 27 28 2.9% 1.3% 1.6% Parkes Rex 26 28 5.7% 1.3% -3.1% Broken Hill Rex 22 21 -4.9% 1.0% -4.7% Bathurst Rex 18 20 16.1% 0.9% -5.6% Moruya Rex 18 18 0.9% 0.8% -1.0% Grafton Rex 14 16 14.4% 0.7% -1.6% Narrandera Rex 12 13 8.2% 0.6% 1.6% Taree Rex 14 13 -7.1% 0.6% -6.2% Sum Regulated 220 227 3.0% 10.3% -3.2% Total 2,103 2,196 4.4% 100.0% 1.0% Notes: (a) Virgin Australia commenced May-15. (b) Rex commenced March 2014. (c) FlyPelican commenced Jun-15. (d) Deregulated May- 15; FlyPelican commenced Jun-15, first Mudgee services since 2013. (e) Deregulated Jun-15; Rex commenced year round services in Mar- 16, first services since Sep-13. (f) Deregulated Aug-15; Rex commenced Aug-15 (via Dubbo), first Cobar services since Dec-13. CAGR=Compound Annual Growth Rate. Source: TFI based on Transport for NSW data.

TFI Report: Air Traffic Prospects for Albury Airport, January 2018 5

2.3 Albury Traffic Performance

Figure 2.2 shows the levels of total passenger movements at Albury Airport throughout the period from FY95 to FY17. Domestic passenger numbers showed resilience in the period following the Ansett collapse and up to FY09:

 Qantas boosted regional services in 2001, including new Albury-Sydney services, with the acquisition of 36-seat Dash 8-200s (Q200s). In 2004 new 50-seater Q300s replaced the older aircraft. During 2008 new 72-seat Dash 8-400s (Q400s) replaced the Q300s on some services; from August 2014 all 50-seat Q300 services were to be upgraded to a 74-seat Q400 aircraft. QantasLink currently uses a combination of 50-seat Q300s and 74-seat Q400s on its services to Sydney, with Q200s used occasionally.  In March 2002 Regional Express (Rex) commenced services to Sydney and Melbourne, routes operated since the mid-1990s by Kendell Airlines (and which had ceased following the collapse of Kendell parent company, Ansett Australia). Rex utilises 34-seat Saab 340s on its services to Sydney and Melbourne.

 Brindabella Airlines operated a service to Canberra from May 2003 using 9-seat Piper Chieftans. 18-seat Metroliner III aircraft were introduced onto the route from 2005. In March 2012 services were reduced from 12 weekly to daily, and were cancelled altogether in June 2012. The airline went into receivership at the end of 2013.

 Virgin Australia (as Virgin Blue) commenced 78-seat Embraer 170 jet services to Sydney in February 2008 (in competition with QantasLink and Rex). Virgin’s larger E190 jets were introduced onto the route during 2011 (104 seats when introduced and later 98 seats with business class). In August the following year 68-seat ATR72 turboprops were placed on the route.

 Jetgo commenced 37-seat Embraer 135LR services to Brisbane in June 2016 and to Rockhampton via the Gold Coast in June 2017. Brisbane services are currently operated by a mix of Embraer Regional Jets with 44-seats and 50-seats; Gold Coast services are operated by 44-seat Embraers. The decline in passenger numbers over the period since FY09 follows the withdrawal of the larger E190s by Virgin Australia, the slowing of the Australian economy and the general tightening of capacity by the two major domestic airline groups Qantas and Virgin Australia.

Figure 2.2 also shows for the competitive Albury-Sydney route, the average number of arriving flights per day and the average number of seats per flight. Note that the larger the aircraft type the more seats available at discounted levels. Thus, when the Virgin Australia jets were replaced, the average number of seats per movement fell and the proportion of discounted seats would have been reduced.

TFI Report: Air Traffic Prospects for Albury Airport, January 2018 6

Figure 2.2: Total Domestic Passenger Movements at Albury Airport, FY95 to FY17

Source: TFI based on BITRE.

2.4 Albury Airline Schedules

Table 2.3 reports the main routes at Albury Airport based on schedules for the two week period end 15 December 2017. The shares of flights by route were as follows:  Sydney - 69% of flights.

 Melbourne - 20% of flights.

 Brisbane - 9% of flights.

 Gold Coast - 2% of flights.

TFI Report: Air Traffic Prospects for Albury Airport, January 2018 7

Table 2.3: Albury Airline Route Share, Arriving Flights for Fortnight end 15 December 2017 Average Flights Per Share of Total Airline Sector Arriving Flights Day Flights SYD-ABX 41 2.9 25% Regional Express MEL-ABX 33 2.4 20%

Total 74 5.3 45%

QantasLink SYD-ABX 43 3.1 26% Total 43 3.1 26%

Virgin Australia SYD-ABX 28 2.0 17% Total 28 2.0 17% BNE-ABX 14 1.0 9% Jetgo OOL-ABX 4 0.3 2%

Total 18 1.3 11% TOTAL 163 11.6 100% Source: Airline Schedules

2.5 Traffic Mix

Traffic mix and segmentation is a key part of TFI’s forecast input. TFI’s assessment of market segmentation is based on a number of sources. These sources include the: International Visitor Survey (IVS) and National Visitor Survey (NVS) of Tourism Research Australia (TRA), data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), comments by the airlines and research undertaken by Airbiz for AlburyCity.

The Albury Aviation Strategy prepared by Airbiz and based on Albury Airport surveys and research conducted during 2015, indicates that at that time:

 53% of Albury Airport passengers were locals and 47% were visitors.

 62% of visitors and 53% of locals were travelling for business, and travelled around once a month. Leisure/VFR travellers (35% of visitors and 44% of locals) travelled 3-4 times per year.  47% of all existing passengers were travelling point-to-point, 38% to Sydney and 9% to Melbourne. 45% of passengers were connecting via Sydney or Melbourne to elsewhere in Australia (mainly Queensland), and 5% were connecting to travel internationally.

 Between 33% and 45% of local air travel demand was “leaked” to another airport, mostly by people choosing to drive to Melbourne Airport and fly from there. Of those “leaked” passengers, 24%-34% were travelling to a domestic East Coast destination and 42%-50% were travelling internationally.  34% of locals in the catchment area had not flown in the previous 2 years.

Figure 2.3 shows the share of passengers by month for the Albury-Sydney route. July through October and March are the peaks in terms of volume. Some 9% of passengers’ travel during August, the peak month, with 7% travelling in each of January, February.

TFI Report: Air Traffic Prospects for Albury Airport, January 2018 8

Figure 2.3: Share of Passengers by Month and Arriving Flights Per Day by Month for Albury-Sydney route (averaged over FY15, FY16 and FY17)

Source: TFI based on BITRE.

2.6 Visitors to Albury/Wodonga

The 2016 Albury Wodonga Visitor Economy Trends report (published by AlburyCity and Wodonga Council) provides data on the number of day visitors, domestic overnight visitors and international overnight visitors to the region. Combined, these visitors were estimated to make a direct economic contribution to the region during 2016 of around $402 million.

Table 2.4 shows the change in overnight visitor numbers over 2011 to 2016.

The number of domestic overnight visitors has increased from 530,000 in 2011 to 628,000 in 2016, representing a CAGR of 3.5%. During 2016:

 41% of domestic overnight visitors arrived for the purpose of Visiting Friends and Relatives, 29% for Holiday, 19% for Business and 11% for other purposes.

 31% were visiting from Melbourne and 11% were from Sydney, 18% were from other Victoria, 24% from other NSW and 16% from other States.  86% drove independently to Albury Wodonga, 5% arrived by air and 9% by other transport.

International overnight visitors to Albury Wodonga increased by a CAGR of 1.4% over the five-year period, 2011 to 2016, up from 18,400 to 19,700.

TFI Report: Air Traffic Prospects for Albury Airport, January 2018 9

Table 2.4: Domestic and International Overnight Visitor Trips to Albury Wodonga, All Purposes

Overnight Visitors (‘000) Five-year

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 CAGR

Domestic 530 540 563 644 611 628 3.5% Annual Change 2% 4% 14% -5% 3% International 18 14 20 15 15 20 1.4% Annual Change -23% 38% -23% 0% 31% Total Overnight Visitors 548 554 583 659 626 648 3.4% Annual Change 1% 5% 13% -5% 3% Note: Data from 2014 onwards excludes the Albury region SA2 location given it extends beyond the Albury and Wodonga Local Government Areas. Source: Albury Wodonga Visitor Economy Trends 2016, AlburyCity and Wodonga Council.

2.7 General Aviation

In preparing general aviation (GA) forecasts TFI utilised statistics from Airservices Australia (AA) for Fixed Wing and Helicopter Movements. TFI reviewed the performance across Australian regional airports and for the main capital city airports.

Key drivers used to generate Fixed Wing movement growth included NSW and Victorian incomes, Albury catchment population growth and oil prices. For Helicopter movements the main drivers included NSW and Victorian incomes, Albury catchment population growth and the value of the Australian dollar to the US dollar.

TFI Report: Air Traffic Prospects for Albury Airport, January 2018 10

3. General Business Environment

3.1 Australian and State Economic Outlook

Economic indicators found to be important in driving traffic include Australian and State economic factors. Figure 3.1 shows the annual change in Australian Gross Domestic product (GDP) and in Gross State Product (GSP) for NSW and Victoria, over the period since FY98.

Figure 3.1: Annual Change in Australian GDP, and in GSP for NSW and Victoria 6.0% Australian GDP NSW GSP Victoria GSP 5.0%

4.0%

3.0%

2.0% AnnualChange

1.0%

0.0%

FY07 FY98 FY99 FY00 FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06 FY08 FY09 FY10 FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17

Source: TFI based on ABS data

The Australian economy grew by 2.0% during FY17, down from 2.8% during FY16 and the lowest rate of growth since FY09, pointing to the ongoing adjustment to the end of the mining investment boom. Economic growth in FY17 was largely driven by consumption, both government and household. Gross fixed capital formation made no contribution to growth, with the impact of public sector capital expansion cancelled out by a decline in private works. The Reserve Bank notes that while the outlook for non-mining business investment has improved and public infrastructure investment has increased, slow growth in real wages and high levels of household debt remain a source of uncertainty in the outlook for household consumption.

The NSW economy, as measured by GSP, grew by 2.9% during FY17, down from 3.9% during FY16. This was still above the State’s ten year average annual growth rate of 2.4%, and exceeded the national GDP growth rate by 0.9 of a percentage point. State Final Demand (SFD), a measure of domestic demand, grew by 3.4% driven by strong household final consumption expenditure. The NSW Government, in its State Budget Statement 2017-18, is forecasting above-trend economic growth over the next three years based on strong business investment, public infrastructure and dwelling construction.

The Victorian economy, as measured by GSP, grew by 3.3% during FY17, down only slightly from 3.5% during the previous year and still well up on the State’s ten year average annual growth rate of 2.4%. Victorian GSP growth exceeded the national GDP growth rate by 1.3 percentage points. State Final Demand (SFD), a measure of domestic demand, grew by 3.9% driven, as for NSW, by strong household final consumption expenditure. The Victorian Government, in its State Budget Outlook 2017-18, is forecasting on-going above-trend economic growth over the next four years based on growth in household consumption, business investment and dwelling investment.

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AlburyCity data1 indicates that as at December 2016 the Albury and Wodonga LGAs had a combined Gross Regional Product (GRP) valued at around $5.9 billion, up 9% on August 2015. The Albury and Wodonga Councils have recently signed an agreement to take a collaborative approach to planning and growing the region.

3.2 Exchange Rates

TFI has found a positive relationship between the level of the Australian dollar to the USD and domestic air traffic for Albury. This reflects the high level of domestic travel from Albury destined to change to international flights at Sydney Airport.

Exchange rates and differential inflation rates impact upon the price of Australia as a destination relative to competing destinations. A fall in value of the Australian dollar increases the cost of overseas travel by Australians but decreases the cost for overseas visitors for travel to and within Australia. Such a fall can also have a positive impact on domestic travel as Australian resident travellers choose to holiday domestically rather than abroad.

The Australian dollar is currently around its long-term average rate against the USD (Figure 3.2). TFI assumes that the Australian dollar remains low over the forecasting period stimulating international visitor growth, and encouraging Australian domestic travel.

Figure 3.2: USD to Australian Dollar: January 1998 to November 2017

Source: TFI based on Reserve Bank of Australia.

1 Albury Economic Indicators, November 2017, AlburyCity

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3.3 Oil Prices

Figure 3.3 shows Brent Crude Oil Spot prices and Jet fuel prices, per barrel in USD.

Figure 3.3: Crude Oil and Jet Fuel Prices (USD): July 2004 to October 2017

Source: TFI based on US Energy Information Administration.

Following four years of record high prices, the average annual Brent crude oil price declined during calendar years 2015 and 2016 to a 12-year low of USD 43.7 a barrel, before increasing during 2017 to an estimated USD 54.1 a barrel. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects average Brent crude oil prices to average around USD 60 per barrel during the first quarter of 2018 and then remain relatively flat through 2019 (Figure 3.4).

TFI has assumed stronger increases in real prices over the next two years. In its longer-range projections, presented in the January 2017 Annual Energy Outlook (AEO), the EIA assumes an increase in the Brent crude oil price (Reference case) to around USD 70 per barrel in 2019, with prices then rising steadily to USD 92 per barrel by 2029 and to USD 108 per barrel by 2039 (all in 2016 dollars). This represents an average annual increase of 18% over the three years to 2019, followed by an average annual increase of 3% through to 2029 and 2% through to 2039.

