Warnervale Airport Repeal Bill passes Parliament

The Warnervale Airport (Restrictions) Repeal Bill has passed the NSW Legislative Assembly, paving the way for the removal of restraints at Warnervale Airport.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast and Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch said 75 per cent of the community supported repealing the Act.

“The recent Review found that the Warnervale Airport (Restrictions) Act is unnecessary, overly complex and difficult to administer,” Mr Crouch said.

“The NSW Government is committed to repealing this Act to better support the Central Coast Aero Club, medical evacuations and bushfire emergency responses.

“The Repeal Bill was passed by the Legislative Assembly this week and I thank Labor for supporting its passage. I call on Central Coast Labor Councillors to provide this same level of support to the Airport and Central Coast Aero Club.

“The Repeal Bill will now proceed through a Parliamentary Committee process and will be considered by the Legislative Council in November.”

The Review’s final report made three recommendations:

• The Act should be repealed as soon as possible, but if there was a delay the Airport flight restrictions should be removed immediately,
• Central Coast Council, as the Airport’s owner and operator, should adopt a clear framework to govern the Airport’s future management, and
• Address safety issues affecting the runway.

Mr Crouch said Central Coast Council urgently needs to implement the Review’s recommendation to trim the trees.

“It has been 79 days since the Warnervale Airport Review was published, but in this time, there has been no progress towards addressing the significant safety issues,” Mr Crouch said.

“The height of the trees and their proximity to the runway has been evaluated by Council’s own risk assessment process as a catastrophic danger.

“Dozens of aviation trainers and students use the runway every day, as well as medical evacuations and bushfire emergency responses. Their safety must be prioritised.”