Table of contents 1. Executive Summary 4

Transcription

1 MDP REPORT 1

2 Table of contents 1 Executive Summary Introduction Purpose of This Report Structure Essendon Fields Airport Essendon Airport Master Plan Overview of the Proposal Project Objectives Need and Justification of Airport Users Civil Aviation Users Non-Aviation Users Proponent Details Making a submission Major Development Plan Process Major Development Plan Other Project Approvals Site and Surrounds Essendon Fields Surrounds Subject Site Proposed Development Project objectives Description of the Proposal Basement Floor Ground Floor First Floor Second Floor Fourth Floor Fifth Floor Building Material and Finishes Building Height Operation and Maintenance Risk and Hazard Management Equity of Access Building Services and Facilities Landscaping and Bird Attraction Signage Lighting Construction National Australian Built Environment Rating System Statutory and Policy Compliance Statutory Context: Commonwealth Legislation Airports Act National Airports Safeguarding Framework Guidelines Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act Essendon Airport Master Plan Essendon Airport Land Use Plan Essendon Airport Environmental Strategy Airport Lease Pre-Existing Interests Development and Building Approvals Consistency with State Planning Plan Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Strategy Moonee Valley Planning Scheme State Planning Policy Framework Local Planning Policy Framework Prescribed Airspace Noise Exposure Assessment of Impacts Overview Environmental Impacts Flora and Fauna Geological and legacy soil contamination Visual impacts 30 2

3 6.2.4 Heritage Impacts Hydrology and Water Quality Air Quality Noise Waste Management Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Substances Resource Use 6.3 Traffic Impacts Public Transport 6.4 Aviation Impacts Prescribed Airspace Building Generated Wind Shear and Turbulence Lighting in the vicinity of aerodromes Public Safety Assessment Economic Impacts Construction Impacts Air Quality Stormwater Management of Contaminated Soil Noise and Vibration Waste Management Storage of dangerous goods Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Airport Operations Noise Exposure Levels Summary of Impacts Environmental Management Environmental Strategy Consultation and Approval Process Consultation Objectives Consultation to Date Advice to Government Public Comment Submission to Minister Consultation during Construction Conclusion 58 References APPENDIX A - Consistency of the MDP with Statutory Requirements APPENDIX B - Office Concept Plans APPENDIX C - Economic Benefit Assessment APPENDIX D - Transport Impact Assessment APPENDIX E - Green Travel Plan APPENDIX F - Aviation Assessment APPENDIX G - Wind Assessment APPENDIX H - Environmental Assessment APPENDIX I - Public Safety Assessment

4 Executive Summary Essendon Airport Pty Ltd (EAPL) has prepared this Preliminary Draft Major Development Plan (MDP) for the construction of a modern six (6) storey office building at the Essendon Fields Airport site (Essendon Fields). The proposed development comprises up to 22,200 sqm Gross Floor Area which includes up to 14,100 sqm Net Lettable Area (NLA) of office space and a café of up to 250 sqm NLA. 423 car spaces will be attributed to the development, based on the rate of 3.0 car spaces per 100 sqm of Net Lettable Office Area, as recommended by EAPL s traffic consultant. Essendon Fields is a strategically located parcel of land which, while providing obvious aviation based facilities, also provides a unique opportunity to reinforce its increasing employment precinct function by realising non-aviation development potential. Non-aviation developments on land that is surplus to aviation requirements support the economic viability of the airport. The Essendon Airport Master Plan 2013 (Master Plan) outlines the existing commercial areas around English Street are to be redeveloped and that EAPL envisages the need for additional commercial buildings. the cost of construction exceeds $20 million or such higher amount as is prescribed. As the proposed development s cost of construction will exceed $20 million, EAPL is required to prepare an MDP. Section 91 of the Act defines the contents of a MDP and all issues which must be addressed in an MDP report. The proposed development has been assessed by EAPL in relation to all statutory requirements and it is considered that the development will appropriately comply with all relevant requirements. The specific detail of the proposal and its assessment against all necessary statutory documentation is contained within this document. It is considered that the proposed MDP aligns with the details of proposed developments set out in the final Master Plan and the proposed development does not raise any issues that have a significant impact on the local or regional community. Rather the proposed development will bring economic benefits and create significant employment during construction (120 direct jobs over an 18 month period) and operation (approximately 1,000 direct and on-going jobs). EAPL has also identified a significant market gap in the supply of large office buildings that are designed to meet Government office accommodation requirements in Melbourne s north-west. In accordance with the Airports Act 1996 (the Act), a MDP must be prepared when a major airport development is proposed. Section 89 of the Act defines a major airport development as, amongst other things, constructing a new building, where: the building is not wholly or principally for use as a passenger terminal; and 4

5 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Purpose of This Report Essendon Airport Pty Ltd (EAPL) has prepared this Preliminary Draft Major Development Plan (MDP) for the construction of a modern six (6) storey office building at the Essendon Airport site (Essendon Fields). Essendon Fields is located on Commonwealth land and is therefore subject to the Airports Act 1996 (the Act) and associated Regulations. This MDP has been prepared as a requirement of Section 89(1)(e) of the Act as construction of a new building is proposed where: (i) the building is not wholly or principally for use as a passenger terminal; and (ii) the cost of construction exceeds $20 million or such higher amount as is prescribed. The construction cost of the development is estimated to be $77 million, including tenancy fitout costs and GST. The Act requires at Section 90 that a major airport development, must not be carried out except in accordance with an approved MDP. Section 91 of the Airports Act outlines the required contents of an MDP. This report forms the Preliminary Draft MDP prepared for public comment in accordance with these requirements. This report provides: A description of the proposal. An outline of the statutory context for the development and its consistency with relevant provisions. An assessment of possible impacts and how these will be mitigated. A checklist indicating the consistency of this MDP with the statutory requirements is contained in Appendix A. 1.2 Structure This MDP is structured to address the requirements of the Act. It is set as follows: Section 2: provides a description of the MDP process. Section 3: provides a description of the site and surrounding environment. Section 4: outlines the proposed development. Section 5: identifies the statutory context for the development and provides assessment of the proposal against the relevant airport planning documents, state and local policy. Section 6: provides an assessment of the potential impacts of the proposal. Section 7: outlines the management measures and processes to manage the effects of the proposal. Section 8: describes the consultation that will take place as well as the approval process required for the MDP. Section 9: outlines the conclusions of the report, including key issues, impacts and matters to address. 1.3 Essendon Fields Airport Essendon Fields Airport (the airport) is located 11 kilometres north-west of Melbourne s Central Business District and 7 kilometres south-east of Melbourne Airport. The airport is situated on approximately 305 hectares of land. The airport commenced operations in 1919 as an all-over field and was officially designated an international airport in 1950, operating as Melbourne s main airport until 1971 when international and domestic flights were transferred to a new international and domestic airport at Tullamarine (Melbourne Airport). 5