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Figure 3.4: Crude Oil Prices: Average Annual Price (USD) 2004 to 2017, 2018 & 2019 Forecasts

120

111 112 100 109 97 99

80 80 72 60 65 62 60 61 55 52 54 40 44

Brent per Barrel (USD) Barrel per Brent 38

20

0

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2019(f) Calendar Year 2018(f)

Note: (f) forecast price at January 2018. Source: US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

3.4 Australian and State Population Projections

Preliminary ABS data indicates that Australia's resident population grew by 1.6% during FY17. NSW also recorded growth of 1.6% (to 7.86 million), while Victorian population growth was the strongest of all States and Territories at 2.3% (increasing to 6.32 million).

During FY16 (the latest data available by region) a positive contribution from net overseas migration was the major component of the growth in total NSW population while negative net interstate migration subtracted from growth. Overall the State population grew by 111,900 people, taking the total to 7.74 million (Table 3.1). During FY16:  The estimated resident population of Greater Sydney increased by 1.9% (91,700 persons), accounting for 82% of the State growth during that period and at the year-end representing 65% of the State’s total population. The estimated resident population of Greater Sydney at 30 June 2016 was 5.03 million.

 The population of the rest of NSW increased in total by 0.7% (20,100 persons) to 2.71 million.

 The population of Albury increased by 1.2% (700 persons) to 62,500 (Table 3.2). The total population of the Murray statistical area grew by just 0.6% to 117,800.

Positive growth in both net overseas migration and net interstate migration contributed to growth in the population of Victoria during FY16. Overall the State population grew by 146,300 people, taking the total to 6.18 million:

 The estimated resident population of Greater Melbourne increased by 2.7% (126,200 persons), accounting for 86% of the State growth during that period and at the year-end representing 76% of the State’s total population. The estimated resident population of Greater Melbourne at 30 June 2016 was 4.73 million.  The population of the rest of Victoria increased in total by 1.4% (20,100 persons) to 1.45 million.

 The population of the Wodonga-Alpine statistical area increased by 1.6% (1,100 persons) to 70,900.

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The latest ABS projections of State populations (Table 3.1), released November 2013, cover the period 30 June 2013 to 2061. Over the period to 2033 the ABS projections show:

 The population of NSW growing from 7.31 million in 2012 to between 9.17 million and 9.49 million in 2033 (CAGR of 1.1% to 1.3%), and the population of Victoria growing from 5.63 million to between 7.38 million and 8.23 million (CAGR of 1.3% to 1.8%).  The population of the Greater Sydney area growing from 4.67 million people in 2012 (base year) to around 6.37 million by 2033. This represents a CAGR of around 1.5% over the period. By 2033 the proportion of NSW residents concentrated in the Greater Sydney area is projected to be around 68% under the medium series (compared with 64% in 2012). Note that the latest ABS figure for the estimated resident population of Sydney at June 2016 (5.03 million) is around 0.9% above the ABS Series B forecast (4.99 million) for that year, while the population for the rest of NSW is close to projected.

 The population of the Greater Melbourne area growing from 4.25 million people in 2012 (base year) to around 6.16 million by 2033. This represents a CAGR of around 1.8% over the period. By 2033 the proportion of Victorian residents concentrated in the Greater Melbourne area is projected to be around 79% under the medium series (compared with 75% in 2012). Note that the estimated resident population of Melbourne at June 2016 (4.73 million) is around 2.6% above the ABS Series B forecast (4.61 million) for that year, and the population of the rest of Victoria is also above forecast (by 1.4%).

Table 3.1 Population as at 30 June 2016 and ABS Series B Projections to 2033 ERP(a) at CAGR Projections at 30 June (‘000) Projected CAGR Population 30 Jun- 2006 to 2012 to 2023 to 2018 2023 2028 2033 16 (‘000) 2016 2023 2033 NSW 7,739 1.4% 7,896 8,387 8,857 9,304 1.3% 1.0% VIC 6,179 2.0% 6,253 6,777 7,287 7,779 1.7% 1.4% AUSTRALIA 24,211 1.7% 25,201 27,279 29,311 31,280 1.7% 1.4% Sydney 5,030 1.7% 5,152 5,562 5,967 6,365 1.6% 1.4% Melbourne 4,725 2.3% 4,792 5,255 5,713 6,163 2.0% 1.6% Note: (a) Estimated Resident Population. Source: ABS Australian Demographic Statistics; ABS Regional Population Growth; ABS Population Projections, Australia, 2012 (base) to 2101 (November 2013).

ABS data indicates that the combined population of the Albury-Wodonga city areas2 recorded a CAGR of 1.4% over the five-year period 2011 to 2016, increasing from 95,360 to 102,350. Including the nearby Alpine areas along with Wangaratta-Benalla (Table 3.2), takes the total area population for 2016 to 179,890 (up from 170,153 in 2011, CAGR of 1.1%).

Table 3.2 also shows the latest NSW Government population projections for Albury through to 2031 along with Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning projections for the Wodonga and Wangaratta areas.

2 Albury Statistical Area Level 3 plus Wodonga and West Wodonga Statistical Areas Level 2.

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Table 3.2 Local Statistical Area Populations, and State Government Projections to 2031 ERP at 30 Projected Population at 30 June CAGR Projected CAGR June (‘000) (‘000) Population 2011 2011 2021 2011 2016 to 2016 2021 2026 2031 to to 2016 2021 2031 ABS Statistical Area Level 3: Total Albury 59.3 62.5 1.0% Wodonga-Alpine 66.0 70.9 1.5% Wangaratta-Benalla 44.8 46.5 0.7% Total of above 170.2 179.9 1.1% NSW & VIC Govt Projections: Albury City LGA 49.5 52.1 54.5 56.6 58.4 1.0% 0.7% Wodonga Rural City LGA 36.0 39.4 43.4 47.6 52.1 1.9% 1.8% Alpine/Towong LGAs, Beechworth 29.6 29.3 29.4 29.6 29.9 -0.1% 0.2% Wangaratta/Benalla/Rutherglen 44.8 44.2 44.2 44.6 45.1 -0.1% 0.2% Total of above 159.8 164.9 171.5 178.3 185.4 0.7% 0.8% Note: ERP=Estimated Resident Population. Source: ABS Regional Population Growth; NSW Population and Household Projections, NSW Department of Planning & Environment, September 2016 (Main Series); Victoria in Future 2016, Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, July 2016.

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4. Aviation Environment

4.1 Travel Costs and Airfares

Figure 4.1 shows the movement in fare indices and the annual change in the ‘best-discount’ domestic airfares as compiled by the BITRE. Business fares fell with the entry of Virgin Australia into the business class market but have partially recovered. Discount fares appear to be changing only marginally into FY18 so far.

Figure 4.1: Domestic Airfares – Best Discount (Inflation-Adjusted), July 2005 to December 2017

Source: TFI Based on BITRE data.

4.2 Fleet Developments

A review of domestic aviation fleets points to:  Reduced wide-body flying on domestic routes.

 Within the Qantas Group a downgrading from A330s to B737-800s and B737-800s to B717s.

 Within the Virgin Group: o The removal of all E190s by the end of this year, 18 months earlier than previously planned. o A reduction in ATR operations with up to eight of the aircraft being removed from service, including all six -500s and two -600s, reducing the fleet from 14 to six (all -600s).

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 Transfer of some of the regional services previously operated by Virgin Australia to Alliance Airlines. Alliance F70s now operate from Brisbane to Bundaberg, Gladstone and Port Macquarie (previously served largely Virgin’s ATR72 fleet). Alliance F100 aircraft are also temporarily replacing Qantas’ B717 aircraft on its Brisbane-Mount Isa route.  Delays in the delivery of narrow body aircraft: o The first of Jetstar’s A320neos will now not be delivered until FY19. The order for 99 A320neos has been converted to an order for 54 A320neos and 45 A321neos. o Delivery of the first of Virgin Australia’s 40 B737MAX aircraft on order is now not expected until the final quarter of CY19 (five new B737-NG aircraft were received between April and November 2017).  Rex had added three Saab 340 aircraft to its fleet during FY16 (to cater for its new Western Australian operations), taking total fleet to 55. There were no changes to the fleet during FY17.

 Jetgo operates a fleet of two 37-seat Embraer ERJ 135LR jet aircraft, two 44-seat E140LRs and one 50-seat E145LR aircraft, with reports that a second E145LR will soon be arriving and an 88-seat E175 may be added.

Schedule changes in orders and deliveries of the new narrow body aircraft types are shown in Table 4.1. Qantas Group and Virgin Group fleets as at June 2017 are shown in Table 4.2 and Table 4.3.

Table 4.1: Order/Delivery Schedule Changes for New Narrow Body Aircraft Qantas Group - A320neo Qantas announced that it was acquiring up to 110 Airbus A320 aircraft, plus 194 purchase rights and options, comprising: Aug-11  28-32 current-generation A320 aircraft, and  78 A320neo (new engine option) aircraft. Jetstar expected to take delivery of its first A320neo in the second half of 2016. Orders for 21 A320ceos were deferred by four years and converted to orders for 21 of the A320neos; taking Aug-14 Group A320neo orders to 99, for delivery from 2017 through to 2022. Five A320ceos on order for Jetstar Airways were sold. Qantas Group to take delivery of the first of its 99 A320neos in late 2017 (FY18) through to 2022; some of the Feb-16 A320neo orders may be converted to A321neo orders. Oct-16 Order for 99 A320neos converted to 54 A320neos and 45 A321neos. Delivery of first A320neo for Jetstar delayed until FY19; during 1H17 Jetstar leased two A321ceos to “meet Feb-17 demand in short-haul leisure markets”. Virgin Group – B737MAX Virgin Australia ordered 23 B737MAX aircraft:  to join Virgin Australia’s fleet between 2019 and 2021; with four additional delivery options Jul-12  at the same time delivery of some of its B737NG aircraft was delayed until after 2016, leaving 31 scheduled deliveries of B737-800 aircraft between 2013 and 2016  all B737-700 aircraft were expected to exit the fleet by end-2013 (two still remain in fleet at Dec-16). Aug-14 Announced that first B737MAX deliveries would be brought forward from 2019 to 2018. B737MAX orders increased from 23 to 40: Aug-15  17 of the orders for B737-800NG aircraft were converted to orders for the MAXs  NGs had been scheduled for delivery through to FY17; MAXs will be delivered from 2018. Virgin announced that Tigerair Australia’s 14 A320s would be progressively replaced with B737s over the next Jul-16 three years. Delivery of the first B737MAX delayed until the final quarter of 2019 calendar year; existing leases on some Feb-17 B373NG aircraft may be extended to support capacity requirements. Oct-19 Possible first delivery of B737MAX for Virgin Group. Source: Qantas, Virgin, Boeing, Airbus and other airline sources.

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Table 4.2: Qantas Group Fleet as at June 2017 Fleet as at Change over Indicative Delivery Airbus & Boeing Aircraft Type June 2017 June 2016(a) Schedule FY18 Orders at Jun-17

Qantas - A380(b) 12 8 B747-400(c) 5 -2 B747-400ER(d) 6 B737-800NG(e) 75 B787-9(f) 4 8 A330-300 10 A330-200 18 Jetstar - A320-200(g) 71 A321-200(h) 8 2 A320neo (i) 54 A321neo 45 B787-8 11 Q300(j) 5 QantasLink - Q400 31 B717-200(k) 20 Q200/300 14 Network Aviation - F100(l) 17 3 Total 303 5 2 115 Notes: (a) Net addition of 5 passenger aircraft (and one B737-400SF). (b) All 12 A380s will be upgraded by the end of 2020 (beginning 2nd quarter of CY19); eight still on order indefinitely deferred. (c) Two of the non-reconfigured B747-400s will be retired during FY18 as Qantas International receives its first four B787-9s; last three will retired during FY19 as remaining four B787s are delivered. (d) Six B747-ERS are expected to remain in the fleet until the early 2020s. (e) 67 B737-8s in Qantas Domestic fleet have been re-configured, expanding capacity; eight B737s are operated by Jetconnect on trans- Tasman. (f) First four B787-9s are to be delivered from late-2017 through March 2018; last four to be delivered during the first half of FY19. (g) A320 fleet includes 18 aircraft in Jetstar Asia fleet and 8 in Jetstar NZ; excludes Jetstar Pacific and Jetstar Japan; A320/321 reconfigurations added 3% capacity. (h) Two A321ceos leased to meet demand in short-haul leisure markets. (i) Order for 99 A320neos converted to 54 A320neos and 45 A321neos; first delivery delayed from late 2017 (FY18) to FY19; to replace older A320s and allow for growth. (j) Five Q300s are operated by Jetstar New Zealand for regional services. (k) 12 of the B717s are being reconfigured, including a Business cabin. (l) Three Fokker 100s purchased for resources-related markets, replacing larger aircraft such as the B737-800 that previously operated those routes, providing flexibility to reduce capacity while maintaining frequency. Source: Qantas, Airbus, Boeing.

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Table 4.3: Virgin Australia Fleet as at June 2017

Aircraft Type Fleet as at June 2017 Change over June 2016 Orders at June 2017

Narrow body - B737-700/800(a) 77 2 3 B737 MAX(b) 40 E190(c) 7 -9 Wide body - A330-200 6 B777-300ER 5 Turboprop - ATR-72(d) 13 -1 Tigerair Australia - A320(e) 14 B737-800(a) 3 Charter & Other - A320 2 F100 14 Total 141 -8 43 Notes: (a) Includes two B737-700s. Three aircraft moved to Tigerair fleet in Mar-16 (for use on Denpasar services since cancelled). Remaining three on order to be delivered by Dec-17 (1H FY18). (b) First delivery of B737Max has been delayed from 2018 to final quarter of calendar year 2019. MAX orders had been increased from 23 to 40 in Aug-15 (17 NG orders which had been due for delivery by end-FY17 were converted to MAXs). (c) All E190 flying to cease by end-CY17 (brought forward from end-FY19); ten have already been sold and 2 lease returns in place. All eight F50s had been decommissioned by end-FY16. (d) ATR operations reduced; identification of up to 8 ATRs to be removed from the fleet. (e) Planned that all 14 Tigerair–branded A320 aircraft would be removed from fleet by June 2019; transitioning to fleet of B737s. Source: Virgin Australia, Boeing.

