HORSHAM Rural City Council declined to adopt the final draft masterplan for the Horsham Aerodrome.
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The masterplan included options for extending runways and acquiring land from nearby farms with the potential for road closures.
A group of commercial pilots and landowners near the airport spoke out against the plan last month.
Councillors Sue Exell and Tony Phelan supported the motion during Monday’s council meeting but were outvoted by Crs David Grimble, Robin Barber, Mark Radford and Sue Clarke.
Mayor Heather Phillips said Horsham’s experts haven’t been listened to and that she doesn’t have crystal ball to tell what the future air travel needs will be.
”We need to reserve land for all possible future needs. Until it’s needed, it can be used for farmland,” she said.
Earlier in the meeting Cr Grimble said pilots with over 220 years of aviation experience had attended the public gallery- including advisers to the federal minister for aviation, police air wing and Civil Air Safety Authority- who were opposed to the master plan. He said he would oppose the motion, and he had raised issues about the aerodrome in past years.
He referred to a panel report to VicRoads on deficiencies of consideration for affects of potential Horsham bypass options on the aerodrome.
“I think it’s unfortunate that the bypass report has been able to influence the aerodrome masterplan,” he said.
Cr Phelan gave a detailed run-down on issues with the report, noting a land slope’s affect on runway use and the need for filling in dirt to level runway.
He said sight lines and proximity to land where machinery is used were issues of concern, as well as possible road closures.
However, Cr Phelan says the issues were within regulations and the extension can go ahead.
“I think we can all agree that we want extended runways,” Cr Phelan said.
He said longer runways are a want not a need but could attract larger planes and passenger service.