6 Essendon Fields currently hosts over 6,000 direct jobs and has been recognised as a site of state significance due to its role as a growing employment precinct and an important piece of aviation infrastructure. 1.4 Essendon Airport Master Plan 2013 The Essendon Airport Master Plan (2013) (Master Plan) provides the basis for the development of the airport for the next 20 years. The Master Plan provides for the planning of aviation activity, land use, commercial development and environmental and heritage management in an integrated manner. recognised as a desirable business district located in Melbourne s north-west. The Master Plan identifies the English Street Precinct to be developed with high value commercial buildings including office, hotel, retail, car parking and entertainment spaces. Essendon Fields Airport s precinct plan is shown in Figure 1. EAPL s vision for Essendon Airport (as stated in the Masterplan) is: To establish a commercially viable, safe and functional general aviation facility which meets projected aviation requirements whilst utilising the property s strategic land holdings for high quality commercial development. EAPL has established the following development objectives to achieve this vision in its Master Plan: To improve and maintain safe, secure and efficient airport operations. To add value to the airport by realising and taking advantage of development opportunities. To increase market awareness of development opportunities at the airport. To improve the integration of the airport with its surrounds. To consolidate airport operations and aviation requirements to ensure efficient and sustainable land use. Of the seven (7) land use precincts identified in the Master Plan, the proposal is included within the English Street Precinct. The English Street Precinct is the main entry to Essendon Fields and is Figure 1 Essendon Fields Airport Precinct Plan 1.5 Overview of the Proposal The proposal is to construct a modern six (6) story building within the English Street Precinct on the north-east corner of the intersection between English Street and Nomad Road. The proposed building will be primarily utilised as an office and will include a café and car parking. The proposed development comprises up to 22,200 sqm Gross Floor Area which includes up to 14,100 sqm Net Lettable Area (NLA) of office space and a café of up to 250 sqm NLA. Appendix 2 to this report contains development plans and elevations for the proposal. Further detail 6

7 regarding the proposal is included in Section 4 of this document. 1.6 Project Objectives In addition to achieving its wider Master Plan objectives, EAPL s objectives for the office development include to: Provide high quality office accommodation which meets government requirements. Contribute to employment opportunities within the airport and local area. Optimise social and economic benefits to the Airport and region. Add high quality built form which contributes to the business environment of the airport. Contribute to the overall financial viability of the Airport through compatible non-aviation development. 1.7 Need and Justification of Airport Users Clause 91(1)(b) of the Act requires an MDP to include the Airport-lessee company s assessment of the extent to which the future needs of civil aviation users will be met by the development. The development of the proposed office building will support and encourage the use of existing airport facilities and services without adversely affecting airport users. The proposal will support the economic viability of the airport and its existing businesses. The impact on civil aviation users and non-aviation users of the airport is provided in Sections and of this report Civil Aviation Users Essendon Fields operates a two-runway system supporting a mix of charter, corporate, emergency services and general aviation users. The airport is a base for Victoria s Police Air Wing and Air Ambulance, along with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Aero Rescue and other emergency transport, including closed-charter transport of organs for transplant. The Erickson Air Crane firefighting helicopter is also located at the airport during bushfire season, before being dismantled and transported to the northern hemisphere for their summer. Regular Passenger Transport (RPT) services operate from Essendon Fields to regional locations. As of November 2017, scheduled flights operate to Warrnambool, Merimbula, Flinders Island, Dubbo, King Island, Orange, Griffith and Wollongong. Closed-charter flights operate from Essendon Fields, including charters for tourist groups and special events. The airport has also hosted regular closed-charter Fly-In-Fly-Out (FIFO) operations servicing the mining and energy sectors across Australia. Other civil aviation uses at the airport include a regional light freight service, light maintenance and three flight training schools (circuit training is not permitted over Essendon Fields). Whilst there is no direct need for the office development from civil aviation users, the provision of a new modern office building will support existing civil aviation users by increasing patronage within the airport precinct and enhancing the continued economic viability of the airport. Further, nonaviation developments on land surplus to aviation requirements contribute to the overall financial viability of the airport. EAPL considers the revenues from non-aviation development are necessary to remain competitive and grow its aviation operations Non-Aviation Users According to the economic analysis prepared for the Master Plan in 2013, there were in excess of 170 active businesses at Essendon Fields representing 14 of the 19 major industry sectors, and employing over 4,200 persons (representing 13% of all jobs within the City of Moonee Valley). 7

8 Since the commencement of the current Master Plan period, a further 1800 jobs have been added. Essendon Fields comprises numerous nonaviation tenants, particularly within the airport s English Street Precinct which is the main location for commercial activities. Major tenants within the English Street Precinct include: Hyatt Place Hotel Linfox Logistics Head Office The Good Guys Store Support Centre Insurance Australia Group Ltd (IAG) Armaguard Head Office WorkSafe Victoria Visy VicRoads Wilson Security Bostik Australia Commonwealth Bank Matthews Steer Accountants & Advisors Coles Supermarket LaManna Supermarket Essendon Fields Medical Centre Essendon Fields is located within the local government area of Moonee Valley where there are in excess of 10,000 local businesses in the municipality employing more than 40,000 people. (Street Ryan 2013). The proposed office development will add to the existing commercial activities and employment base at the airport. In the order of 1,000 people (employees) are likely to be accommodated within the proposed building. The proposed office building will therefore support the overall viability of the airport and will significantly increase patronage at existing retail and other service businesses at Essendon Fields and in surrounding areas. The site is well-patronised by other users, with over one million people living within a 15 minute drive of Essendon Fields. The site is therefore a prime location to offer a significant amount of office floor area in the form of a new office building to the surrounding community. It presents an alternative to the Melbourne CBD and other activity centres for employment. The proponent has the capacity to develop and own the building in its own right and regards the establishment of a new large office building as a strategic imperative for the future growth and sustainability of the airport. This is consistent with the object of the Act contained at Section 3(c) to promote the efficient and economic development and operation of airports. The Economic Benefits Assessment prepared by Urbis (Refer Appendix C) identifies that the economic benefits from the proposal will manifest in many ways that are critically important to the continued development of Essendon Fields and for residents and workers of the area. These are: Meeting the needs of office tenants and workers in the region There is demand in the local market for modern, high quality office product, as evidenced by the take-up of new floorspace at 6 English Street Essendon Fields which was 90% pre-committed at project completion. The provision of a new office development at Essendon Fields will appeal to a Government institution or business looking to locate in the area into large-floorplate A Grade office space, which is currently lacking in suburban Melbourne contexts. It will also appeal to potential workers by opening up localised employment opportunities and providing modern spaces within which to work. 8