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Abbreviations and Disclaimer

Abbreviations AA: Albury Airport ABS: Australian Bureau of Statistics AEO: Annual Energy Outlook ASK: Available Seat Kilometres AUD: Australian Dollar BITRE: Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics CAGR: Compound Annual Growth Rate EIA: US Energy Information Administration ERP: Estimated Resident Population FY: Financial Year GDP: Gross Domestic Product GSP: Gross State Product IVS: International Visitor Survey LGA: Local Government Area NEO: New Engine Option Pax: Passengers RBA: Reserve Bank of Australia TFI: Tourism Futures International TRA: Tourism Research Australia TWI: Trade Weighted Index USD: United States Dollar

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Disclaimer The Forecasts described in this Report have been prepared on behalf of, and for the exclusive use of, the Client and are not intended for third parties. TFI accepts no liability or responsibility whatever for or in respect of any use of or reliance upon this report by any third party. Accordingly TFI provides the Forecasts on the understanding that: - 1. The business environment is uncertain and that forecasting provides a guide only in respect of the planning for passenger and aircraft movements at Albury Airport. Forecasts are based on a number of economic and other assumptions and must be interpreted in the context of these assumptions; 2. TFI disclaims all and any liability to any person in respect of anything and of the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done by any such person in reliance, whether whole or partial, upon the whole or any part of the Forecasts; 3. TFI is neither responsible for the accuracy of the Forecasts, nor makes any representations nor assumes any duty of care in respect of any of the Forecasts; 4. TFI will not be liable in contract, tort or otherwise for any damages expense, loss or liability suffered or incurred by the Client however caused in respect of the Forecasts; 5. The Client will not rely upon any of the Forecasts in entering into any contract or other arrangements; 6. The Forecasts will be developed solely for use by the Client and not for the use of third parties; and 7. In the event that all or part of the Forecasts are provided by the Client to any third party, the Client will assume responsibility for ensuring that the third party accepts the Forecasts on the same basis as described in (1)-(6) above.

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APPENDIX C - TERMINAL STUDY Albury Airport Master Plan 2018 Terminal Study

Prepared for Albury City Council

FINAL DRAFT June 2018

Reference No: TAG990

TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES ...... i LIST OF TABLES ...... ii 1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 2 BACKGROUND...... 1 2.1 Socio-economic context ...... 1 2.2 Future terminal technologies ...... 2 2.3 IATA guidelines ...... 2 3 METHODOLOGY ...... 2 3.1 Peak period number ...... 2 3.1.1 Current peak period number ...... 2 3.1.2 Future peak period number ...... 3 3.2 Terminal area ...... 3 4 PEAK PERIOD DEMAND ...... 3 4.1 Current peak period demand ...... 3 4.2 Future peak period demand...... 9 4.3 Future flight schedule ...... 10 4.4 Future peak period number ...... 11 5 TERMINAL AREA REQUIREMENTS ...... 12 5.1 Existing terminal building ...... 12 5.2 Future required terminal area ...... 15 6 RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 15 6.1 Security checkpoint ...... 16 6.2 Baggage make-up ...... 16 6.3 Cargo storage and processing...... 17 7 CONCLUSION ...... 17

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Aircraft movements – Monday and Tuesday (CAPA, 2017) ...... 4 Figure 2: Aircraft movements – Wednesday (CAPA, 2017) ...... 4 Figure 3: Aircraft movements – Thursday (CAPA, 2017) ...... 5 Figure 4: Aircraft movements – Friday (CAPA, 2017) ...... 5 Figure 5: Aircraft movements – Saturday (CAPA, 2017) ...... 6 Figure 6: Aircraft movements – Sunday (CAPA, 2017) ...... 6 Figure 7: Passenger flow across the week commencing 27th November 2017 ...... 8 Figure 8: Aircraft movements during the busiest day (Thursday) of the study week ...... 8

Albury City Council Terminal Study Final Draft 2018 i

Figure 9: RPT passenger forecast scenarios for ABX ...... 9 Figure 10: RPT aircraft movement forecasts scenarios for ABX ...... 9 Figure 11: Total forecasted passenger number in the terminal building in FY2031/32 ...... 12 Figure 12: ABX terminal as at January 2018 (May, 2018) ...... 13 Figure 13: ABX terminal after completion of current expansion works ...... 14 Figure 14: ABX potential baggage make-up expansion area (Nearmaps, 2018)...... 16

LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Summary of the current flight schedule ...... 3 Table 2: Current daily peak ...... 7 Table 3: Number of daily aircraft required to serve each passenger segment...... 10 Table 4: A potential future flight schedule for the busiest day of the week ...... 10 Table 5: Expected future passenger flow during the morning peak ...... 11 Table 6: Maximum number of passengers at each key functional area ...... 12 Table 7: Summary of area utilisation ...... 15

Albury City Council Terminal Study Final Draft 2018 ii

1 INTRODUCTION This report outlines the peak period planning and resulting terminal requirements for Albury Airport (ABX). The future terminal footprint and functional area requirements are guided by both the current and future peak period numbers. Future peak period numbers are determined by several factors, including the planned design aircraft; corresponding load factors and the expected flight schedule; advancements in terminal technologies that can reduce waiting times and area requirements; passenger flow patterns through the terminal; and changes in socio-economic characteristics of the Albury Wodonga Region. This report is structure in six key sections: Section two of this report presents a background into aspects governing terminal planning; Section three contains the methodology used for the terminal planning process; Section four determines the peak period demand; Section five summarises the current and future required terminal area and Section six concludes the findings of this report.

2 BACKGROUND Terminal planning for airports is based on the peak period number of passengers in the terminal forecast at a point in the future. This number forms the design peak hour load and is used to determine spatial requirements for different areas of the terminal. Determining the design peak hour load requires knowledge of the peak traffic patterns at the airport and is not a direct translation from annual traffic, due to the existence of local variations. For instance, arrivals and departures may cluster around a few peak hours; however, the peak hours for arrivals may be different from that for departures. Ultimately, the design peak load is a compromise between economy and provision of sufficient capacity to meet peaks, or a compromise between efficiency and quality of service. Future peak airport traffic patterns and flow of traffic within a terminal are largely dependent on the following factors: • The design aircraft expected to service an airport, their corresponding load factors and the flight schedule; • Technological advancements in terminal planning or technologies that will improve efficiency of passenger flow within a terminal; • Population growth forecasts, expected regional economic growth patterns and planning guidelines aimed at achieving that growth; and • Level of service (LoS) and functional area guidelines determined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The proceeding section describes the socio-economic context related to ABX and the potential impact of advancements in terminal technologies which should be considered during the terminal planning process.

2.1 Socio-economic context ABX is located in the Albury Wodonga Region. As of 2016, the two cities of Albury and Wodonga recorded a population of 92,009 people. The residential population of the catchment area of ABX is approximately 200,000. The population of the region is forecasted to increase by approximately 35% to 124,472 by 2036. In 2016, of all overnight domestic visitors to Albury Wodonga, 41% arrived to visit friends and relatives; 29% arrived for holiday or leisure; and 19% arrived for business purposes. Only 5% of all overnight domestic visitors arrived by air transport1. For terminal planning and peak period calculations a passenger and aircraft movement forecast is required. The socio-economic drivers used for the forecast include the following: • The population in the states of NSW and Victoria and the catchment area of ABX; • The economic growth of the two states NSW and Victoria and an estimate of income and employment in the ABX catchment area; and

1 Wodonga City Council. (2016). Wodonga City Council. Retrieved from http://www.wodonga.vic.gov.au/business-investment/statistics-publications/images/Final---AWVET---2016.pdf

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• The travel costs, fares and exchange rates.

2.2 Future terminal technologies Technological advancements in terminal facilities and processes such as automated baggage drops, online check-in, and biometric authentication, offer improved efficiencies including faster passenger processing times and alter spatial area requirements within the terminal. SITA, a global leader in airport technologies, ascertain that self-service technologies will soon be mainstream and mobile phones will be a key channel in improving passenger experience and creating a smarter journey. This is already evidenced in Australasia, and airlines such as Qantas and Air New Zealand offer at least four Fast Travel options to 80% of their passengers. One such Fast Travel option, bag drops, was found to be preferred by 68% of passengers. Self-service options minimise the area required within the terminal. For example, bag drops were found to halve the floor space required as well as passenger waiting times at Melbourne Airport. Whilst it is unlikely that some of these self-service initiatives will be adopted in regional terminals in the short term, it is very possible that they will be adopted over the longer planning horizon. This will lead to changes in the spatial requirements and increased efficiencies in the terminal at ABX in the medium to long term. It was noted during the stakeholder engagement phase of the Master Plan that there was an apparent increase in self-check-in (online) for passengers. This was perceived to be mainly driven by the business travellers, however it is expected that also VFR and leisure traveller will increase use of online check- in options.

2.3 IATA guidelines The IATA has established guidelines for terminal area and the LoS of a terminal facility. The respective terminal area for each key functional area is defined by the IATA Airport Development Reference Manual (ADRM). The current version is the 10th edition (5th release). The ‘optimum’ LoS is defined as a terminal which provides “sufficient space to accommodate the necessary functions in a comfortable environment” with “acceptable processing and waiting times”. This is recommended as a minimum objective of any terminal.

3 METHODOLOGY The following section outlines the methodology adopted in calculating the peak period number, both current and future2, as well as the methodology for the terminal area calculation.

3.1 Peak period number

3.1.1 Current peak period number The week commencing 27 November 2017 was selected as the base point for the calculation for the current peak period number. The methodology used for calculating the number is outlined below: 1. Identify the key functional areas of the terminal; 2. Estimate the passenger flow and passenger dwell times through within the identified key functional areas of the terminal (in collaboration with ACC); 3. Identify average passenger load factor (63%) based on the data provided by ACC; 4. Use the flight schedule during the study week, the passenger flow and dwell times and the load factor to calculate the passenger flow through the key functional areas, including ‘meeters and greeters’; 5. Sum the passenger numbers at these key functional areas across each day of the week; 6. Identify the maximum passenger number occurring at any specific time interval within the terminal for each day; and 7. Select the highest number as the current peak period number for a 15-, 30- and 60-minutes interval.

2 Peak period data determined must be used as a guide only as it is subject to change depending on actual flight schedules and amendments to services/routes.

Albury City Council Terminal Study Final Draft 2018 2

3.1.2 Future peak period number The future peak period number at ABX is calculated for financial year (FY) 2031/32 using the following methodology: 1. Review the annual passenger movement forecast produced by Tourism Futures International (TFI) and identify the forecasted number of aircraft and passenger movements for FY2031/32; 2. Identify the corresponding load factor and the forecasted split of aircraft types; 3. Develop a flight schedule for a typical week in FY2031/32 based partially on the current flight schedule and to reflect the forecast annual aircraft and passenger movement numbers; 4. Identify the busiest day of the week; 5. Use the future flight schedule designed for the busiest day, the current passenger flow and dwell times and the load factor to estimate the passenger flow through the key functional areas of the terminal; 6. Sum the passenger numbers at these key functional areas across the busiest day; 7. Identify the maximum passenger number occurring at any specific time interval within the terminal for that day; and 8. Select the highest number as the future peak period number for a 15-, 30- and 60-minutes interval.

3.2 Terminal area The terminal area required to handle the peak period at ABX is calculated based on the IATA guidelines, the Airport Cooperative Research Program – ‘Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design’, and inputs from ACC. Assumptions required for the calculation about future processing times and maximum waiting times were made and defined based on the optimum LoS and the standards proposed by the IATA guidelines.

4 PEAK PERIOD DEMAND

4.1 Current peak period demand ABX experiences surges in passengers using the airport depending on the day and the time. The airport has two noticeable peaks: one in the morning between 9:15 – 9:45 and one in the afternoon between 15:45 – 16:45. A summary of the flight schedule at ABX (as at week commencing 27 November 2017) is presented below in Table 1. Figure 1 – Figure 6 below present these aircraft movements in further detail.

Table 1: Summary of the current flight schedule

Number of Number of Total Date Day of week arrivals departures movements

27th November 2017 Monday 13 13 26

28th November 2017 Tuesday 13 13 26

29th November 2017 Wednesday 14 14 28

30th November 2017 Thursday 14 14 28

1st December 2017 Friday 14 14 28

2nd December 2017 Saturday 8 8 16

3rd December 2017 Sunday 11 11 22

Total weekly movements 174

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Figure 1: Aircraft movements – Monday and Tuesday (CAPA, 2017)

Figure 2: Aircraft movements – Wednesday (CAPA, 2017)

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Figure 3: Aircraft movements – Thursday (CAPA, 2017)

Figure 4: Aircraft movements – Friday (CAPA, 2017)

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Figure 5: Aircraft movements – Saturday (CAPA, 2017)

Figure 6: Aircraft movements – Sunday (CAPA, 2017)

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The following estimated passenger dwell times are used to calculate the passenger flow numbers within the terminal3. They correspond to the arrival/departure of a single aircraft: Check-in • 60% of all departing passengers checked in and are at the airport 1 hour prior to departure. • All departing passengers checked in and are at the airport 30 minutes prior to departure. Public departures hall/café area • Following check-in, passengers move to the public departures hall until 45 minutes prior to departure (after which they pass through security and on to the departure gates). Gate • 40% of all departing passengers are at the gate 45 minutes prior to departure. • All departing passengers are at the gate 15 minutes prior to departure. Arrivals hall/baggage claim area • 50% of arriving passengers exit the terminal building within the first 15 minutes of arrival. • All arriving passengers exit the terminal building within the first 30 minutes of arrival. Table 2 below lists the maximum number of passengers estimated for the study week during any one 15-minute interval. It shows the current peak period number at ABX being 287 and occurring on Thursday.

