PAKENHAM OFFICER
@StarNews_SE
/pakenhamstarnews
40¢ Inc. GST 12414974-FA14-19
pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au
Thursday, 28 March, 2019
pakenhamnews.starcommunity.com.au/subscribe
Federal funds for temple PAGE 3
New centre for health opens
Warriors do battle
PAGE 5
SPORT
real estate
com. au
Property Lift out
Case for airport By Kyra Gillespie An international airport in the South East is the key piece of anchor infrastructure for the region, says renowned futurist Brian Haratsis. Mr Haratsis addressed the Casey Cardinia Business Breakfast on the subject at the Cardinia Cultural Centre on Wednesday 27 March. The event was fit out with an 'airport theme' - the wait staff wore pilot hats and guests received tickets fashioned as boarding passes upon entry. "This is not just an airport, it will be an aerotropolis," Mr Haratsis said in his opening speech. "The 2000 hectare proposition would include, hotels, conferencing, retail - it would look more like a Melbourne Airport in the future with a business park. "It's not just where planes take off - if you think about the South East you think about air freight - transporting produce like asparagus that grows in the region." Mr Haratsis said the airport could initially be a small terminal that looks something like Gold Coast airport, with potential to expand to an international-scale airport. He said having a third major airport in the region - a project identified as necessary in the Plan Melbourne document - would have farreaching impacts. He said the benefits would be felt from the area stretching from Glen Waverley to the far east of the state. "They key concept of Plan Melbourne to try and keep professionals in the South East is innovation clusters - like Monash, which is a key growth area. We have really unbalanced infrastructure in the South East, and unless something as big as an airport we'll never get that reverse commute." Mr Haratsis highlighted the time it takes to get to Melbourne Airport from the south east, with local commuters often having to factor in congestion. "A reverse commute out to a south east airport would be a lot less expensive and time consuming," he said.
An international airport in the South East has been labelled a key piece of anchor infrastructure for the region "This project would create at least 1000 jobs each year in construction per year, and 6000 ongoing jobs by 2035. "You can imagine the impact on the region; that's like introducing a whole new industrial sector and all the supply-base that goes with that. "This will create a jobs buffer for a region hit by a decline in traditional manufacturing." The airport, which has been on the radar of Cardinia and Casey councils for years - is said to be not only good for commuters and business, but bolster the tourism industry as well. "It's anticipated there will be five million passengers a year by 2031; that would create a gateway into Gippsland for tourism." Mr Haratsis said the business breakfast was a significant step in the making the project come to fruition. "We started in 2012 to get this far; the next two years we'll see sparks fly. Today was like a bit of a launch, to kick it off," he said. While federal funding is preferred, Mr Haratsis did not rule out the possibility of private foreign investment into the project. "If the federal government can spend $3 billion in western Sydney then the same can be spent here. If they even spent $1 billion on the project, that would be enough to build the airport," he said.
Guest speaker Brian Haratis is a best-selling author, thought leader and is regarded by corporate Australia as a leading economic and strategic advisor with major project success in the Australian property sector. 191837 "There's four million people in Melbourne in Canberra they only have 400,000 people and they've got an international airport. Adelaide's got just over one million - it's got an international airport. The South East alone has over one million people. There's no doubt that there's demand and need for an airport in the South East
and it certainly can be accommodated." A $7 billion proposal to build a privatelyowned international airport between Kooweerup and Lang Lang was put forward two years ago but needs federal approval to go ahead. La Trobe MP Jason Wood has thrown his support behind the project.
Curtains, Blinds & Shutters
Direct from manufactuter compare our unbeatable prices on...
CALL 9707 0566
OFF
1142924-CB27-14
12408461-RA52-18
ROMANS, ROLLERS, CURTAINS, PLANTATION SHUTTERS, VENETIANS, PANEL GLIDES, VERTICALS...
UP TO
40%
Call 9796 1101
to arrange a quotation from your local Blinds expert or visit our showroom: 22-24 Intrepid St., Berwick.
“Our passion is the latest fashion” email: info@interluxdesign.com www.interluxdesign.com