Figure 40 Planning Scheme mapping

6. DEVELOPMENT CONSTRAINTS

6.1. Planning

Esperance Airport is subject to planning controls under the Shire of Esperance Local Planning Scheme No. 24, Special Control Area 8 (SCA 8).

The purpose of SCA 8 is to provide guidance for land use and development control within the area shown on the Scheme Map as SCA 8.

For the purpose of SCA 8, “development” shall include planting of trees and shrubs, a flagpole, antenna, aerial, tower, electricity transmission line, satellite dish, chimney, flue, smokestack or other similar structures.

The objectives of SCA 8 are to:

(i) protect the continued operations of the Esperance Airport near Gibson and its existing and potential future flight paths

(ii) ensure that development and vegetation on and around the airport does not compromise the current and future operations of the airport

(iii) control the height of all vegetation and development to prevent obstacles from being constructed within areas that are subject to airport height restrictions

(iv) ensure that new development within the airport SCA is designed and constructed to mitigate any impact by noise

(v) generally discourage subdivision and development to minimise the potential for sensitive land uses to be undertaken within the airport SCA and allow for future airport expansion

(vi) ensure that development is in accordance with and does not compromise the objectives of the Esperance Airport Master Plan. A map showing the relevant planning overlays is provided at Figure 40 (source: Intramaps).

Note that the airport site is nominated as Strategic Infrastructure.

Figure 40 Planning Scheme mapping

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6.2. Civil Aviation Safety Regulations

Current and future operations at Esperance Airport are regulated according to the requirements set out in the section below.

Civil Aviation Safety Regulation 1998 (CASR) Part 139—Aerodromes describes the requirements for aerodromes used in air transport operations.

Manual of Standards Part 139—Aerodromes (MOS 139) sets out the standards and operating procedures for certified aerodromes used in air transport operations.

The current MOS 139 came into effect on 13 August 2020.

6.3. Aerodrome Reference Code

The standards which an aerodrome facility must meet to be suitable for use by aeroplanes within a particular range of performance and size are determined by the aerodrome reference code (ARC) chosen by the aerodrome operator.

The ARC is made up of 3 elements:

a. a code number determined by the aeroplane reference field length (code number or runway code number); and

b. a code letter determined by the aeroplane wingspan (code letter); and

c. the outer main gear wheel span (OMGWS).

As the main runway 11/29 at Esperance Airport is nominated as a code 3 and the relevant wingspan of aircraft using the airport is a code letter C, the airport is considered a code 3C with non-precision instrument approaches, and has a reference OMGWS of 6 m up to but not including 9 m. 6.4. Grandfathering

A key consideration regarding the planning of future infrastructure requirements is the status of facilities at the airport in respect of previous and current standards set out in MOS 139.

A facility that was designed to a previous standard but does not conform to the new standards can be ‘grandfathered’ until such time as it is substantially changed or upgraded.

The definition of ‘grandfathered facility’ in MOS 139 is copied for ease of reference:

A grandfathered facility means an existing aerodrome facility (the facility) and the obstacle limitation surfaces associated with an existing runway that is part of the existing aerodrome facility (the OLS) that, on and after the commencement of this MOS, do not comply with the standards in this MOS, provided that:

(a) the facility and the OLS complies, and continues to comply, with the standards which applied to the facility and the OLS immediately before the commencement of this MOS; and

(b) the aerodrome operator’s aerodrome manual:

(i) identifies the facility and the OLS; and

(ii) sets out in detail how the facility and the OLS do not comply with this

MOS.

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6.5. Design Standards Option 1 – Retain grandfathered requirements

For the duration of this master planning period, the Shire of Esperance desires an aerodrome that will conform to standards applicable to code 3C instrument non-precision requirements as specified in MOS 139.

A significant consideration in the spatial planning of the airport is the increase in overall runway strip width and more restrictive obstacle limitation surfaces required under the new standards in MOS 139.

The runway strip on runway 11/29 is published as 150 m overall but should be 280 m under the new standards. This pre-existing situation is planned to be grandfathered.

If the runway reference code was increased to 4, or precision instrument approaches were introduced, then the runway strip and associated obstacle limitation surfaces would need to conform to the new standards. This would significantly impact on the ability to make use of other infrastructure such as the main aircraft parking apron and therefore the overall operation of the airport.

Option 1 therefore is to retain the aerodrome reference code as 3. 6.6. Design Standards Option 2 – meet new requirements

An alternative option 2 is to meet the new standards at some time in the future when demand requires the upgrade of the main runway to enable the airport to accommodate aircraft of a higher aerodrome reference code (i.e. code 4).

This upgrade would necessitate either demolition of significant elements of current infrastructure and land acquisition or a re-alignment of the main runway and removal of substantial elements of the built and natural environment to achieve the required airspace protection outcomes.

An indicative sketch of the problems caused by upgrading runway 11/29 under the new standards for code 4 operations on its current alignment is provided at Figure 41.

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