Table 2: Current daily peak

Day Maximum number of passengers Monday 224 Tuesday 155 Wednesday 224 Thursday 287 Friday 247 Saturday 127 Sunday 145

The calculated daily flow of passengers across the study week is shown in Figure 7. It can be seen that for Thursday, this peak is reached at approximately 09:30. When correlated with the aircraft movements (Figure 8), this peak corresponds to five aircraft arrivals between 09:20 and 09:35 and four aircraft departures between 10:00 and 10:45. Assuming an average load factor of 63%, the five arrivals reflect a total passenger count of 164 and the four departures correspond to a total passenger count of 143.

3 These assumptions exclude anomalies and outliers in the data.

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300

250

Monday 200 Tuesday 150

Wednesday Number of pax terminal in 100 Thursday

50 Friday

0 Saturday

8:15 5:15 6:00 6:45 7:30 9:00 9:45

4:30 Sunday

12:45 17:15 10:30 11:15 12:00 13:30 14:15 15:00 15:45 16:30 18:00 18:45 19:30 20:15 21:00

Time of day

Figure 7: Passenger flow across the week commencing 27th November 2017

• Five arrivals • Four departures • Estimated total passenger count in terminal (assuming a 63% load factor) – 307 • Estimated peak period number – 287

Figure 8: Aircraft movements during the busiest day (Thursday) of the study week

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4.2 Future peak period demand Forecasts of passenger and aircraft movements Aviation traffic movement forecasts were prepared for ABX by TFI and are shown in Figure 9 and Figure 10. TFI developed three forecast scenarios; low, central and high. For planning purposes, the high forecast scenario is chosen. This translates to 11,700 annual RPT aircraft movements and 410,808 annual passenger movements FY2031/32, with a load factor of 64%.

450,000 400,000 350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 RPTpassenger 100,000 50,000 0

Financial year

Low Scenario Central Scenario High Scenario

Figure 9: RPT passenger forecast scenarios for ABX

14,000

12,000

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

RPT aircraft movements 2,000

0

Financial year Low Scenario Central Scenario High Scenario

Figure 10: RPT aircraft movement forecasts scenarios for ABX

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4.3 Future flight schedule The traffic forecasts shown in Figure 10 correspond to the aircraft splits shown in Table 3. In FY2031/32, ABX is forecasted to accommodate a larger aircraft type, namely the 125-seat Boeing 7174. However, the proportion of this design aircraft is expected to remain relatively low, with only 3.1% of B717 movements forecast. The smaller SAAB 340 (or similar) aircraft are expected to attribute to almost half of all RPT movements. A combination of Dash-8 Q400 and ATR72 aircraft are expected to account for 44% of all movements, followed by 10% of ERJ-145 aircraft movements.

Table 3: Number of daily aircraft required to serve each passenger segment.

Percentage of all Number of weekly RPT Aircraft type movements movements B717 3.1% 7

Dash 8 Q400 and ATR72 43.6% 98

ERJ-145 9.51% 21

SAAB 340 43.8% 99

TOTAL 225

Table 4 shows a potential flight schedule on the busiest day of the week in FY2031/32. The future schedule is based on the peak period identified in the schedule in the observation period (week of the 27 November 2017). Building on this peak schedule period, aircraft types in the future schedule are based on the aircraft split assumptions developed in the forecast by TFI. The current Thursday schedule facilitates approximately 28 total aircraft movements and it is expected that it will increase to 34 total movements in FY2031/32. This corresponds to the addition of three flights on a Thursday in FY2031/32. Table 4: A potential future flight schedule for the busiest day of the week

Time Arrival Departure

06:30 SAAB 340 06:30 DASH 8 Q400 06:55 SAAB 340 09:00 B717-200 09:20 SAAB 340 09:25 DASH 8 Q400 09:30 ATR72 09:30 SAAB 340 09:45 B717-200 10:00 DASH 8 Q400 10:00 ATR72 10:10 DASH 8 Q400 10:45 SAAB 340

4 QantasLink operates the Boeing 717-200 with two different configurations (110 and 125 seats). For safeguarding purposes, the configuration with 125 seats has been chosen for this study.

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12:30 SAAB 340 12:35 DASH 8 Q400 12:50 ATR72 12:55 DASH 8 Q400 13:10 ERJ-145 13:10 SAAB 340 13:15 ATR72 13:40 ERJ-145 14:55 SAAB 340 15:00 SAAB 340 15:50 ATR72 16:05 ATR72 16:15 ATR72 16:30 ATR72 17:50 SAAB 340 18:10 SAAB 340 18:30 SAAB 340 19:40 SAAB 340 20:15 DASH 8 Q400 20:20 SAAB 340

4.4 Future peak period number Based on the future flight schedule shown in Table 4 (above), it is estimated that the peak period number at ABX for a 15-minute interval will be 326. This will occur at approximately 09:30, driven by a mix of eleven arriving and departing aircraft movements. Table 5 shows the flow of passengers through the terminal during the morning hours of 08:30 and 10:30.

Table 5: Expected future passenger flow during the morning peak

Terminal Area 08:30 08:45 09:00 09:15 09:30 09:45 10:00 10:15 10:30

Check-in 45 56 50 28 10 7 2 - - Public departures 30 41 28 13 4 4 - - - hall/Café Departures gate 12 46 115 181 141 61 22 22 1 Arrivals hall - - 80 62 171 80 - - - Total number of passengers inside 87 143 273 283 326 151 24 22 1 terminal

The forecast passenger flow across the busiest day in FY2031/32 is depicted in Figure 11 below.

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350

300

250

200

150

terminal 100

50

-

Total passenger Totalpassenger number the in

4:30 5:15 6:00 6:45 7:30 8:15 9:00 9:45

17:15 10:30 11:15 12:00 12:45 13:30 14:15 15:00 15:45 16:30 18:00 18:45 19:30 20:15 21:00 Time of day

Figure 11: Total forecasted passenger number in the terminal building in FY2031/32

Table 6 presents the maximum number of passengers expected in each key functional area throughout the day. It can be seen that the departures gate is expected to experience the most strain at any one 15-minute interval.

Table 6: Maximum number of passengers at each key functional area

Maximum number of passengers Key functional area 15 Minutes 30 Minutes 60 Minutes

Check-in 56 107 181 Public departures hall/cafés 41 71 111 Departures gate 181 322 498 Arrivals hall 171 251 393 Overall peak period 3265 – – number

5 TERMINAL AREA REQUIREMENTS

5.1 Existing terminal building The ABX terminal was constructed in 1982/1983 and renovated and expanded in 2009. At the time of writing this Master Plan (early 2018), the terminal is in the process of being renovated and expanded a second time. After completion of the expansion works, the terminal has a total area of 3,339m2. An aerial image of the terminal site as of May 2018 is shown below.

5 Please note, the overall peak period number is not a sum of numbers above as they do not occur all within the same 15 minutes interval.

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Figure 12: ABX terminal as at January 2018 (May, 2018)

The terminal layout plan (including the expansion) with areas is shown in Figure 13 on the following page.

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Figure 13: ABX terminal after completion of current expansion works

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5.2 Future required terminal area The total terminal area required to address the forecasted peak period number for FY2031/32 is calculated to be 3,295m2 which can be accommodated within the existing terminal area of 3,339m2. Table 7 outlines the detailed splits for each terminal area according to the peak demand forecasted and the IATA LoS standards. Spatial requirements for other areas such as offices and amenities are also outlined.

Table 7: Summary of area utilisation

Future area Area Terminal area Functional area required FY available6 [m2] 2031/32[m2] Check-in Check-in queueing area 266.4 233.7 Bag drop and check-in desk 73.9 73.9 Total check in area 340.3 307.6 Public departure hall/café Circulation area 479.9 479.9 Concession (café) 327.0 327.0 Total check in area 806.9 806.9 Security Security queue area 87.9 51.2 Security checkpoint 38.8 73.1* Total security area 126.7 124.3 Departure gate Total gate area 420.7 424.9

Arrivals hall, baggage Total arrival hall and baggage 841.9 687.1* claim claim area Baggage and cargo Baggage make-up 370.5 485.2* Cargo 63.6 32.6 Total baggage and cargo area 434.1 517.8* Other areas Airline offices 131.2 131.2 Airport management offices 68.3 84.4 Comms room 15.2 15.2 Amenities 132.9 190.4* Meeting room and others 21.0 21.0 Total other area 368.6 426.1*

Total terminal area 3,339 3,295 * The overall terminal footprint has the area to meet the purposes of the current and future expansion requirements with internal realignment.

6 RECOMMENDATIONS The peak period and terminal area assessment conducted as part of this study and Albury Airport Master Plan 2018, identified that the current terminal (post expansion project), is overall adequate for both current and

6 Current area assumes completion of current expansion project in mid-2018.

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forecast future requirements of ABX operations. However, the calculations revealed that some areas need to be expanded to handle the estimated future peak period while other areas are sufficiently sized with the current available area. Key functional areas which might require expansion are the security checkpoint, baggage make up, and amenities. Recommendations for how these expansion areas may be accommodated are outlined below.

6.1 Security checkpoint As can be seen in the Table 7 above, the security checkpoint has been identified as inefficiently sized for future operations, however the queuing area is sufficient (based on IATA guidelines). One option would be to add a second security line, however there are operational efficiencies which ABX can adopt which would likely mitigate the need for a second security line until a later date (after FY 2031/32). This can be achieved through actions of operational staff such as making departure gate announcements earlier and coordinating with airlines to inform passengers at check in when they should proceed through security to lessen dwell time in landside areas and reduce the peak ‘rush’ period through security prior to departure. There is sufficient security queuing area to allow for longer queuing times, which may be considered as an option for lessening pressure on the checkpoint, however, this should not be considered a long-term ‘solution’ as this would increase queue times and subsequently decrease the LoS for passengers. Another consideration may be the realignment of the café to be past security, instead of the current access which is prior to security. The location of a café ‘landside’ is increasingly uncommon at airports as this impacts airline on time performance and passenger spend rates are typically higher airside than landside. An ‘airside’ café would likely influence the passengers dwell behaviour and flatten the security checkpoint peak, possibly reducing the need for additional checkpoint area. TAG recommends ongoing consideration of operational efficiencies outlined above and the effectiveness of these. If effective, ABX could mitigate the need for additional security checkpoint area within the period of this Master Plan.

6.2 Baggage make-up The current baggage make-up area will be insufficient for forecast operations. As there are expected to be five aircraft departing at the peak period in the future schedule, likely to be serviced by four different airlines and larger aircraft, the baggage make-up area will need expansion. The most logical expansion area for the baggage make-up area is to the west of the current area on the side of the terminal (see Figure 14 below).

Figure 14: ABX potential baggage make-up expansion area (Nearmaps, 2018)

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This area is currently utilised for staff car parking as well as storage of some ground service equipment. Both of these uses could be relocated to other areas of the airport site. TAG recommends that ACC discuss with the ground handling service provider their requirements for baggage make-up area and investigate expansion requirements within the medium term (around FY 2025/26). This would require relocation of the staff car park and other uses currently in the area to the west of the terminal within the medium term.

6.3 Cargo storage and processing The calculated required future area is based on the forecast tonnage transported by RPT aircraft (conducted as part of the ABX freight study) which identifies no need for expansion of cargo areas at ABX. However, this calculation does not consider the different types of freight or location and configuration of processing areas. At ABX, a common type of freight is animal crates which have a higher volume to weight ratio than other types of cargo in addition to consideration of additional space around crates. Assuming some consideration of additional space for pet crate processing, the calculated required area may not reflect the true requirements for cargo processing. In addition, based on the feedback from ACC the current cargo area itself is sufficient, however there are significant issues resulting from the current location and layout of the cargo area. The location of cargo processing is near significant electricity cabling and switchboards for the airport, creating potential safety hazards. In addition, there is currently no landside accessibility for the cargo area which results in the general public accessing the airside area of the airport and entering the baggage make up area (where the cargo is currently processed), without appropriate security clearance. Further, there is often empty animal crates stored on the parking area outside the terminal, to the west of the baggage make-up area. TAG recommends that ACC investigate options for relocating and reconfiguring the current cargo area at ABX. A facility which could accommodate landside access and processing for the general public with an airside connection providing a seamless and safe transfer of freight (animal freight in particular) would be a significant improvement. Further, an increase in size of the area should be considered to allow for sufficient storage and processing of animal crates, in addition to regular small package and mail freight typically processed through RPT aircraft. Expansion of the cargo area should be considered in correlation with expansion of the baggage make-up area and could potentially be located to the west of the terminal or could utilise one of the office areas located on the western wall terminal.

