Avalon Airport Rail Link Planning Study Phase One Investigations Report January 2013
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Avalon Airport Rail Link Planning Study Phase One Investigations Report January 2013 www.transport.vic.gov.au/avalonlink Authorised by the Victorian Government, 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. 2. Avalon Airport Rail Link - Phase One Investigations Report Table of Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................ 5 1. Introduction .......................................................................................... 13 1.1 Purpose ............................................................................................................ 13 1.2 State Government Policy Commitment ............................................................ 13 1.3 Background ....................................................................................................... 14 1.4 Project Objectives ............................................................................................ 16 1.5 Project benefits ................................................................................................ 16 1.6 Planning ........................................................................................................... 17 1.7 The planning process ....................................................................................... 18 2. Avalon Airport ...................................................................................... 19 2.1 Background ...................................................................................................... 19 2.2 Airport Planning ................................................................................................ 20 2.3 Current and future air travel ............................................................................. 20 3. Policy and strategic context ................................................................ 21 3.1 National policy framework ................................................................................ 21 3.2 State policy framework ..................................................................................... 23 3.3 Metropolitan and Regional Policy ..................................................................... 25 3.4 Aviation Policy .................................................................................................. 28 3.5 Local policy ...................................................................................................... 29 3.6 Relevant strategies and studies ....................................................................... 33 3.7 Werribee – Geelong Corridor Planning ............................................................ 34 4. Rail Configuration ................................................................................ 35 4.1 Interim transport modes ................................................................................... 36 4.2 Rail Alignment Planning Assumptions ............................................................. 36 5. Consultation and Engagement ........................................................... 37 5.1 Stakeholder and Community Consultation ....................................................... 37 5.2 Issues and Ideas .............................................................................................. 38 5.3 Key findings ...................................................................................................... 38 6. Existing Conditions .............................................................................. 39 6.1 Study Area ....................................................................................................... 39 6.2 Investigation Areas ........................................................................................... 40 6.3 Landscape and visual impact ........................................................................... 41 6.4 Local planning schemes ................................................................................... 42 6.5 Land use and development .............................................................................. 42 6.6 Population Growth ............................................................................................ 43 6.7 Transport within the region ............................................................................... 43 6.8 Local Environment ........................................................................................... 45 6.9 Cultural heritage ............................................................................................... 46 3. Avalon Airport Rail Link - Phase One Investigations Report 7. Evaluation Framework ......................................................................... 47 7.1 Purpose ............................................................................................................ 47 7.2 Methodology ..................................................................................................... 47 7.3 Phase One evaluation criteria .......................................................................... 48 7.4 Phase Two evaluation criteria .......................................................................... 50 8. Assessment of Investigation Areas .................................................... 51 8.1 Objective 1 – High standard, timely and cost-effective public transport link .... 51 8.2 Objective 2 – Support Avalon Airport ............................................................... 58 8.3 Objective 3 – Facilitate social and economic opportunities .............................. 62 8.4 Objective 4 – Liveability of region .................................................................... 66 9. Comparative Assessment in Investigation Areas ............................ 83 9.1 Objective 1 – High standard, timely and cost-effective public transport link ... 83 9.2 Objective 2 – Support Avalon Airport ............................................................... 85 9.3 Objective 3 – Facilitate social and economic opportunities ............................. 86 9.4 Objective 4 – Liveability of region .................................................................... 87 9.5 Conclusion to comparative evaluation ............................................................. 89 Next Steps ..................................................................................................... 91 APPENDICES APPENDIX A – Alternative Forms of Rail Link Connection APPENDIX B – Community and Stakeholder Issues and Ideas Report APPENDIX C – Comparative Cost Analysis APPENDIX D – Engineering Assessment (Aurecon Group) APPENDIX E – Noise Impact Assessment (ARUP Group) APPENDIX F – Cultural and Heritage Assessment (Biosis) APPENDIX G – Environmental Assessment (Brett Lane and Associates) APPENDIX H – Interim Transport Modes (GHD) APPENDIX I – Land Use Assessment (George Ward Consulting P/L) APPENDIX J – Social Impact Assessment (SKM) APPENDIX K – Urban Growth Boundary Inclusions, June 2012 APPENDIX L – Travel Time Assessment 4. Avalon Airport Rail Link - Phase One Investigations Report Executive Summary The purpose of this report is to set out the Phase One planning investigations and assessment that has been undertaken to assess the preferred area for locating a future rail link to Avalon Airport. The assessment process showed that the area between Lara and Little River best supports the longer term planning needs of the area. The rail link to Avalon Airport is part of the Victorian Government’s commitment to plan for securing future transport links, and supporting the development of Avalon as Victoria’s second international airport and its current role as Victoria’s second domestic airport. The Department of Transport is currently investigating potential options for a future rail link to Avalon Airport that will provide a connection for people travelling to and from Melbourne and Geelong. The development of Avalon Airport as Victoria’s second international curfew free airport gives Victoria an economic advantage, paving the way for more competition within the State’s aviation industry and boosting tourism access to Victoria. With air passengers in the Melbourne region forecast to double over the next 20 years, Avalon Airport is recognised as a strategic regional asset. The development of Avalon Airport will benefit Geelong and south western Victoria by increasing jobs and investment opportunities, improving goods and services supply chains and providing greater accessibility to national and international markets. The planning of a rail link to Avalon Airport, in addition to other planned major road and rail projects (Regional Rail Link and the Outer Metropolitan Ring Transport Corridor), will provide increased accessibility to the Airport with potential to stimulate land use change in the area between Werribee and Geelong over the medium to long term. Planning for the future Planning for and reserving a rail corridor is being done in a way that accommodates planned growth in airport needs and future planning needs of the area. Planning for the rail corridor involves: • Investigation of areas for their ability to support the longer term planning needs of the area. • Identifying a rail corridor suitable for reservation for the future delivery of a rail link to Avalon Airport. • Further understanding interim transport options for staged delivery of the rail link that considers passenger demand in line with airport growth. Planning for the rail link to date has involved extensive stakeholder and community