9 Through its work in the office sector across Melbourne, Urbis is aware there are tenants with major office floorspace requirements who are actively seeking locations within the City of Moonee Valley. The proposed development will add modern, high quality, large floorplate office supply to this market, meeting the needs of tenants and workers and potentially bringing new businesses or major employers to the region. Creating skilled employment opportunities locally As detailed in Section 2 of the Economic Benefits Assessment (Appendix C), 60% of Moonee Valley residents work within white collar occupations that typically require office space, compared to 53% for Greater Melbourne. If office space and employment opportunities are not provided locally, residents will continue to leave the area to access these higher value jobs. In 2011, 81% of residents left the municipality for work. The proposal will provide office space which can be used for, and thus provide more, skilled employment opportunities in the Moonee Valley area, allowing residents to work locally. The addition of approximately 1000 workers into Essendon Fields will create significant opportunities for retail and other service businesses, either existing or those who may establish in the future. 1.8 Proponent Details Essendon Airport Pty Ltd (EAPL) is the airport Lessee Company (ALC) for the Essendon Fields Airport Site, pursuant to the provisions of the Act and is the proponent for this Major Development Plan. 1.9 Making a submission EAPL invites written comments regarding this Preliminary Draft Major Development Plan, which is advertised for a period of 60 business days. Written comments should be addressed to: Essendon Airport Pty Ltd Level 2, 7 English Street Essendon Fields, Victoria 3041 or MDPcomments@ef.com.au The final day for written comments to be received is Thursday, 22 February Catalyst for further development The proposed development site is centrally located at the intersection of two major roads within Essendon Fields. The proposal will be one of the major developments to date and add to the critical mass of office supply in the area which will increase the attraction of the precinct for other tenants who may wish to co-locate with similar businesses in the area. The proposed development will be a catalyst for increased economic activity within Essendon Fields and the Moonee Valley municipality through changes in vacancy rates and occupied areas. Support for local business 9

10 2.0 Major Development Plan Process 2.1 Major Development Plan Pursuant to Section 89 of the Act, an MDP is required for each major development at an airport. The triggers for the preparation of an MDP are also set out within Section 89 and are discussed in further detail in Chapter 5 of this report. The process for preparing, submitting and the approval of an MDP is outlined in Figure 2. In summary, EAPL will: Prepare an Exposure Draft MDP setting out various matters as listed below: o o Essendon Airport s objectives and purpose of the development. A detailed outline of the development. o An assessment of possible environmental impacts. o The extent to which the future needs of users of Essendon Airport will be met by the development (refer to Section 1.7). Conduct stakeholder consultation including with state and local governments, relevant public authorities and any other users of the airport concerned. Prepare a Preliminary Draft MDP (this report), based on the Exposure Draft, and incorporating stakeholder consultation findings. Seek public comment (for a period of 60 business days) on the Preliminary Draft version of the MDP and amend the document accordingly. Submit a Draft MDP together with details of the public comments to the Commonwealth Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. During this process the Minister: o Refers the draft MDP and its assessment to the Commonwealth Department of the Environment and Energy (DoEE) and receives advice. o Determines whether to approve or reject the MDP and advises the proponent. o May specify conditions imposed on the approval of the MDP in accordance with Section 94A of the Act. This Preliminary Draft MDP has been prepared in accordance with the process identified in Figure 2. EAPL has determined that the proposal is a major airport development for the purpose of the Act and consultation therefore needs to be undertaken with key stakeholders, as described in Chapter 8 of this report. 2.2 Other Project Approvals New developments and building works at Essendon Fields are subject to an internal approval process to ensure consistency with the Master Plan and other relevant policies and plans. Should the Commonwealth Minister for Infrastructure and Transport approve the Draft MDP, other separate independent approvals for construction of the proposed facilities will be sought through: The Airport Building Controller (ABC). The ABC exercises the power and functions prescribed by the Airport (Building Control) Regulations 1996, made under Part 5 Division 5 of the Airports Act The Airport Environment Officer (AEO). The AEO assesses the proposal against the environmental requirements of the Act, the Airports (Environment Protection) Regulations 1997 and provides referral advice to the ABC. The AEO may also examine Environmental Management Plans for construction and/or operations and assesses the project activities, including construction against the Essendon Airport Environment Strategy. The 10

11 AEO may also inspect the site during construction works to ensure appropriate environmental measures are undertaken. Certificate of Compliance for Use / Occupancy issued by the ABC upon completion of the works. The process for other approval therefore comprises the following components: Airport Operator s consent granted by EAPL. Assessment of the proposal and the Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) (to be prepared by the construction contractor) by an EAPL and the AEO. Building permit issued by the ABC. Permit to Commence Work issued by EAPL. After completion of construction Certificate of Compliance for Use / Occupancy issued by the ABC. Approvals will be consistent with the Master Plan and the approved MDP. In addition, the new building will be designed in accordance with all relevant codes, standards and guidelines. These codes include the Building Code of Australia requirements (including fire protection and ventilation) and any other relevant authority requirements. No additional approvals are required for this proposal under Division 5 or Part 12 of the Act with respect to capacity declarations or the protection of airspace, other than possible temporary penetrations of airspace during the construction phase. 11

12 Figure 2 below summarises the typical MDP process: Key stakeholder consultations Airservices Australia Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Moonee Valley City Council Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development (Cth) Department of the Environment and Energy (Cth) Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (Vic) Transport for Victoria Determine whether the proposal is a Major Development and requires an MDP Develop Exposure Draft MDP in accordance with s91 of the Airports Act Prepare Preliminary Draft MDP Public exhibition of Preliminary Draft MDP Preliminary Draft MDP referred to relevant State and local authorities Consideration of submissions, Supplementary Report, Prepare Draft MDP Draft MDP submitted to Minister Advice received Minister considers Draft MDP Draft MDP referred to Department of the Environment and Energy (Cth) Minister approves MDP Minister approves MDP with conditions. Minister refuses MDP with reasons. Finalise MDP 12

13 3.0 Site and Surrounds 3.1 Essendon Fields The proposed office development site is located on land at Essendon Fields. Essendon Fields comprises approximately 305 hectares of Commonwealth land, situated approximately 11 kilometres northwest of Melbourne s Central Business District (CBD) and approximately 7 kilometres south-east of Melbourne Airport. Essendon Fields is located in an established urban area surrounded by industrial, commercial and residential land uses and the suburbs of Airport West, Essendon, Niddrie, Tullamarine Strathmore and Strathmore Heights. There is a range of existing office and retail uses located in immediate proximity to the subject site to the south and east. DFO shopping centre and the Homemaker Hub are also located at Essendon Fields and is situated on land within the south-east section of the airport. 3.2 Surrounds The surrounding area of Essendon Fields to the north comprises residential uses and a large active open space reserve known as Boeing Reserve. Boeing Reserve offers a range of recreation activities and is home to the Essendon Baseball Club. Surrounding land to the east and south is generally made up of established residential areas. To the west of the site, on the west side of the Tullamarine Freeway is the Airport West Principal Activity Centre. This centre comprises a mix of retail, commercial, industrial and residential uses. Westfield Shopping Centre and Skyway Tavern are situated to the north of this centre. Towards the east of the centre is a range of retail premises along Matthews Avenue and to the south and west are residential areas and community facilities such as schools and public open spaces. The site is well connected to the metropolitan arterial road network. The road network provides excellent access to Melbourne International Airport and Melbourne CBD, as well as connections to the Western Ring Road, Calder Freeway and neighboring suburbs. Refer to Figure 3 below. Figure 3: Surrounding Area 3.3 Subject Site The proposed office development site is located within the Airport s English Street Precinct on the north-east corner of the intersection between English Street and Nomad Road. The subject site is approximately 5,133 sqm and is currently vacant with no established trees present. The site is bounded by English Street to the south, vacant land to the immediate east and north and Nomad Road to the west. (Refer to Figures 4 and 5). 13