7 CONCLUSION The current terminal area is sufficient for both current and future operations. However, as outlined above, some areas within the terminal will require expansion while others are larger than required. To reduce the requirement for significant terminal expansion, flexibility within the current layout should be considered. Nevertheless, a terminal expansion to the west will be required to enlarge the baggage make-up area and to alter the cargo processing area layout as it is unlikely that the realignment of existing area for this purpose would be possible within the current terminal. There are some areas of the terminal, such as the airport offices, which could be relocated out of the terminal building and reused for an alternative use, such as security expansion or a retail area. In addition to adapting the current terminal building, the area directly adjoining the terminal in the west should be utilised for more critical uses. The staff car parking area is located in a prime landside/airside site which should be utilised for more critical airport operational requirements. In addition to the above ABX specific area reduction techniques, technological changes as will likely impact the future operating area requirements of ABX. Some of these technologies as automated baggage drops, online check-in, and biometric authentication have been discussed in this study, however it is critical to review this context as it rapidly changes. It is also important to consider that despite some technological changes increasing efficiencies in staffing, they may not increase efficiencies in space requirements. For example, implementing check in kiosks may reduce the requirement for space and check-in staff than traditional check in processes, however it also creates the need for a bag drop off area and the kiosks with relevant queuing area. As such, this technology may ultimately increase space requirements for a terminal. ABX should discuss any technological changes planned by the airlines in order to ensure the terminal area can accommodate any alterations sufficiently. Notably, the current check in and arrivals hall/baggage claim areas at ABX is larger than

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determined as required in FY2031/32 so any requirements for additional area may not require expansion of the current check-in area or arrvals hall/baggage claim7. Overall, the ABX terminal is in a good position for future expansion. It has been designed in a layout which can accommodate expansion or adaptation without significant capital expenditure or interruption to services. The current expansion plans are expected to accommodate the forecast growth at ABX in the short to medium term. TAG recommends ACC review the passenger and aircraft movement forecast annually to consider alignment with actual figures, and to produce a new forecast every five years, unless the forecast is found to be significantly different to actual figures prior. If a significant deviation is found, the terminal peak period calculation should be reviewed and revised to ensure the operation of the terminal is safeguarded for the future and that investment can occur in a timely, cost efficient manner. Assuming forecast figures align with actual movements, TAG recommends ACC review the terminal functional area expansion requirements holistically again in the medium term (in the next two to 10 years).

7 After the completion of current expansion project in mid-2018 and the removal of the temporary rental car kiosks.

Albury City Council Terminal Study Final Draft 2018 18 APPENDIX D - CAR PARK STUDY Albury Airport Master Plan 2018 Car Park Study

Prepared for Albury City Council

FINAL DRAFT June 2018

Reference No: TAG990

TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... i LIST OF FIGURES ...... ii LIST OF TABLES ...... ii 1. INTRODUCTION ...... 1 2. CURRENT SITUATION ...... 1 3. METHODOLOGY ...... 2 4. CURRENT OCCUPANCY AND DEMAND ...... 2 4.1. General car park ...... 2 4.1.1. Summary of general car park occupancy ...... 7 4.2. Secure car park ...... 7 4.2.1. Summary of secure car park occupancy ...... 11 5. FUTURE CAR PARK DEMAND ...... 11 5.1. General car park demand forecast ...... 12 5.2. Secure car park demand forecast ...... 12 6. CONCLUSION ...... 13 7. RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 14 7.1. Overarching recommendations...... 14 7.1.1. Disruption to ground transport ...... 14 7.1.2. Car park product choice ...... 14 7.1.3. Rental car ready bays ...... 14 7.1.4. Car park data ...... 14 7.1.5. Frequent review of forecasts ...... 15 7.1.6. Pick up and drop off area considerations ...... 15 7.2. General car park expansion recommendations ...... 15 7.2.1. Expansion requirements ...... 15 7.2.2. Expansion option one ...... 17 7.2.3. Expansion option two ...... 17 7.2.4. General car park summary ...... 20 7.3. Secure car park expansion recommendations ...... 20 7.3.1. Expansion requirements ...... 20 7.3.2. Expansion option ...... 21 7.3.3. Secure car park summary ...... 21 7.4. Other car park area considerations ...... 21 7.5. Next steps ...... 22

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LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Ground transport overview at ABX ...... 1 Figure 2: General car park current occupancy analysis ...... 3 Figure 3: General car park weekly peak analysis ...... 3 Figure 4: General car park daily peak analysis ...... 4 Figure 5: Total number of entries by time of entry a 24-hour period over the observation period ...... 5 Figure 6: General car park daily peak analysis ...... 5 Figure 7: Maximum number of bays used by patrons grouped into four categories ...... 6 Figure 8: Distribution of entries over the observation period by different patron groups ...... 7 Figure 9: Secure car park current occupancy analysis ...... 8 Figure 10: Secure car park weekly peak analysis ...... 9 Figure 11: Secure car park daily peak analysis ...... 9 Figure 12: Maximum number of bays used by patrons grouped into three categories ...... 10 Figure 13: Percentage of number of entries over the observation period by different patron categories ...... 11 Figure 14: General car park demand forecast and capacity thresholds ...... 12 Figure 15: Secure car park demand forecast and capacity thresholds ...... 13 Figure 16: General car park calculation ...... 16 Figure 17: Approximate expansion area required ...... 16 Figure 18: Potential at grade car park area ...... 17 Figure 19: Scenario A multi-deck expansion area ...... 18 Figure 20: Scenario B multi-deck expansion area ...... 19 Figure 21: Scenario C multi-deck expansion area ...... 20 Figure 22: Secure car park area ...... 21

LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Overview of the peak and average occupancy of the general car park ...... 7 Table 2: Overview of the peak and average occupancy of the secure car park ...... 11 Table 3: Overview of current and forecasted peak demand ...... 13

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1. INTRODUCTION This report presents a car parking demand analysis for Albury Airport (ABX), based on a study period spanning August to October 2017 with a comparative month of October 2016. Using results of this analysis and current and future peak period passenger numbers, car parking demand for the general car park, secure car park, bus and staff parks until FY2031/32 are determined. This report is outlined as follows: Section two of this report describes the current situation; Section three presents the methodology for the car park analysis; Section four outlines current occupancy and demand; Section five provides an overview of the forecast future car park demand; Section six concludes the findings; Section seven provides recommendations for the future.

2. CURRENT SITUATION ABX has several key car parking components within the ground transport layout, including secure and general car parking, car rental providers, taxi and bus parking, and staff parking. An overview of the existing ground transport layout is provided in Figure 1, below. ABX has two different car parking products for public car parking: a general car park and a secured car park. The general car park is an uncovered sealed car park with 315 parking bays. In addition, it has 12 designated disabled car park bays. The secure car park is a covered, sealed and fenced car park with 98 parking bays. In addition, it has two designated disabled car park bays.

Figure 1: Ground transport overview at ABX

There is also a drop off area in front of the terminal, however to access this area the general car parking boom gate must be passed (free of charge for a 30min period). Within this study, the ‘drop off’ area in front of the terminal is not considered within the calculation of available car parking. In addition to the public car parking options, ABX has a 27-bay staff car parking area to the west of the terminal.

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There are seven bays for taxis, two bays for shuttle buses and four loading bay zones available, which are located in close proximity to the terminal. The rental car providers have car parking and storage areas within a short distance from the terminal on the opposite site of the Airport Drive. There are no ready bays available for rental cars within the car park area in front of the terminal.

3. METHODOLOGY TAG adopted a two-staged approach in producing this car park study for ABX. First, the current situation was reviewed and analysed, followed by a forecast of expected future utilisation and capacity. The data used for the basis of this report was provided by the car park management company responsible for ABX, CDS Worldwide. The two-staged methodology used to calculate future demand and capacity thresholds outlined below: 1. Calculate the current car parking demand for each car park. o Adopt study period of August to October 2017 based on data made available; o Find the highest peak occupancy during the study period; o Find the average occupancy during the study period; and o Identify car park patron behaviour (i.e. length of stay). 2. Calculate the future demand for each car park using the highest peak occupancy. o Current busy months identified within car park data provided (October 2016 and August to October 2017); o Monthly RPT passenger movement figure identified for current busy months; o Current busy months car park data correlated with current busy months passenger data to determine ratio of car park per passenger required; o Based on the high passenger forecast (as adopted for master planning purposes), forecast car park requirements; o Review the current available number of bays and based on forecast peak utilisation, identify when capacity is reached; o Thresholds for occupancy identified within the forecast busy month; o Find the number of bays required to accommodate the estimated peak until FY2031/32 (based on the passenger movement of the identified peak month); o Car park area requirement calculated, based on peak occupancy forecast in correlation with monthly PAX forecast.

4. CURRENT OCCUPANCY AND DEMAND

4.1. General car park Based on review of the current car park data, there are evident peaks in general car park use. Figure 2, below, provides an overview of the general car park usage from August to October 2017. The peak in car park utilisation occurred on Thursday morning, 31 August, 2017 when 215 bays (reflecting 68%) were occupied. The lowest number of parking bays used during the observation period was 53 (17%) and occurred on late Sunday evening, 8 October 2017.

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250 215

200

150

100 Number of parking bays

50 53

0

3-Oct 6-Oct 9-Oct

9-Sep 7-Aug 3-Sep 6-Sep

24-Oct 12-Oct 15-Oct 18-Oct 21-Oct 27-Oct

10-Aug 13-Aug 16-Aug 19-Aug 22-Aug 25-Aug 28-Aug 31-Aug 12-Sep 15-Sep 18-Sep 21-Sep 24-Sep 27-Sep 30-Sep 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 Calendar week and day Max of Parking Bays used Average of Parking Bays used Min of Parking Bays used

Figure 2: General car park current occupancy analysis

The following figure presents the peak utilisation for each week day within the study period in comparison to the average utilisation for each day across the study period. The busiest period of utilisation occurred during the middle of the week, peaking on Thursday, as outlined in Figure 3, below. This correlates with the passenger peak period calculations outlined in the Master Plan and Terminal Planning Report. The lowest level of utilisation on average and at peak times were Monday and Sunday. 250 215 200

150

100

50

0 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Number of parking bays Week day Max of Parking Bays used Average of Parking Bays used Figure 3: General car park weekly peak analysis

This study identified the peak times of day for the general car park use, based on the analysis of the utilisation during the observation period. This revealed two peaks: one at around 09:00 and a second one at around 16:00.

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These peaks correlate with the passenger peak periods resulting from the flight schedule and is depicted in Figure 4, below. The maximum number of parking bays used (215) occurred at 09:00 and the minimum utilisation (53 bays) occurred late in the evening.

250 215

200

150

100

50 Number ofparking bays

0

Time of day

Max of Parking Bays used Average of Parking Bays used

Figure 4: General car park daily peak analysis

In order to ascertain the number of patrons using the car park for pick up and drop off (non-paying, under 30min patronage), the data has been divided into those who stayed under 30 minutes and those who stayed longer. Figure 5, below, illustrates the total number of entries for the observation period, divided into patrons staying up to 30 minutes and patrons staying longer than 30 minutes. It shows that patrons staying up to 30 minutes peak during the two periods around 09:00 and 16:00.

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3,500

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

Number ofentries 1,000

500

0

Time of day

Up to 30min More than 30min

Figure 5: Total number of entries by time of entry a 24-hour period over the observation period

If the two groups of patrons (up to 30 minutes or longer) are further analysed for a 24-hour period, it shows that the patrons staying up to 30 minutes used up to 37 parking bays (12%) in during the morning peak at 09:00. At the same time, the patrons staying longer than 30 minutes reached their peak with 195 occupied bays (62%). However, in comparison, the occupancy was smoother over the period from the morning peak to the evening, see Figure 6 below.

250

195 200

150

100

50 37 Number ofbays used

0

Time of day Up to 30min More than 30min

Figure 6: General car park daily peak analysis

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In Figure 7 below, the patrons are grouped into four different categories (up to 30 minutes; more than 30 minutes up to a day; more than a day up to a week; more than a week), showing the maximum number of parking bays occupied over the observation period. The patrons staying at the general car park for more than a day and up to a week required with 135 bays (43%), the highest of the four categories.

160

135 140

120

100

Number ofparking bays 80

56 60 49 37 40

20

0

3-Oct 6-Oct 9-Oct

7-Aug 3-Sep 6-Sep 9-Sep

18-Oct 12-Oct 15-Oct 21-Oct 24-Oct 27-Oct

25-Aug 10-Aug 13-Aug 16-Aug 19-Aug 22-Aug 28-Aug 31-Aug 12-Sep 15-Sep 18-Sep 21-Sep 24-Sep 27-Sep 30-Sep 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Calendar week and day

Up to 30min - Max of Parking Bays used Up to a day - Max of Parking Bays used Up to a week - Max of Parking Bays used More than a week - Max of Parking Bays used

Figure 7: Maximum number of bays used by patrons grouped into four categories

The distribution of the number of entries based on the length of stay is visualised in Figure 8 below. Majority (68%) of patrons stayed for up to 30 minutes. 22% stayed for up to a day and 10% parked for longer than one day.

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More than a week Up to a week 1% 9%

Up to a day 22%

Up to 30min 68%

Figure 8: Distribution of entries over the observation period by different patron groups

4.1.1. Summary of general car park occupancy Table 1 below, provides an overview of the peak and average occupancy over the observation period (August to October 2017). The peak occupancy and the highest average both occurred in August 2017.

Table 1: Overview of the peak and average occupancy of the general car park

Peak occupancy (no. of Average occupancy (no. Month bays/%) of bays) August1 215 (68%) 149.3 (47%) September 207 (65 %) 143.7 (45%) October2 205 (65%) 133.3 (42%) Overall 215 (68%) 142.6 (45%)

Forecast occupancy and demand of the general car park is outlined in section 5.1. Conclusions and recommendations for the expansion of the general car park are presented in section 6 and 7.

4.2. Secure car park The secure car park does not have prominent peak contrasts between the weekends and the weekdays as compared to the general car park. Utilisation is more consistent over the three months and reaches a peak utilisation of 67 bays (reflecting 68%) on Thursday evening the 19 October 2017, as shown in Figure 9 below.

