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State Parliament has heard that Moorabbin Airport will double its aviation capacity when State and Federal Labor move to close the Essendon Airport following the next Victorian State election.

Inga Peulich, State Member for South Eastern Metropolitan Region and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Communities said that the Brumby Labor Government’s vote against a Liberal Party Notice of Motion to keep Essendon Airport operational rang the airport’s death knell and meant more commercial and trainer flights would come over to Moorabbin Airport as a result.

Ms Peulich told State Parliament that given Moorabbin’s Master Plan was currently being reviewed by the Rudd Labor Government, that careful consideration should be given to the fact that areas abutting Moorabbin Airport are significantly build up residential zones which have been allowed to build by local and state planning authorities.

“By dramatically increasing the commercial and trainer flights, the risks would grow and the already significant nuisance factor would magnify for local residents,” Ms Peulich said.

Ms Peulich said that both the State Labor Government as well as the Greens vote to close Essendon Airport meant that the local environment and amenity of Dingley Village, Cheltenham and Aspendale would be even more negatively affected as a result of more planes coming to Moorabbin.

Ms Peulich called on the Greens and local Labor MPs to oppose the closure of the Essendon Airport because of the implications on the amenity and safety of the residential areas abutting the Moorabbin Airport.

“The community hears a lot about the Greens and Labor MPs wanting to protect the environment and wanting to preserve open space, but it seems like hollow words given how both parties voted in State Parliament and the ramifications for the local community,” Ms Peulich said.

“If Moorabbin picks up the aviation displaced from Essendon, there will be no quiet spot in Kingston as a result.”

Ms Peulich said that Cr Rosemary West and Janice Munt who have sat on the Moorabbin Airport Consultative Committee for several years appear to have been sitting on their hands and achieving very little given the implications of their respective parties’ voted.

“Sustainable environmental policies must be more than just hot air and grand standing at election time”, Ms Peulich said.

Ms Peulich said that the State Labor Government plans to close the Essendon Airport in the “medium term” no doubt means that should Labor win office, the deed will be done soon after the 2010 State election.

“Given that Lindsay Fox has purchased the land, Labor will no doubt allow the land to be subdivided and flogged off for residential and high rise development,” Ms Peulich said.

“That also means more stamp duty for a revenue greedy Brumby Labor Government,” Ms Peulich said

Ms Peulich urged the community to make submissions to the Federal Government’s early review of the Moorabbin Airport Master plan to help avert what was on the cards.

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