14 Figure 4: Office site location plan Figure 5: Office site location photo 14

15 4.0 Proposed Development EAPL seeks to construct a modern six (6) storey office building on Airport land, which will be put to market to secure an occupier if this MDP is approved. The proposed development comprises up to 22,200 sqm Gross Floor Area which includes up to 14,100 sqm Net Lettable Area (NLA) of office space and a café of up to 250 sqm NLA. 423 car spaces will be attributed to the development, based on the rate of 3.0 car spaces per 100 sqm of Net Lettable Office Area, as recommended by EAPL s traffic consultant. The basis for the car parking provision is detailed in Section of this MDP. The development is proposed to be designed in line with the Victorian Government Office Building Guidelines and is expected to generate approximately 1000 direct ongoing jobs and approximately 120 direct jobs during construction. (Economic benefits of the proposal are discussed further in Section 6.5 of this MDP). Details of the proposal are provided below. It is noted that the proposal is subject to detailed design and construction feasibility and as such the design will change slightly during and after the MDP approval process. There will be some changes to the design in order to achieve the most cost effective and efficient functioning of the proposed building, as well as to meet tenant requirements. However, the final design will be no more than the parameters stated above. Refer to Appendix B for development plans and elevations of the proposed development. 4.1 Project objectives The proposal provides a large office building which is required to cater for the increased commercial demand at Essendon Fields. The objectives relevant to this development include: Provide high quality office accommodation which meets government requirements. Contribute to employment opportunities within the Airport and local area. Optimise social and economic benefits to the Airport and region. Add high quality built form which contributes to the business environment of the airport. Contribute to the overall financial viability of the airport through compatible non-aviation development. This proposal seeks to provide essential commercial space in a prime location within the English Street Precinct. The proposal will not interfere or conflict with providing a safe and secure airport and aircraft facilities. 4.2 Description of the Proposal This MDP outlines the details of the proposed development. The development proposes to construct a modern six storey building primarily for office use. The building is designed to be occupied by a single office tenant, but with flexibility to be occupied by multiple tenants if required in the future. The design philosophy for the proposal is to provide a modern office building that can cater to Government office standards. The design concept creates a building in a plus shape to deliver a unique building structure and layout. The building will be placed in a landscaped setting to provide visual and landscape continuity in the English Street Precinct. 15

16 4.2.1 Basement Floor The basement floor is proposed to be constructed approximately 3 metres below natural surface level. The basement floor will comprise the following: 50 car parking spaces. 114 bicycle spaces. Male and female shower/changing rooms. Water storage tanks. Waste and storage rooms Ground Floor Ground floor pedestrian access is provided via English Street. Key features of the ground floor include: Approximately 1,800 sqm of office space. Reception area including multiple shop front interview rooms. Café (250 sqm). Storage and service facilities First Floor The first floor will comprise a layout including approximately 2,700 sqm of office space and storage facilities Second Floor Fourth Floor The second floor fourth floor will comprise identical layouts including approximately 2,760 sqm of office space and storage facilities Fifth Floor The fifth floor will comprise approximately 1,200 sqm of office space (fronting English Street) and a further approximate 1,400 sqm will be reserved for services associated with the building in both undercover and open plant areas. 4.3 Building Material and Finishes The design of the building will have regard to the existing built form at Essendon Fields and will primarily include glass and concrete cladding. Plant and equipment will be appropriately screened. 4.4 Building Height The maximum height of the proposed building is 101.5m Australian Height Datum (AHD) including roof vents, lift over-runs and other building equipment. The proposed development will therefore not penetrate the prescribed airspace for Essendon Airport. (Refer Chapter 6.4.1) Any temporary obstacles (i.e. construction cranes) will be managed in accordance with the Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations Operation and Maintenance The project will be owned and maintained by EAPL. The future tenant(s) will enter into an agreement with EAPL for the ongoing occupancy and management of the office building. This agreement will require that the operation of the building meets environmental regulations and complies with the Essendon Airport Environmental Strategy. EAPL will also encourage the tenant(s) of the building to develop an Operational Environmental Management Plan. 4.6 Risk and Hazard Management The proposal will be designed to adhere to the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and other relevant codes and standards. Work health and safety requirements within and adjacent to the project will be managed in accordance with the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and associated Regulations. 4.7 Equity of Access Provisions for equity of access will comply with the applicable codes, including the Premises Standards and equity of access provisions of the BCA. 16

17 4.8 Building Services and Facilities The airport site is serviced to the boundary by all utilities, as such the project will: Be connected to an electricity supply adequate to support the building and its services. Be connected to the airport water supply provided by City West Water which is adequate and readily available. Be connected to the existing wastewater and sewerage reticulation systems in the airport which has available capacity and discharges into the City West Water sewer system at the boundary of Essendon Fields. Be connected to the proponent s private telecommunications network which includes fiber optic connection for modern telecommunications and internet services. Include the installation of energy efficient light fittings internally and externally, where appropriate. External light fittings will be installed to comply with air safety requirements outlined in Chapter 9 of the CASA Manual of Standards Part 139 Aerodromes. Include heating, ventilation and air conditioning plant and equipment suitable for a development of this type. 4.9 Landscaping and Bird Attraction EAPL is responsible for the design, construction and management of all landscaping on the airport site. Landscaping will be consistent with the high standards established on the airport site for other completed projects. In accordance with EAPL s Protection of Aviation Activity Policy contained within the Essendon Airport Land Use Plan, EAPL will have regard to the potential for bird strikes. Suitable landscaping species will be selected consistent with EAPL s Wildlife Hazard Management Plan and having regard to their potential to attract birds with a view to minimising bird strikes. The management of rubbish will be undertaken in a similar manner to that implemented in other buildings on-airport to ensure no bird attraction or foreign object debris risk exists Signage Signage of the completed building will be generally consistent with other signage throughout the airport and will include: Identification and branding signage on the building. Concept design renderings exhibit some notional draft treatment but are not intended to represent the signage package. In particular the entire parapet of the roofline will be made available for appropriate branding and identification. Signs will not be allowed to protrude or be placed above the parapet of the building. Tenant signs. Ground transport and traffic signage. Safety and hazard signage. Any other signage as required. In approving signage for the development, EAPL will consider the Decision Guidelines in Clause of the Essendon Airport Land Use Plan Lighting Lighting designs for the proposed office building will minimise light spill and meet the requirements of the Light Control Zone for the two runways at Essendon Fields. Lighting will be designed to meet the requirements for these zones as detailed in Section of this MDP Construction EAPL has considerable experience in managing construction projects of a large scale and will 17