1 Starting on 7th of August 2017 2 Ending 29th of October

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80 67 70

60

50

40

Number ofparking bays 30

20 23

10

0

3-Oct 6-Oct 9-Oct

7-Aug 3-Sep 6-Sep 9-Sep

12-Oct 15-Oct 18-Oct 21-Oct 24-Oct 27-Oct

18-Sep 24-Sep 10-Aug 13-Aug 16-Aug 19-Aug 22-Aug 25-Aug 28-Aug 31-Aug 12-Sep 15-Sep 21-Sep 27-Sep 30-Sep 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Calendar week and day

Max of Parking Bays used Average of Parking Bays used Min of Parking Bays used

Figure 9: Secure car park current occupancy analysis

The following figure presents the peak utilisation for each week day within the study period in comparison to the average utilisation for each day across the study period. As outlined in Figure 10, Thursday experiences the peak number of 67 occupied bays. This correlates with the passenger peak period and the general car park peak. The busiest days of occupancy were Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. On average, Monday was the quietest day of the week.

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80 67 70 60 50 40 30

20 Number ofparking bays 10 0 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Week day

Max of Parking Bays used Average of Parking Bays used

Figure 10: Secure car park weekly peak analysis

In contrast to the general car park, the secure car park experienced peak occupancy in the late afternoon at around 16:00 (see Figure 11 below). During the observation period there were limited secure car park entries from 18:00 to 04:00. Overall, the average peak occupancy was at around 06:00 and at 18:00.

80 67 70

60

50

40

30

20 Number ofparking bays 10

0

Time of day

Max of Parking Bays used Average of Parking Bays used

Figure 11: Secure car park daily peak analysis

The maximum number of parking bays used by categories of patrons depending on their length of stay (i.e. staying up to a day; more than a day up to a week; and more than a week up to a month) during the observation

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period is illustrated in Figure 12. There was only a small maximum number (three bays, or 3%) used by patrons staying for up to a day. Most of the bays were occupied by patrons staying up to a week, which peaked with 52 bays (53% of the car park). Patrons staying for up to a month peaked at 20 bays (20%).

60 52

50

40

30 Number ofparking bays

20 20

10 3 3 3

0

3-Oct 6-Oct 9-Oct

7-Aug 3-Sep 6-Sep 9-Sep

12-Oct 15-Oct 18-Oct 21-Oct 24-Oct 27-Oct

10-Aug 13-Aug 16-Aug 19-Aug 22-Aug 25-Aug 28-Aug 31-Aug 12-Sep 15-Sep 18-Sep 21-Sep 24-Sep 27-Sep 30-Sep 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

Calendar week and day

Up to a day - Max of Parking Bays used Up to a week - Max of Parking Bays used Up to a month - Max of Parking Bays used

Figure 12: Maximum number of bays used by patrons grouped into three categories

Figure 13 below shows clearly that most of the entries into the secure car park were for patrons staying for up to a week (81%). Patrons staying for up to a month were the second largest group with 11% followed by 8% of the patrons staying for up to a day.

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Up to a month Up to a day 11% 8%

Up to a week 81%

Figure 13: Percentage of number of entries over the observation period by different patron categories

4.2.1. Summary of secure car park occupancy An overview of the peak and average occupancy of the secure car park for the observation period is shown in Table 2 below. October 2017 recorded both the peak occupancy and the highest average of use of parking bays. Table 2: Overview of the peak and average occupancy of the secure car park

Peak occupancy (no. of Average occupancy (no. of Month bays / % occupied) bays/% occupied)

August3 53 (52%) 38.1 (37%)

September 52 (51%) 39.3 (39%) October4 67 (66%) 43.5 (43%)

Overall 67 (66%) 40.3 (39%)

Forecast occupancy and demand of the secure car park is outlined in section 5.2. Conclusions and recommendations for the expansion of the secure car park are presented in section 6 and 7.

5. FUTURE CAR PARK DEMAND To ensure future demand for car parking is allowed for in the master planning period, a forecast of demand has been produced. In order to produce the forecast for the car park demand and occupancy thresholds, the methodology described in section 3 has been adopted. The following sections present the output of this methodology. This includes the low, central, and high growth scenarios and indicates thresholds for when 80%, 90%, and 100% occupancy will be reached for each car park.

3 Starting on 7th of August 2017 4 Ending 29th of October

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5.1. General car park demand forecast It is estimated that 337 bays will be required to accommodate the forecast peak demand in FY2031/32. As can be seen in the figure below, there are points in time where the low, medium, and high growth scenarios will reach varying levels of occupancy in the master planning period.

40,000 38,000 36,000 34,000 32,000 30,000 28,000 26,000 24,000 22,000

Number of monthly pax movements 20,000

Financial year 100% peak capacity 90% peak capacity 80% peak capacity High Pax Forecast Central Pax Forexast Low Pax Forecast

Figure 14: General car park demand forecast and capacity thresholds

The general car park is estimated to reach 80% occupancy (252 bays utilised) during the peak period occurring in the FY2021/22. Approximately three years later, 90% (283 bays) occupancy is estimated to be reached in FY2024/25. 100% (315 bays) occupancy during the peak period is estimated to be reached in FY2028/29.

5.2. Secure car park demand forecast Figure 15 below presents when the secure car parks will reach its peak occupancy based on the high growth passenger forecast scenario. An estimated 108 bays will be required to accommodate the forecasted demand for the secure car park.

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40,000 38,000 36,000 34,000 32,000 30,000 28,000 26,000 24,000 22,000

Number of monthly pax movements 20,000

Financial year 100% peak capacity 90% peak capacity 80% peak capacity High Pax Forecast Central Pax Forexast Low Pax Forecast

Figure 15: Secure car park demand forecast and capacity thresholds

Based on the methodology adopted, the estimated point in time when 80% of all bays (78 bays) are used during the peak period occurs in the FY2020/21. 90% (88 bays) occupancy is estimated to be reached in FY2023/24. 100% (98 bays) occupancy during the peak period is estimated in FY2027/28. In comparison to the general car park, 100% capacity is reached for the secure car park one year earlier.

6. CONCLUSION The car parks at ABX are sufficient for current operations. Both car parks reach 68% of capacity during the peak demand of the observation period. The car park peak demand correlates with the passenger peak period and occurred on Thursdays during the morning peak (general car park) and in the afternoon (secure car park). Within the general car park, the patrons staying up to 30 minutes had the highest number of entries, particularly during the morning peak around 09:00. During this time, they occupied up to 37 (12%) bays. However, the patrons staying up to a week required the highest number of bays (135 or 43%). The patrons parking for more than a week utilised up to 49 bays (16%). Table 3 below gives an overview about the current and estimated future peak demand for the two car parks at ABX.

Table 3: Overview of current and forecasted peak demand

Current capacity Current peak demand (no. of Forecasted peak Car park (no. of bays) bays / % of capacity) demand (no. of bays) General 315 215 / 68% 337

Secure 98 67 / 68% 108

It is estimated that the capacity of both car park products need to be increased to handle the forecasted car park peak demand based on the forecasted passenger growth for the next 15 years. The secure car park is expected to reach the capacity at peak times in FY2027/28, followed one year later by the general car park in

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FY2028/29. It is important to note that this conclusion and the following recommendations are made based on the assumption of a high growth scenario peak demand.

7. RECOMMENDATIONS The car park areas at ABX are likely to require expansion during the period of the Master Plan (15-years). There are several overarching recommendations and options for the expansion of the car parks capacity at ABX which are summarised here.

7.1. Overarching recommendations TAG has made several observations during this car park study analysis and the master planning process more broadly, including through stakeholder engagement. Overarching recommendations based on these findings are presented below.

7.1.1. Disruption to ground transport In any future planning for airports and related ground transport networks, it is important to consider any future potential disruptions, such as Uber, ride sharing services, automated vehicles, and autonomous vehicles. These disruptions will have an impact on any car parking layout and requirements at ABX through various means. For example, the introduction of Uber will lessen the requirement for taxi rank areas and also require additional regulating and monitoring. This is already evident at many capital city airports around Australia. Automated and/or autonomous vehicles will impact the layout of roadways and car park layouts and also may decrease car park revenue for ABX. Each potential disruption will have impacts on signage, road alignments, monitoring, and regulation. Continuous monitoring and consideration of these potential disruptions should be undertaken by ABX, particularly when at points of considering expansion or alteration to the current ground transport layout and capacity.

7.1.2. Car park product choice TAG recommends investigation into different car park products to create a more diverse revenue stream for the airport. Based on the findings of the analysis that a significant number of patrons stay for a longer time (up to a week and longer), it may be worth reviewing options for differentiation of the product. This might include short and long-term parking, in addition to the existing secure parking. This would diversify the revenue streams and provide more choice for the community.

7.1.3. Rental car ready bays At ABX there are currently no rental car ready bays. Ready bays would ideally be located in close proximity to the terminal face. To increase the passenger comfort and to create an additional revenue stream for ABX, TAG recommends investigation into the provision of these bays. During the stakeholder engagement period, interest was shown by car rental companies currently operating at the airport, with indicative figures outlined as 10 to 15 bays for each rental car company. Ideally, ready bays would be introduced in small numbers to begin with and an increase in bays could be expanded in stages as demand from rental car companies increases. Notably, if the ready bays are a consideration before the expansion of the car park area(s), this would have an influence on the threshold when the peak capacity would be reached. An assessment of the car parking demand based on the lesser number of bays available resulting from the development of ready bays will need to be completed.

7.1.4. Car park data In order to produce a thorough car park study, the current available standard reports from the car park system were not sufficient. Within the systems report, different car park products are identified which do not exist at ABX and the capacity calculations were seemingly based on total time spent divided by the total number of bays, instead of the number of current occupied bays and the peak demand. Due to the apparent inaccuracies of the car park data reports provided, the raw movement data was requested and provided by the car park management company. Significant filtering and editing was required to produce digestible data for the purposes of this study. TAG expects a follow up study in a few years’ time would be easier as the basic mechanisms are now in place.

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TAG recommends that ACC reviews, together with the car park management provider, the standard reports from the system to review reporting methods and descriptions within the short term. This would enable ACC to review the forecast demand in this study with actual figures. If they cannot arrange for the reports to be altered, TAG recommends a follow up study using the raw data be produced in order to compare the actual future number with the forecasted ones. This comparison should take place no later than early 2021 to identify if 80% peak demand capacity has been reached.

7.1.5. Frequent review of forecasts TAG recommends ACC review the passenger and aircraft movement forecast annually to consider alignment with actual figures, and to produce a new forecast every five years, unless the forecast is found to be significantly different to actual figures prior. If a significant deviation is found, the car park peak period calculation should be reviewed and revised to ensure the sufficient capacity provision of the car parks for the future and that investment can occur in a timely, cost efficient manner.

7.1.6. Pick up and drop off area considerations The expansion requirements and options outlined above assume the ongoing use of the car park for pick up and drop off, however the current area for bays required is not included within the calculations outlined. There may be potential to separate the drop off and pick up area from the paid general and secure car parks, however this would increase the requirement for monitoring and regulation. Contrastingly, retaining the pick up and drop off within the current layout may impact the threshold for forecast bays required as pick up and drop off patrons may park in general car park bays in the short term if no ‘pick up and drop off’ bays are available.

7.2. General car park expansion recommendations The general car park area will require expansion within the period of the 2018 Master Plan. The expansion requirements and options for expansion are outlined here.

7.2.1. Expansion requirements High level car park expansion requirements have been calculated and are outlined here for the general car park. The dimensions of current individual car park bays have been calculated using aerial imagery. Each car park is estimated to be 5m long and 2.5m wide, averaging 12.5m2 per car park. Based on this assumption, the peak period of required car parks for the general car park (337 car parks – 22 additional) would require an additional area of 275m2 purely for parking bays. This calculation does not include area for disabled car parking areas as the current number of bays (12) is sufficient for the requirement within the DCP both currently and for the future peak period. However, in addition to these minimum areas for the bays, any expansion area must also consider circulation area, footpaths and landscaping.

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In order to estimate the average area for car parking including allowance for some circulation and landscaping, the current general car park area has been divided by the number of bays to determine an average area required. The area of the current general car park layout considered in this calculation is presented below in Figure 16.

8,743m2

Figure 16: General car park calculation

An area of 8,743m2 divided by the number of current bays (315) equates to an average area of 28m2 per car park. When considering the ultimate peak of car parks required in FY2031/32 (337), the area required would be 9,436m2, 693m2 larger than the current car parking area. An area this size is indicated in Figure 17 below for illustrative purposes. Based on the above high-level assessment, an expansion of the general car park will be required in order to accommodate the ultimate peak car park demand of 337 bays, expected to be reached in FY2031/32. The capacity of the current general car park is forecast to reach 100% in FY2028/2029, however TAG recommends that planning for expansion should be commenced within the next five years in order to ensure capacity is available prior to 100% capacity being reached.

693m2

Figure 17: Approximate expansion area required

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There are a number of variables and considerations that should inform the decision for how and when expansion of the general car park is implemented. These include: • Provision of rental car ready bays within the existing general car park layout; • Expansion method (multi-deck or at grade car park); and • Impacts on current operations during expansion construction which may bring forward the trigger timeframe for expansion. Based on expansion requirements outlined, two options have been considered by TAG and are outlined below, with some assumptions made to provide ‘scenario’ examples for illustrative purposes.

7.2.2. Expansion option one A low cost option for expansion of the car park would be to utilise the currently vacant lot on the west of the roundabout at the current entry in the corner of the Airport Drive, as indicated in Figure 18. This area is approximately 6,992m2, equivalent to 250 bays based on a 28m2 per bay assumption as outlined above. This is a large site and would accommodate the forecast car park expansion requirements easily, including any provision of 6,992m2 rental car ready bays. Expansion of the general car park in this location would have minimal impact on the current car park operations as it would rely on a separate access and entry and exit points. Construction could be completed with minimal impact on the ground transport flow of the airport and the site could be Figure 18: Potential at grade car park area easily accessed off Airport Drive. Given the location of the site being further from the terminal for passengers to access, construction of a car park in this site lends itself to developing a ‘long-term’ car park product. Despite the minimal operational and construction impacts, there are other considerations which need to be outlined. For example, safe pedestrian access would have to be provided to the terminal as well as signage for both cars and pedestrians. The fact that it is a greenfield site creates the need for provision of utilities and services such as drainage and electricity. Further, boom gates would need to be installed at the defined entry and exit of the airport. It is also worth noting that the site is a prime location, close to the terminal with maximum visibility. To minimise costs for such an interim use, some or part of the car park could remain unsealed. The entire site area would not be required for car parking purposes in the next 15 years. The remainder of the site may be used for other commercial land uses. For example, using 1,000m2 would provide capacity beyond FY2031/32 and would leave almost 6,000m2 remaining for other uses.

