By Jessica Micallef
Kyneton residents could be waiting up to four months to find out if up to 10,000 annual flights could land and take off at the Kyneton Airfield.
During last Wednesday’s council meeting, councillors unanimously voted to defer making a decision on the Kyneton Airfield Masterplan 2019, but set a deadline of February 2020 for a decision.
In July, councillors agreed to undertake a six week public consultation period for the plan.
More than 120 submissions were received, 12 per cent of those were objections.
They included inappropriate use of ratepayer funding, air and noise pollution, the airfield’s proximity to built-up areas and the lack of benefit to the community.
Flights at the Kyneton Airfield could almost double from 5110 to 10,000 a year under plans outlined in the draft plan.
Up to 12 privately-owned hangars, three aviation business hangars, an office building and a tourism hub could also be built on part of the airfield currently zoned for farming.
The airfield covers about 197,000 square metres and is used for recreational flying, flight training and by the CFA.
Macedon Ranges Residents Association secretary Christine Pruneau said it was a “wise decision” for the council to postpone adopting the master plan.
“There are lots of things that are wrong with it [the master plan] and they haven’t resolved the existing problems,” she said.
“There are complaints from people about low-flying aircrafts … the noise, the safety aspects.
“There are all these types of things and nobody has sat down and had a real look at what we can build here.”
Most of the airfield is zoned for public use, however a lot at 8 Rawson Place is zoned farming. The plan proposes the lot be amended to public use to accommodate new hangars, offices and a tourism hub.
The council’s chief executive Margot Stork will facilitate a workshop for councillors and appropriate council officers to discuss the master plan in December.