18 oversee the construction contractor during the construction phase. Sufficient laydown and lay-by areas for construction activities will be provided and access to and through the precinct will be maintained with minimal disturbance. During the construction period it is anticipated a peak construction workforce in the order of 120 personnel could be on-site. The principal construction contractors will be required to develop and implement a site-specific Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) approved by EAPL for the building construction (refer to Section 6.6). suburban location. Predictive energy modelling undertaken during the design phase would provide confidence that the desired rating is capable of being achieved. The project has also committed to achieving a 5 star Green Star Design and As-Built rating, which will necessarily drive further enhancements to energy consumption, as well as a range of other holistic environmental sustainability considerations. Together these initiatives provide consistency with and exceed the objectives of Section 11.2 of the Essendon Airport Environmental Strategy. EAPL will proactively monitor the construction process to ensure compliance with the CEMP and the Essendon Airport Environmental Strategy. EAPL s environmental consultant will undertake site inspections on a monthly basis to check compliance with the CEMP and share its findings with the Airport Environment Officer (AEO) to manage any non-conformances. Additionally, EAPL will require that the site-specific CEMP includes a requirement for the construction contractor to submit a quarterly report to EAPL and the AEO outlining whether the CEMP has been complied with for the previous three month period National Australian Built Environment Rating System The National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) is a system that measures the environmental performance of Australian buildings, tenancies and homes. NABERS measures energy efficiency, water usage, waste management and indoor environment quality of a building or tenancy and its impact on the environment. The proposed development is designed to an Office Base Building Energy Rating of 4.5 star NABERS, which demonstrates a high performance building. This rating is the minimum required for a Victorian Government office tenant and is appropriate for the 18

19 4.14 Car Parking The car parking provision of 423 car spaces will be provided as follows: 50 car spaces within the basement level of the development; and 375 off-site car spaces to be created within the nearby area for use by occupants of the building. EAPL will review car parking adequacy after completion of the development. Should any additional car parking demand arise, EAPL is capable of providing these within its wider car parking strategy. As the precinct develops further, EAPL will relocate these car bays into new car parks to be constructed on part of the site or within the nearby area. Initially, the off-site car spaces will be provided atgrade adjacent to the development site. (Refer Figure 6). Figure 6 Off-site car parking provision (shaded yellow) 19

20 5.0 Statutory and Policy Compliance 5.1 Statutory Context: Commonwealth Legislation A major airport development, as defined under the Act, requires the preparation of a Major Development Plan (MDP) which must be approved by the Minister. The contents of an MDP are set out in section 91 of the Act. Appendix A sets out the consistency of this MDP with the requirements of the Act and demonstrates this MDP is consistent with these requirements. EAPL holds a long term lease over the Essendon Fields Airport site from the Commonwealth of Australia. All building and development activities are regulated by Commonwealth legislation consisting of, but not limited to: Airports Act 1996 (Cth). Airports Regulations 1997 (Cth). Airports (Building Control) Regulations 1996 (Cth). Airports (Environmental Protection) Regulations 1997 (Cth). Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth). Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations 1996 (Cth). Civil Aviation Safety Authority Manual of Standards Part 139 Aerodromes. 5.2 Airports Act 1996 In accordance with the Act an MDP must be prepared where a major development is proposed. The proposal is defined as a major airport development according to Section 89(1)(e) as: (e) constructing a new building, where: o (i) the building is not wholly or principally for use as a passenger terminal; and o (ii) the cost of construction exceeds $20 million or such higher amount as is prescribed. As the construction cost of the office development will exceed $20 million, the proposal is therefore subject to the provisions of the Act. An MDP is thus required to be prepared to provide the details of the project and outline the likely impacts for approval by the Commonwealth Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. The contents of an MDP are set out in Section 91 of the Act and include: Objectives of the development. Assessment of the extent to which the future needs of users of the airport (civil aviation and others) will be met by the development. Detailed outline of the development. Whether or not the development is consistent with the airport lease. Whether or not the proposed development is consistent with the final master plan. If the development could affect noise exposure levels at the airport and the effect on those levels. If the development could affect flight paths at the airport and the effect on those flight paths. The airport-lessee company s plans for managing aircraft noise intrusion in areas forecast to be subject to exposure above the significant ANEF levels. Outline of the approvals that the airport-lessee company, or any other person, has sought, is seeking or proposes to seek under Division 5 or Part 12 in respect of elements of the development. 20

21 The likely effect of the proposed developments that are set out in the major development plan, or the draft of the major development plan, on: o o o (i) traffic flows at the airport and surrounding the airport. (ii) employment levels at the airport. (iii) the local and regional economy and community, including an analysis of how the proposed developments fit within the local planning schemes for commercial and retail development in the adjacent area. An assessment of the environmental impacts that might reasonably be expected to be associated with the development. Plans for dealing with the environmental impacts (including plans for ameliorating or preventing environmental impacts). If the plan relates to a sensitive development the exceptional circumstances that the airportlessee company claims will justify the development of the sensitive development at the airport. Such other matters (if any) as are specified in the regulations. This MDP has been prepared in accordance with the requirements listed above. Appendix A Consistency of the MDP with Statutory Requirements provides a guide to how the MDP meets the requirements of the Act. The proposal is not considered to be a sensitive development pursuant to Section 71A of the Act. 5.3 National Airports Safeguarding Framework Guidelines The National Airports Safeguarding Framework (NASF) Guidelines are a national land use planning framework which seeks to: Improve community amenity by minimising aircraft noise-sensitive developments near airports. Improve safety outcomes by ensuring aviation safety requirements are recognised in land use planning decisions through guidelines being adopted by jurisdictions on various safety related issues. The seven NASF guidelines are: Guideline A: Measures for Managing Impacts of Aircraft Noise. Guideline B: Managing the Risk of Building Generated Windshear and Turbulence at Airports. Guideline C: Managing the Risk of Wildlife Strikes in the Vicinity of Airports. Guideline D: Managing the Risk to Aviation Safety of Wind Turbine Installations (Wind Farms) / Wind Monitoring Towers. Guideline E: Managing the Risk of Distraction to Pilots from Lighting in the Vicinity of Airports. Guideline F: Managing the Risk of Intrusions into the Protected Airspace of Airports. Guideline G: Protecting Aviation Facilities Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS). The Aviation Assessment prepared by Rehbein Airport Consulting (Appendix F) provides an assessment of the project against the guidelines. The office project is consistent with these guidelines for the following reasons: The office development site lies within the current ANEF 30 noise contour and is considered conditionally acceptable within this ANEF. Noise attenuation will be provided as required. (Guideline A). The building s windshear assessment height at 21