7.2.3. Expansion option two The second option for expansion of the general car park is to build a multi-deck car park within the current car park area. This option has the advantage of using valuable airport land very efficiently and not impacting any other area of the airport site. This option also allows for the development of additional car park products with minimal adjustment. For example, the lower level of the multi-deck car park could be enclosed and secured and used for expansion area of the secure car park. The upper level(s) of a multi-deck car park could also be offered as a long-term car park product. In addition, given the expansion requirements of the general car park is not significant within the forecast period of the 2018 Master Plan, a multi-deck car park could be developed in a staged manner to reduce costs. There are a number of considerations when reviewing this option for expansion which impact the threshold for the forecast year when capacity will be reached. This includes the potential provision of rental car ready bays, the area of car park availability reduced during the construction period, and the reduction in car parks available when constructed due to the impacts of elements such as ramps and columns. Each of these variables would likely reduce the area of current available bays and therefore require commencement of construction of a multi- deck car park earlier than as compared to option one.

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Three scenarios have been developed for illustrative purposes to indicate the potential expansion requirements and impacts this might have on a multi-deck car park area. The assumptions made have been adopted for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as accurate design and construction guidance. In addition to an ultimate scenario two other scenarios are based on a staged approach for multi-deck construction and indicate what might be included in ‘stage one’. Scenario A • Provision of 20 ready bays for rental cars (560m2); • One level of multi-deck car park above the current car park; • Stage one expansion area of 2,000m2; and • Ramps and columns of multi-deck level reduces car park area underneath by 10%. Calculation Current area = 8,743m2 Rental car ready bays = 560m2 Resultant available area = 8,183m2 Stage one expansion area = 2,000m2 / 70 bays Area reduced under expansion = 200m2 Total available in Scenario A (see Figure 19): • 9,983m2 • 356 bays • 106% peak forecast demand FY2031/32

2,000m2

Figure 19: Scenario A multi-deck expansion area Scenario B • Provision of 60 ready bays for rental cars (1,690m2); • One level of multi-deck car park above the current car park; • Stage one expansion area of 3,000m2; and • Ramps and columns of multi-deck level reduces car park area underneath by 8%. Calculation Current area = 8,743m2 Rental car ready bays = 1,690m2 Resultant available area = 7,053m2

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Stage one expansion area = 3,000m2 Area reduced under expansion = 240m2 Total available in Scenario B (see Figure 20): • 9,813m2 • 350 bays • 104% peak forecast demand FY2031/32

3,000m2

Figure 20: Scenario B multi-deck expansion area

Scenario C • Provision of 60 ready bays for rental cars (1,690m2); • One level of multi-deck car park above the entire current car park; • Expansion area of 8,660m2; and • Ramps and columns of multi-deck level reduces car park area underneath by 5%.

Calculation Current area = 8,743m2 Rental car ready bays = 1,690m2 Resultant available area = 7,053m2 Expansion area = 8,660m2 Area reduced under expansion = 433m2 Total available in Scenario C (see Figure 21): • 15,280m2 • 545 bays • 162% peak forecast demand FY2031/32

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8,6600m 2

Figure 21: Scenario C multi-deck expansion area

7.2.4. General car park summary The above scenarios are shown to indicate the impact that variables may have on the development of a multi- deck car park area. The incorporation of ready bays for rental cars in particular have a significant impact on the requirement for expansion. In addition, the construction period of a multi-deck car park would have an impact of the number of bays available and would likely bring forward the threshold requirement for expansion. It is worth noting that a “rule of thumb” cost estimate for a multi-deck car park is approximately $30,000 per car park, compared to the cost of an at-grade car park for $8,000 per car park. TAG recommends that ACC investigate car parking expansion options in the short term to identify the preferred means of expansion and ensure capacity is available based on forecast increase in passenger movements at the airport.

7.3. Secure car park expansion recommendations The secure car park area will require expansion within the period of the 2018 Master Plan. The expansion requirements and options for expansion are outlined here.

7.3.1. Expansion requirements The current number of bays in the secure car park area is 98, within an area of approximately 2,426m2 (as seen in Figure 22). Based on the current area of secure parking divided by the number of bays, the average area per car park is 25m2. Notably, if considering the number of disabled persons parking in the secure parking area as isolated, the current two bays are not sufficient based on the DCP for Albury. However, if considering in combination with the disabled persons parking in the general car park area, the current DCP standard is met. In the future, it is likely the more disabled persons parking areas will be required in the secure car park area.

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2,426m2

Figure 22: Secure car park area

The secure car park is forecast to require 10 additional bays in FY2031/32 during peak demand periods, equivalent to 250m2. This would mean a total required area for secure parking of 2,700m2. 100% capacity of the current secure car park is forecast to be reached in FY2027/28 however TAG recommends that planning for expansion should be commenced within the short term (0-2 years), concurrently with the general car park, in order to ensure capacity is available prior to 100% capacity being reached.

7.3.2. Expansion option The current location of the secure car park inherently limits expansion options available within the current area. A potential expansion option would be to extend the roof and secure fencing to an area within the general car park in order to allow for forecast growth area requirements. Expanding the secure car park into the current general car park could be implemented in both option one (at grade) and option two (multi-deck) expansion options outlined earlier. Alternatively, ACC may consider not expanding the secure car parking area and retain the current area as a ‘unique’ car park offering. In order to moderate capacity, car park charges could be increased which would level out the supply and demand, reducing any need for expansion. Further, the secure car park area could be used for ready bays if the secure car park area was moved into the ground level of a multi-deck car park (dependent on the expansion option selected for the general car park).

7.3.3. Secure car park summary The secure car park is forecast to require minimal expansion area in the future overall, however the point in which capacity is reached is forecast one year earlier than the general car park (FY2027/28). Further, any expansion of the secure car park should be considered in alignment with overall car park ‘product’ offerings of the airport. Additional secure car parking areas (above minimum required to meet forecast demand based on current demand) might be considered by ACC strategically as a potential to increase revenue. Alternatively, the secure car park area may be retained and the ‘unique’ offering be enhanced through increased charges which would limit the need for expansion.

7.4. Other car park area considerations This study focuses on provision of car parking for the public, however other areas of car parking should also be considered, in particular, the staff car park area and the taxi and bus area. In the short term, ABX should discuss with Albury Taxis regarding their future parking requirements. It was indicated during stakeholder engagement that the current taxi bays are not sufficient during peak periods. Within the current layout, an extension of the current taxi bay area will be challenging due to the layout of the road. Potential additional bays may be acquired by resuming the current shuttle bus bays and/or car parks currently

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allocated to rental car companies, however this would likely be complicated due to current lease arrangements. Alternatively, an area nearby may be provided for short term taxi parking while waiting to cycle through the taxi rank during the peak times. This could act as a taxi holding area during peak times and limit the need to increase the kerb length. The shuttle bus area was indicated to be insufficient when buses are using trailers during stakeholder engagement. In addition, the layout of the location of the shuttle bus bays was outlined as undesirable given the lack of visibility from the passengers exiting the terminal, particularly after the expansion has been completed. The staff car park is located within a prime landside and airside area and the area has been earmarked in the 2018 Master Plan for terminal expansion. As such, the staff car park will need to be relocated. This can be addressed through relocation of the car park to another area of the airport landside precinct, or alternatively to provide ‘validated’ car park tickets for staff. If providing validated car park tickets the airport runs the risk of staff using the tickets for personal use or transferring them for use of friends and/or family. Given the identified need for expansion of the car parking areas, this might impact the timeframe for expansion requirements. It could also reduce potential revenue from paying car park users. TAG would recommend relocating the staff car park within the terminal precinct. Ultimately, the location of the staff car park can be reasonably flexible and at the discretion of ACC however there are several sites within the terminal precinct that could potentially suit the use.

7.5. Next steps TAG recommends that in the short term (i.e. within 2 years), ACC investigates further to gain a detailed understanding of expansion requirements for all car parking options at ABX. As outlined above, there are a number of variables which need to be considered, particularly with the expansion of the general car park, including: • Ready bay interest from car rental companies; • Impacts of constructing a multi-level car park on current operational car park capacity; • Impact of multi-desk car park on capacity of car parking area, such as pillars and ramps; • Impact of incorporating additional secure car park within current general car park; • Ongoing use of car park area for drop off and pick up; and • Provision of additional taxi rank bays. Depending on the number of bays constructed in expansion of both the general or secure car park areas, a number of bays for disabled persons parking will be required. The current DCP for Albury outlines a requirement for a minimum of one and an additional one space per 33 spaces thereafter. The DCP should be considered during the expansion process to ensure the required number of disabled persons parking are provided. The lead up construction time and impact on the current car parks is more significant for the option of a multi- deck expansion as opposed to an at grade interim option. If the preference for expansion is to construct a multi- deck car park, investigation into this would be required within the next three years to ensure the appropriate staged (or non-staged) approach is taken and consideration of how the threshold for this construction may be impacted. The general car park is forecast to reach 80% capacity in FY 2021/22 and TAG recommends that investigations into expansion are completed and a preferred strategy is identified by this point.

Albury City Council Car Park Study Final Draft 2018 22 APPENDIX E - FREIGHT STUDY • x

Albury Airport Master Plan 2018 Freight Study

Prepared for Albury City Council

FINAL DRAFT June 2018

Reference No: TAG990

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ...... 1 2. EXISTING FREIGHT OPERATIONS ...... 1 2.1. Overview ...... 1 2.2. Current freight throughput ...... 1 2.2.1. RPT freight ...... 1 2.2.2. Charter freight ...... 1 2.3. Current freight handling facilities ...... 2 2.3.1. RPT freight ...... 2 2.3.2. Charter freight ...... 2 3. FORECAST FREIGHT OPERATIONS ...... 1 3.1. Overview ...... 1 3.1.1. RPT freight aircraft and capacity ...... 1 3.1.2. Charter freight aircraft and capacity ...... 1 3.2. Practical freight capacity forecast ...... 1 3.2.1. RPT freight practical scenario ...... 1 3.2.2. Charter freight practical scenario ...... 3 3.3. Forecast freight throughput...... 3 3.3.1. RPT freight throughput forecast...... 3 3.3.2. Charter freight throughput forecast ...... 5 3.4. Summary...... 5 3.5. Future freight handling facility requirements ...... 6 3.5.1. IATA standards ...... 6 3.5.2. RPT freight handling requirements ...... 7 3.5.3. Charter freight ...... 7 3.5.4. Overview ...... 7 4. RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 8 5. CONCLUSION ...... 8

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Existing freight facility location at ABX ...... 2 Figure 2: RPT practical freight capacity FY2016/17-FY2031/32 ...... 2 Figure 3: Charter freight practical capacity FY2016/17-FY2031/32 ...... 3 Figure 4: RPT freight throughput forecasts FY2016/17-FY2031/32 ...... 4 Figure 5: Forecast freight throughput for charter freight FY2016/17-FY2031/32 ...... 5 Figure 6: Summary of freight capacity and forecast total throughput FY2016/17-FY2031/23 ...... 6 Figure 7: Potential future freight handling location ...... 8

LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Charter freight operator aircraft movements (FY2008/09 - FY2015/16) ...... 2 Table 2: TFI fleet mix and design aircraft assumptions for RPT operations ...... 1 Table 3: Charter freight design aircraft assumptions ...... 1 Table 4: Aircraft specific assumptions for practical freight capacity ...... 2 Table 5: Forecast RPT freight throughput overview ...... 4 Table 6: Charter freight throughput overview ...... 5

Albury City Council Freight Study Final Draft 2018 i

Table 7: Ratio of GFA to freight tonnage based on level of automation (IATA 2014) ...... 7 Table 8: Future required freight areas overview ...... 7

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1. INTRODUCTION

This report provides an overview of the current air freight situation at Albury Airport (ABX) and outlines potential future strategies for the airport with regard to air freight and supporting facilities.

This study is structured in five sections. Section two outlines existing freight operations including throughput and handling facilities; Section three provides and overview of the forecast freight operations, including practical freight capacity scenarios and forecast freight throughput; Section four provides recommendations and Section five concludes the report.

2. EXISTING FREIGHT OPERATIONS 2.1. Overview Majority of airfreight to and from ABX is carried in regular public traffic (RPT) aircraft as ‘belly cargo’. All flights serviced by Virgin Australia, Regional Express (REX) and QantasLink currently carry freight. Regional carrier, JETGO, does not currently carry any freight on their ABX operations. In addition to belly freight, ABX also experiences regular movements from a dedicated freight service, which operates on average 10 times per week. However, majority of air freight at ABX is transported via RPT passenger aircraft. Freight stakeholders identified the throughput volumes to be consistent which does not put strain on current freight throughput capacity at the airport. 2.2. Current freight throughput

2.2.1. RPT freight The data available when producing this paper for RPT freight movements varied dependant on the airline. The airlines operating at ABX provided a combination of Year to Date (YTD) data for inbound and outbound freight, or, data for the month of October 2017.

In order to ascertain a comparative annual throughput, both datasets were broken down into monthly throughput to determine a total monthly average for freight throughput. The monthly average calculated was multiplied by 12 to determine the approximate financial year freight throughput.

