Council in Bid to Upgrade Airstrip

Council in bid to upgrade airstrip Wyong Shire Council is to make an immediate submission to the Federal Department of Transport for Warnervale Airstrip to be upgraded to a licensed aerodrome. The submission will contain a request for grant funds in accordance with guidelines set out by the department. Council made its decision last week after adopting a report from its airfield consultants, Marline Pty. Ltd., as a general guide for the future development of the Warnervale facility. The report was accompanied by a map showing the district from Wyong in the south to Bushells Ridge in the north and Mount Alison in the west to Kanwal in the east. The plan showed a radius of 4000 metres from the centre of the airport, which indicated the controlled air space servicing the airport. Council decided to consider the funding of stages one and two of the consultant’s plan at the time of drawing up the 1981–83 Three Year Plan. Councillors agreed that the height of any structures within the controlled air space must be restricted, though the actual levels will be the subject of future studies. Land owners close to the airfield or in the flight paths will be advised by mail that any Section 342AS certificates (Section 149 under new planning legislation) issued on affected properties should be annotated with the words: “This property is affected by a Noise Effect Forecast Zone for the proposed Warnervale Aerodrome facility.” Any negotiations regarding a float plane service to Tuggerah Lakes or helicopter service within 10 nautical miles of Warnervale will be carried out without prejudice to the council’s intentions for the aerodrome and the right to install a radio beacon navigational aid in the future. Council will ask all government departments to ensure that structures associated with transmission line corridors or the freeway comply with the Department of Transport requirements. All information relevant to any discussions or minutes in relation to Water Wings, Parry’s Airfield (near Wyong) and Scruse Helicopter Service are to be perused by council’s solicitors to ascertain if any claim could be lodged on council for compensation if the Warnervale Aerodrome proposal is implemented. The solicitors will also investigate if any property owners could have claims on council for compensation if the aerodrome proposal goes ahead. Cr. T. Sheridan said he was informed that a meeting of the objectors to the Water Wings’ float plane proposal was to be held shortly. He urged that council’s decisions regarding the Warnervale Aerodrome be relayed to the objectors at once. “We have been discussing these three propositions simultaneously, and if Warnervale proceeds the others could be non-events,” Cr. Sheridan said.