22 101.5m AHD is within the 1:35 slope and requires further assessment. However a number of existing large buildings lie between the site and the runways. This will reduce the potential for building generated turbulence which EAPL considers is unlikely in this location. A wind tunnel assessment will be provided to CASA and the Regulator. (Guideline B). Further assessment against Guideline B is provided at Section 6.4 and Section Landscaping around the building will be consistent with the English Street Landscaping Strategy and will not use bird attracting species. (Guideline C). No wind turbine installations are proposed. (Guideline D). The development site is within the light control zones for the two runways and the building will need to meet the restrictions associated with Zone B. Consideration of these restrictions will occur in detailed design for the office building. (Guideline E). The building height of the proposed office development will not infringe on the OLS Inner Horizontal Surface elevation nor on the Basic ILS surface for the airport. Thus it will not intrude on Prescribed Airspace. Construction activities will be considered to ensure any necessary temporary intrusions are approved. (Guideline F). The proposed office development is outside the lateral limits of Runway 26 building restricted areas and thus will not interfere with the operation of the marker beacon system for the runway. (Guideline G). In summary, EAPL will ensure the proposed development will comply with the NASF Guidelines. 5.4 Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 The Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (the EPBC Act) provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places defined in the Act as matters of national environmental significance. Given the airport is located on Commonwealth land, the project is subject to the provisions of the EPBC Act. The project is not anticipated to have any environmental effects and will not affect any matters of national environmental significance. Section 6.2 of this MDP provides details on the ecological and heritage significance of the site as well as other environmental considerations and how they will be managed. The project does not trigger a referral under the EPBC Act as the land has been heavily modified and disturbed; no native flora and fauna is present on the site; and the proposal is not for a use or activity of environmental significance. 5.5 Essendon Airport Master Plan 2013 The current Essendon Airport Master Plan 2013 (Master Plan) was approved on 23 April 2014 by the Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. The Master Plan identifies opportunities for commercial development within the airport s nonaviation areas. The objectives for non-aviation development in the Master Plan are: Create an activity centre situated between Melbourne Airport and Melbourne CBD. Create a master planned business community which facilitates high quality developments. Complement the aviation activities. Encourage local employment for the north and 22

23 west of Melbourne. The office project is consistent with these objectives for the following reasons: The proposal will continue to develop Essendon Fields as a viable activity centre by providing significant additional office space. The employees accommodated will support existing businesses by spending in the centre and surrounding area. The proposed office building is designed to meet 4.5 star NABERS criteria and will provide a high quality development in a landscaped setting. The proposal will complement aviation activities by supporting the overall viability of the airport. The proposal will provide for approximately 1000 employees in the north west of Melbourne. In addition it will provide for jobs during construction. The English Street Precinct, where the proposal site is located, is envisaged to be further developed with high value commercial developments including offices. The Master Plan proposes establishing 10,000sqm of new commercial floor space and associated car parking in the English Street Precinct to complement existing use of commercial and retail tenants. The proposed office development will provide 14,000sqm of office space. This is generally consistent with the Master Plan s priorities for the English Street Precinct. Section 94 of the Act states that the Minister must not approve a Draft MDP unless it is consistent with the final (approved) Master Plan for the airport. For the reasons stated above, EAPL considers the proposal is consistent with the objectives of the Essendon Airport Master Plan 2013 and therefore should be approved Essendon Airport Land Use Plan The Master Plan includes a detailed Land Use Plan (LUP) in order to provide a clear planning framework for the use and development of land at the Airport. The LUP provides zone controls as well as guidance for identified precincts. The office development site is located within the Business 2 Zone of the LUP. The LUP provides direction on economic development and includes the following objectives and strategies: To achieve the vision by realising the full development potential of landside areas for commercial purposes. To actively promote the airport as a new place of business. To revitalise the airport through increased business activity. To create a campus-style business park providing a well landscaped and pleasant environment. To provide additional employment opportunities for the region. Promote English Street and Bulla Road precincts as the focus for commercial and retail development with a range of activities. The office development will facilitate the achievement of these economic objectives by providing a substantial area of leasable floor space for employment opportunities. This will also increase activity and the range of services and facilities available at the airport and within the preferred English Street precinct. The LUP includes planning policy for the English Street Precinct at Clause which includes the following objective: To ensure that development enhances the 23

24 presentation of English Street as the main entrance to the airport through the establishment of the precinct with an office focus and through appropriate design, siting and landscaping. Clause of the LUP notes it is policy that: The precinct will be promoted and developed as the main location for office activities. Architectural expression promotes and reinforces the campus-style theme of the airport. Building frontage setbacks should complement and reinforce the boulevard character of English Street and Office Boulevard. View corridor opportunities into the site from Matthews Avenue and the commencement of English Street should be promoted and enhanced. Development on areas not directly fronting English Street or Office Boulevard also reinforce the campus-style character of the precinct. The office development will achieve the intent of the English Street Precinct policy by: Creating high quality built form within the gateway precinct of the airport which makes an important visual statement. Providing a design consistent with the campus-style theme by providing a medium rise (six story) office building with modern features in a landscaped setting. Reinforcing the English Street Precinct s status as the main location for office activities and higher-value commercial development. Enhancing the scenic amenity and boulevard character of English Street Essendon Airport Environmental Strategy The Essendon Airport Environmental Strategy prepared under Part 6 of the Act was approved along with the 2013 Master Plan on 23 April Chapter 7 of this MDP indicates that the proposal is consistent with the Environmental Strategy. EAPL accepts responsibility for ensuring the implementation of the identified environmental management procedures to mitigate environmental impacts associated with this MDP and maintain consistency with the Environmental Strategy. 5.6 Airport Lease The Commonwealth of Australia retains ownership of the airport site, which is leased to EAPL for 50 years with a further term of 49 years available. As Lessee, EAPL is required by the Commonwealth to provide for the use of the airport site as an airport and for access to the airport by interstate and intrastate transport. The lease also provides: Throughout the term the Lessee must develop the Airport Site at its own cost and expense having regard to: a) the actual and anticipated future growth in, and pattern of, traffic demand for the Airport Site. b) the quality standards reasonably expected of such an airport in Australia. c) Good Business Practice. The office proposal is consistent with the airport lease. The construction of the project is in response to the needs of airport users and the current and anticipated future growth in activity at the airport. EAPL will not commence construction without obtaining pre-commitments to occupy the majority of the office space, on commercial terms that are satisfactory to EAPL. This is in line with the need to continue to undertake good business practice with 24