The throughput value determined for RPT freight was 108,231.60kg (108 tonnes). This value has formed the baseline for the future RPT freight throughput forecasts.

2.2.2. Charter freight Throughput data for the charter freight operation at ABX was unavailable for this study. As such, their historical aircraft movements form the basis of this study. The Airport Group (TAG) reviewed ABX’s historical movement data (using Avdata) to identify the number of movements operated the charter freight provider1. Historical movement data was collected over the period Financial Year (FY) 2008/09 to FY2015/16, as outlined in Table 1, below.

The growth rate of these movements has been averaged to determine a ‘central’ growth rate (1%). This growth rate has formed the basis of the forecast future operations of charter freight, as outlined in Section 3.1.2.

1 It should be noted that Avdata only records landings. The rule of thumb is to double these to calculate the true movement information.

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Table 1: Charter freight operator aircraft movements (FY2008/09 - FY2015/16)

Adjusted total number Year on year Financial year Landings of movements growth rate

2008/09 257 514

2009/10 253 506 1.02%

2010/11 205 410 1.23%

2011/12 231 462 0.89%

2012/13 238 476 0.97%

2013/14 260 520 0.92%

2014/15 264 528 0.98%

2015/16 262 524 1.01%

2016/17 263 526 1.00%

Average growth rate 1.00%

2.3. Current freight handling facilities

2.3.1. RPT freight The current freight operations and handling for RPT aircraft at ABX exist within the current terminal footprint. As can be seen in Figure 1, there is an area of approximately 64m2 for cargo store and processing area at the western edge of the terminal, adjacent to the baggage make up. The current operations are limited by the layout and functionality of this area within the terminal. It is not conducive to airside/landside flows or for the handover of special freight from passengers to operators, such as pets. It has also been noted by airport management that this area also contains electricity cabling and switchboards for the airport.

2.3.2. Charter freight The charter freight operator at ABX operates within the general aviation area in the existing precinct and does not require any specific facilities. The usual processing method is to transfer goods from the aircraft directly into a vehicle in the general aviation area.

Figure 1: Existing freight facility location at ABX

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3. FORECAST FREIGHT OPERATIONS 3.1. Overview

The forecast freight operations have been considered in two scenarios. First, practical capacity, which assesses the capacity of the aircraft for freight based on specific assumptions year on year until FY2031/32. Secondly, forecast freight throughput until FY2031/32, based on current throughput data available extrapolated based on population forecasts.

The review of future capacity and throughput for RPT and charter freight are based on very specific assumptions and have separate RPT and charter freight forecasts. Details are outlined in the respective sections below.

3.1.1. RPT freight aircraft and capacity The RPT freight capacity and throughput have been forecasted based on the aircraft movements and fleet mix ratios for RPT operations adopted by Tourism Futures International (TFI). Assumptions on a specific design aircraft for each of the TFI fleet mix groupings have been identified and are outlined in Table 2. The table also highlights the total freight or cargo hold capacity for each aircraft type.

Table 2: TFI fleet mix and design aircraft assumptions for RPT operations

Fleet mix aircraft Design aircraft type Total freight hold capacity (kg)

Dash 8 and ATRs Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 2,119

SAAB SAAB 340 950

ERJs ERJ 145LR 1,200

B717 B717 3,200

3.1.2. Charter freight aircraft and capacity Charter freight operations have been forecast based on TAGs assessment of historical operations and aircraft movements and forecast of aircraft which were produced as outlined in Section 2.2.2. The assumed design aircraft for future charter freight operations can be found in Table 3.

Table 3: Charter freight design aircraft assumptions

Fleet mix Design aircraft Total freight capacity (kg)

Freight charter (dedicated) Aero Commander 500S 500

3.2. Practical freight capacity forecast

3.2.1. RPT freight practical scenario The practical freight capacity endeavours to determine the total available capacity on all aircraft operating to/from ABX. This has been based on the typical and forecasted operating environment and has taken into consideration a number of assumptions to identify a remaining area of the hold available for freight.

Assumptions for the RPT practical freight capacity forecast include: • All RPT aircraft operating to and from ABX have capacity available for freight operations; • That RPT aircraft have a make-up of ‘all economy’ configuration;

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• Aircraft load factors is the average across the planning period from the TFI forecasts for FY2016/17 to FY2031/32; and • Each passenger has one bag weighing the maximum allowable weight per aircraft type.

The design aircraft for each fleet mix group, has been combined with the load factor to produce a set of aircraft specific assumptions, which can be seen in Table 4. The table is an overview of the assumptions which have been used to determine the remaining freight capacity which has formed the baseline capacity for each aircraft type.

Table 4: Aircraft specific assumptions for practical freight capacity

Maximum Total Total Freight Design Load No. Fleet mix No. of baggage baggage freight capacity aircraft factor of group (TFI) seats weight weight capacity remaining type (%) pax. (kg) (kg) (kg) (kg)

Dash 8 / Dash 8 74 63 47 23 1,072 2,119 1,047 ATR Q400 ERJ ERJ 50 63 32 20 630 1,200 570 145LR SAAB SAAB 340 34 63 21 15 321 950 629

B717 B717 125 63 79 20 1,811 3,200 1,389

Based on the above assumptions, the practical freight capacity for RPT aircraft across the planning period for the low, central, and high growth scenarios can be seen in Figure 2.

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FigureLow 2Scenario: RPT practical freightCentral capacity Scenario FY2016/17High-FY2031/32 Scenario

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3.2.2. Charter freight practical scenario To determine the practical freight capacity for the charter freight services at ABX, the aircraft movements determined in Section 2.2.2 have been forecasted until FY2031/32. The central figure has been based on historical average growth rate of 1%. The low and the high forecasts adopted have growth rates of 0.5% and 1.5% respectively.

These aircraft movement numbers have been assessed against the capacity of the aircraft and other assumptions to provide a practical capacity value for freight operations. The assumptions on charter freight operations for practical capacity are as follows: • The design aircraft is a AeroCommander 500S which has 500kg capacity for freight; • The charter freight service to/from ABX has two other stops en route, and capacity available for Albury is 1/3 of the total capacity (166kg) both inbound and outbound; and • The freight load is equal between inbound and outbound movements.

Figure 3 depicts the practical freight capacity over the FY2016/17 to FY2031/32 period for the low, central, and high growth scenarios.

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Low Scenario Central Scenario High Scenario Figure 3: Charter freight practical capacity FY2016/17-FY2031/32

3.3. Forecast freight throughput

3.3.1. RPT freight throughput forecast The forecast freight throughput (tonnes) has been based on the historical varying information provided by existing operators and growth rate assumptions to FY2031/32.

The assumptions for the RPT freight throughput forecasts, include: • Based on the annual throughput of 108.23 tonnes in FY2016/17;

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• Forecast growth of freight operations has been considered in conjunction with TFI’s yearly assumptions on population. With central being equivalent to 1% of that value, and low and high being 0.5% and 1.5% respectively; and • Allowance for an additional operator to begin to provide freight services from FY2019/20, utilising an ERJ type aircraft.

An overview of the RPT forecast with low, central and high throughput scenarios can be found in Table 5.

Table 5: Forecast RPT freight throughput overview

Low 5-year 5-year 5-year Financial Central High throughput average average average year (tonnes) (tonnes) (tonnes) growth rate growth rate growth rate

2016/17 108.23 – 108.23 – 108.23 –

2021/22 126.47 3.37% 132.51 4.19% 139.11 5.24%

2026/27 130.63 0.66% 139.10 1.00% 149.48 1.89%

2031/32 134.67 0.62% 147.51 1.21% 163.05 1.82%

The low, central, and high forecast scenarios for RPT freight throughput to FY2031/32 can be seen in Figure 4.

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Figure 4: RPT freight throughput forecasts FY2016/17-FY2031/32

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3.3.2. Charter freight throughput forecast The throughput forecasts for the charter freight are based on the same assumptions as the practical capacity (Section 3.2.2), as there was no historical information available. Table 6 provides an overview of the throughputs and growth rates at various years over the planning period.

Table 6: Charter freight throughput overview

Low 5-year 5-year 5-year Financial Central High throughput average average average year (tonnes) (tonnes) (tonnes) growth rate growth rate growth rate

2016/17 87.67 87.67 87.67 – 87.67 –

2021/22 89.88 0.51% 92.14 1.02% 94.44 1.55%

2026/27 92.15 0.51% 96.84 1.02% 101.74 1.55%

2031/32 94.47 0.51% 101.78 1.02% 109.603 1.55%

Figure 5 highlights the growth scenarios for the low, central and high throughput forecasts for charter freight.

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Figure 5: Forecast freight throughput for charter freight FY2016/17-FY2031/32

3.4. Summary

The forecast freight scenarios have shown the practical capacity and forecast throughput for freight services operating to/from ABX as well as produced values representing the low, central and high growth scenarios.

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Overall, it is evident that there is an abundance of capacity within the existing network to accommodate the future throughput for freight operations at ABX and any significant changes in the freight market. For future safeguarding and planning considerations at ABX, the high forecast should be adopted by ACC. The high forecast values have been utilised to create the summary in Figure 6 and have been considered when discussing future freight handling facility requirements in the next Section 3.5.

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Figure 6: Summary of freight capacity and forecast total throughput FY2016/17-FY2031/23 3.5. Future freight handling facility requirements

3.5.1. IATA standards The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has developed Level of Service (Los) standards for a terminal facility. The respective terminal area for the key functional area is defined by the IATA Airport Development Reference Manual (ADRM). The ratio of Gross Floor Area (GFA) to freight tonnage adopted for this study is based upon IATA space planning ratios shown in Table 7.

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Table 7: Ratio of GFA to freight tonnage based on level of automation (IATA 2014)

Annual freight tonnage that can be Automation level handled per 1m2 of GFA

Predominantly manual operations 5

Some automation 10

Full automation 15

3.5.2. RPT freight handling requirements The forecasts for FY2031/32 indicate that throughput will be approximately 163.05 tonnes per annum. The current area available is approximately 64m2 and in FY2031/32 for RPT freight handling, 32.6m2 is forecast to be required. This has been determined based on the assumption of predominantly manual operations as per the IATA ratios outlined in Table 7.

The calculated required future area presented here is based on the forecast tonnage transported by RPT aircraft. This analysis identifies no need for expansion of freight handling areas at ABX. However, this calculation does not consider the different types of freight or location and configuration of processing areas. At ABX, a common type of freight is animal crates which have a higher volume to weight ratio than other types of cargo in addition to consideration of additional space around crates. Assuming some consideration of additional space for pet crate processing, the calculated required area based on the IATA guideline may not reflect the true requirements for cargo processing. In addition, based on the feedback from ACC the current cargo area itself is sufficient, however there are significant issues resulting from the current location and layout of the cargo area.

The location of cargo processing is near electricity cabling and switchboards for the airport. In addition, there is currently no landside accessibility for the cargo area which results in the general public accessing the airside area of the airport and entering the baggage make up area (where the freight is currently processed), without appropriate security clearance. Further, there is often empty animal crates stored on the parking area outside the terminal, to the west of the baggage make-up area.

3.5.3. Charter freight The forecast throughput of the charter freight operations based on the IATA space planning ratios would require 21.92m2 of space based on predominantly manual operations. Based on engagement outcomes, it has been indicated that the handling of this service requires limited dedicated on airport facilities. Freight and goods are transferred directly from the aircraft to a vehicle, which drives airside to meet the aircraft.

In future, this operation will likely continue to be located within the general aviation area. It has been indicated that the operator does not envisage requiring any specific facilities or infrastructure for their services. For ABX, the operators ease of aircraft to vehicle access should be maintained in future.

3.5.4. Overview Table 8 provides an overview of the future required areas for RPT and charter freight at ABX in FY2031/32. A consideration of this is the distinction between freight types and the required future facilities for their specific operations. Table 8: Future required freight areas overview

Forecast throughput Freight type Required area (m2) (FY2031/32) (tonnes)

RPT 163.05 32.60

Charter 109.60 21.92

Total 272.66 54.52

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4. RECOMMENDATIONS

TAG recommends that ACC investigate options for relocating and/or reconfiguring the current RPT freight area at ABX within the short term (0-2 years). A facility which could accommodate landside access and processing for the general public with an airside connection providing a seamless and safe transfer of freight (animal freight in particular) would be a significant improvement. Further, an increase in size of the area should be considered to allow for sufficient storage and processing of animal crates, in addition to regular small package and mail freight typically processed through RPT aircraft. Expansion of the cargo area should be considered in correlation with expansion of the baggage make-up area and could potentially be located to the west of the terminal or consider the use of one of the office areas located on the western wall of the terminal within the medium term (two-10 years).

The future location of an additional freight handling facility should be located to the west of the current terminal area, seen in Figure 7. This location provides optimal efficiencies and supports the development of suitable separation between airside and landside. An indicative area of 115m2 is shown below to highlight potential area required in a location on the current airside and landside boundary, assuming some expansion of the terminal to the west.

Figure 7: Potential future freight handling location

TAG recommends that the existing arrangement for the charter freight operations are maintained, including the ease of vehicular access to the aircraft within the general aviation area of the airport and access to fuel facilities if required.

5. CONCLUSION

It is evident that within the current and future (FY2031/32) aircraft movement network servicing ABX there is significant surplus capacity to accommodate the forecast/projected increase in freight in both RPT and charter operations. This includes potential unexpected changes in demand.

It was found that the area available within the terminal is, in theory, adequate for the FY2031/32 forecast throughput of RPT freight operations, but the layout is not conducive to efficient operations. As such, the

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recommendations suggest that ACC may consider opportunities for a more efficient freight handling layout and operational location, which would be beneficial for the airport operator, freight operators/handlers, and any passengers or external organisations utilising these services. The charter freight operations at ABX were found to be suitable both present and in future.

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