25 regard to the future use and development on Airport land. Refer to Section 1.7 Need and Justification of Airport Users and Section 6.5 Economic Impacts of this MDP for further information. 5.7 Pre-Existing Interests In preparing this MDP, EAPL has considered all interests in the land existing at the time the airport lease was created, including leases, sub-leases, licenses and easements. There are no conflicts or inconsistencies existing between these interests and the proposals in this MDP. There are no unregistered easements affecting the subject site and no infrastructure owned by other parties. 5.8 Development and Building Approvals In addition to any MDP requirements, construction of the project is subject to: The submission of an application for a Building Permit to the Airport Building Controller (ABC) in accordance with the Airports (Building Control) Regulations The submission by the construction contractor of a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP), for review and acceptance by the proponent and the AEO. There is no requirement for any airspace approval under Part 12 of the Act for the project on completion, and all building permits will be obtained in accordance with Provision 5 of the Act. An Application under Part 12 of the Act may be required for temporary obstacles (cranes) during construction of the office. The need for any such approval will be determined following consultation with Airservices, CASA and the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development. A Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) will be prepared by EAPL s construction contractor following approval of the MDP. The CEMP will provide measures to ensure impacts from construction on the airport and its users including dust, noise, runoff, vibration and traffic are minimal or avoided entirely. 5.9 Consistency with State Planning Essendon Fields is Commonwealth land where state planning legislation, in particular, the Victorian Planning and Environment Act 1987 does not apply. However, pursuant to Section 91(1)(ga)(iii) of the Airports Act 1996, this MDP includes an analysis of how the proposed developments fit within the local planning schemes for commercial and retail development in the adjacent area. An assessment of the proposed office development against State and Local planning, including Plan Melbourne and the Moonee Valley Planning Scheme is provided below Plan Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Strategy The Plan Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Strategy (Plan Melbourne) was released in March 2017 and is The Victorian Government s Vision for the City in Plan Melbourne identifies Essendon Airport as a major transport gateway of state significance. Policy of Plan Melbourne includes a requirement to support major transport gateways as important locations for employment and economic activity. It also notes that the airport corridor (Melbourne Airport and Essendon Airport) has the potential to become one of Australia s leading transport and logistics hubs. Plan Melbourne notes that designated airports and their surrounds will be protected from incompatible land uses to ensure they keep generating economic activity and new jobs and that adjacent complementary uses and 25

26 employment-generating activities will be encouraged. The Master Plan supports Plan Melbourne s policy by seeking to create an employment hub at the airport which supports its aviation role. As noted previously the office proposal is consistent with the Master Plan and thus with Plan Melbourne Moonee Valley Planning Scheme The Moonee Valley Planning Scheme (MVPS) regulates the development of various land uses and activities that surround the airport site. The MVPS comprises both State (Clauses 9-19) and Local (Clauses 21 and 22) Planning Policy Frameworks. The following sections assess the proposal against relevant aspects of the State and Local Planning Policy Frameworks of the MVPS State Planning Policy Framework The State Planning Policy Framework (SPPF) provides a number of provisions which are relevant to airport planning and this MDP. Firstly, the SPPF at Clause reiterates Plan Melbourne in identifying Essendon Airport as a major transport gateway and including the following strategy: Support major Transport Gateways as important locations for employment and economic activity by: o Protecting designated ports, airports, freight terminals and their environs from incompatible land uses. o Encouraging adjacent complementary uses and employment generating activities. The SPPF provides specific direction for airports at Clause Planning for Airports. The objective of this is to strengthen the role of Victoria s airports within the State s economic and transport infrastructure and protecting their ongoing operation. This is supported by strategies including: Protect airports from incompatible land-uses. Ensuring that in the planning of airports, landuse decisions are integrated, appropriate landuse buffers are in place and provision is made for associated businesses that service airports. Ensuring the planning of airports identifies and encourages activities that complement the role of the airport and enables the operator to effectively develop the airport to be efficient and functional and contributes to the aviation needs of the State. Recognise Essendon Airport s current role in providing specialised functions related to aviation, freight and logistics and its potential future role as a significant employment and residential precinct that builds on the current functions. Clause of the MVPS requires consideration of both the National Airports Safeguarding Framework (NASF). The office project MDP supports the SPPF outlined above by providing for development which complements Essendon Airport s aviation role and generates employment within the precinct Local Planning Policy Framework The Local Planning Policy Framework (LPPF) of the Moonee Valley Planning Scheme (MVPS) provides direction for land use and development in the areas surrounding the airport. The relevant policy of the LPPF includes: Clause includes a strategic framework plan which identifies Essendon Airport as an employment node within the municipality. It also identifies the airport s proximity to the employment node and Principal Activity Centre 26

27 at Airport West. Clause seeks to ensure that new commercial development maximises investment and employment opportunities in the City s activity centres. Clause relates specifically to Essendon Airport and notes: it generates significant economic benefits for the city and forms part of the broader Essendon Fields Business Park; Essendon Fields offers significant economic growth and employment opportunities for the City due to its size and strategic location; and there is significant potential to create synergies between Airport West and Essendon Fields to facilitate the development of an employment and innovation cluster within the City. The objective for Essendon Airport at Clause is to ensure the continued growth and development of the Essendon Fields Business Park and its role as a key investment and employment centre within the City. Supporting strategies are: o Continue to work with Essendon Airport, airport-lessee company (pursuant to the Airports Act 1996 (Commonwealth)) to facilitate the development of an employment and innovation cluster with Airport West. o Advocate for improved public transport to Essendon Fields, Essendon Airport terminals and Airport West and between. Clause provides guidance on built form and in particular requires development to be contemporary and complement its surroundings. Clause recognises the role of Essendon Airport for transport and as a significant generator of employment opportunities. Its objective is to encourage the safe and effective operation of the Essendon Airport for the community. This MDP is consistent with the LPPF including its objectives and strategies relating to Essendon Airport and activity centres. It does this by: Providing increased employment opportunities at the airport and in the Airport West area. Creating a contemporary building which will not impact on the aviation activities and role of the airport. Supports the economic role of the airport and the employment node by increasing available office floor space Prescribed Airspace The Act and the Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations 1999 (Regulations) can declare the airspace around airports as Prescribed Airspace to protect the airspace for the safe aircraft movements. The proposed office building will not penetrate the airports Prescribed Airspace as the height at 101.5m AHD is well under the Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) of Detailed design for the office building will seek to ensure minimal impact on the Prescribed Airspace from plume rise from the development s exhaust infrastructure. Further details on the potential impact on Prescribed Airspace are provided in Section and in Appendix F Aviation Assessment Noise Exposure The proposed office site is located within the ANEF 30 Noise Contour as contained in the Essendon Airport Master Plan The Australian Standard AS Acoustics Aircraft noise intrusion Building siting and construction identifies a commercial building as conditionally acceptable 27

28 between the ANEF 25 and ANEF 35 noise contours. The proposed office development has been designed to comply with AS in relation to noise attenuation to ensure employees are not affected by aircraft noise exposure. The primary factors that affect aircraft noise intrusion are the roof structure and the façade. As per the specification of the recently constructed Hyatt Hotel at Essendon Fields, the design specification will meet the required standards. This may include the use of double glazing, etc (Refer chapter 6.2.7). 28

29 6.0 Assessment of Impacts 6.1 Overview This section provides an assessment of the potential impacts of the project that might reasonably be expected to be associated with the development and which may arise during the operational and construction phases. Specialist investigations have been undertaken to assess the impacts of the project from environmental, heritage, traffic, aviation, economic and construction perspectives. These impacts are discussed below. In summary no significant adverse impacts are anticipated from the development. Copies of relevant reports are provided. 6.2 Environmental Impacts Environmental impacts relate to: Flora and Fauna Geological and legacy soil contamination Visual impacts Heritage impacts Hydrology and water quality impacts Air Quality Noise Waste Management Dangerous Goods & Hazardous Substances Resource Use These are discussed below with regard to the operation of the completed development. Environmental impacts during construction are discussed at Chapter Flora and Fauna Essendon Airport (EAPL) has previously undertaken a range of studies with regards to ecological values at the airport. This included a 1998 report by Ecology Australia which classified the Airport as being of low biological value due to significant and historical clearing of land and urban development. The airport does not contain any environmentally significant areas, rather exotic grassland is the main fauna habitat. This 1998 report was supported by a 2014 study of various sites within the English Street Precinct, including the subject site, by Jacobs SKM which confirmed there are no patches of native vegetation communities, no threatened communities or species and no matters of National Environmental Significance within the subject site. In particular, no Natural Temperate Grasslands of the Victorian Volcanic Plan (NTGVVP) were found at the development site. NTGVVP was listed on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) because it provides a habitat for many threatened species, such as the golden sun moth and the striped legless lizard. Regarding the striped legless lizard, the flora and fauna study completed in 1998 (Ecology Australia) reported the exotic grasslands of the airport are not considered suitable habitat for the species and it is very unlikely that the species would occur at the airport. A survey of the entire undeveloped land at Essendon Fields was conducted in 2012 to determine the presence of the Golden Sun Moth. No Golden Sun Moths were detected during the target surveys and it was concluded that development of the airport is not likely to have an impact on this species (Biosis Research, 2012). As discussed above, a survey of the subject site in 2014 re-confirmed that there are no threatened communities or species and no Matters of National Environmental Significance within the subject site. In summary, the project development site is grassed with exotic species and it is not expected that there will be any impact on native flora and fauna from construction of the office building. EAPL s assessment concludes that the proposed development will not impact protected flora and fauna or matters of national environmental significance Geological and legacy soil contamination Kleinfelder Australia was engaged to undertake a Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (Appendix 29

30 H). The objective for Phase 1 of the assessment was to characterise the environmental setting, surrounding land use, historical land use of the site and related issues and evaluate current and past activities and related practices at the site to establish known or potential sources of soil, groundwater and/or surface water contamination. The report found: The site is expected to be underlain by the Newer Volcanics Formation, identified as fractured or fissured basalt. There are no surface water bodies in the vicinity of the site. The closest water body is Moonee Ponds Creek, more than 1km to the north east. Based on a relatively flat site topography, overland flow is expected to pool or flow towards the southern boundary. There are potential sources of contamination from past and current use within Essendon Airport, however there is no indication of any publicly available evidence of gross contamination of the subject land that would constrain future development and use of the land. Even though off-site commercial activities have been identified, it is unlikely that these will have impacted the site soil media. Further, it is unlikely that the few on-site activities identified resulted in the contamination of site groundwater. The proposed development would require excavation of a single level basement across the site extent. As such, in-situ soil classification will be required to determine soil management options, and can be undertaken concurrent with soil quality data assessment. This process will require the classification of soil to EPA Victoria Industrial Waste Resource Guidelines (IWRG) and/or Airport Regulations criteria, and further require a broad suite of potential contaminants to be analysed. A geotechnical investigation (including a limited soil contamination assessment) will be undertaken as part of the detailed design phase. If legacy soil contamination is identified, this would be dealt with appropriately under the Airports (Environment Protection) Regulations 1997 and other relevant legislation. Per-and poly fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a contaminant of interest which will be tested for at the project site. PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been used in firefighting foams and other industrial and consumer products for many decades. There are currently no Australian standards for the assessment or management of PFAS in soil, sediment, surface water or groundwater. However, a PFAS National Environment Management Plan (NEMP) is currently under development and in the meantime, the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development (Cth) has published guidelines for the environmental management of PFAS at leased Federal Airports. A PFAS Risks Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (Golder Associates, 2016) identified the project site as Low PFAS Risk. Low concentrations of PFAS have been identified in soil nearby to the project site, which is consistent with the Low Risk assessment of the project site and nearby area. EAPL s assessment and managment of any PFAS impacts at the subject site will comply with EPA Victoria legislation and Commonwealth guidelines. In summary, a preliminary environmental site investigation will occur at the site during the detailed design phase, to confirm the presence or otherwise of contamination. Given the Phase 1 assessment finds a low likelihood of contamination, no changes to the design of the office building are proposed Visual impacts A landscape plan has been prepared to accompany this MDP (Appendix B). The landscape plan provides for continuation of the Essendon Fields landscape 30

31 vision and English Street landscaping strategy which provides for development within a well maintained mature landscape setting. Plant species have been chosen having regard to their potential to attract birds, with a view to minimising the potential for bird strikes by aircraft. The office development s medium rise form and contemporary design, including façade treatments, ensures it is complementary in scale and appearance to other buildings in the English Street Precinct of the airport. The building will also ensure the prominence of English Street as a gateway to the airport is reinforced. The building has been designed with an appropriate setback of at least 17 metres from English Street and 12 metres from Nomad Road. As such, the project would enhance the built environment and result in beneficial landscape impacts during operation Heritage Impacts Heritage at Essendon Fields has previously been assessed. This includes a Heritage Management Strategy prepared in relation to built form heritage by Godden Mackay Logan (2006). Cultural heritage has also been assessed. Key heritage considerations from these documents include: The Essendon Airport precinct is included on the Register of the National Estate due to being historically significant as Melbourne s main civilian airport and one of Australia s major civilian airports from 1921 to The Essendon Airport Environmental Strategy includes the objective to protect and preserve all identified items with significant Commonwealth Heritage values at the airport. Items of heritage were identified in an assessment by Godden Mackay Logan Heritage (Heritage Management Strategy 2006). Aboriginal Affairs (Victoria) has previously confirmed there are no records of Aboriginal archaeological sites at Essendon Airport. Further, given the highly modified nature of the site no impact from development is likely to harm Aboriginal cultural material. Aboriginal Affairs has provided procedures should any such material be uncovered in future development. The office project development site is not considered to be historically significant, nor does it adjoin any of the airport s historic items or any site of potential Aboriginal cultural material. No changes to the design are required and the operation of the development will have no impact to heritage values at Essendon Airport Hydrology and Water Quality During operation of the development, the potential impacts to the stormwater network and receiving waters will be related to increasing runoff resulting from an increase in impervious areas. In particular, car parking areas have the potential to add hydrocarbons and other pollutants to surface water runoff if not managed effectively. Stormwater at Essendon Fields is collected via a network of underground drains that collect surface runoff from the runways, buildings, roads and other impervious areas at the airport. As part of the ongoing redevelopment of areas of Essendon Airport, water sensitive urban design (WSUD) features have been, and continue to be, incorporated as part of the design and construction of buildings and infrastructure. Stormwater from the office development site will be captured and directed into the existing piped Moonee Valley City Council main outfall system. Management of stormwater will occur in line with the Essendon Airport Environmental Strategy to maintain quality and quantity. The detailed design phase of the development will document WSUD features to minimise the discharge of sediment and pollutants into the off- 31

32 Airport stormwater network, as required under the Essendon Airport Environmental Strategy (EAPL, 2013). For example, WSUD measures can include rainwater harvesting and recycling, retention tanks to slow discharge to the stormwater network and the installation of bio-swales to treat surface water runoff. It is stated in the Essendon Airport Environmental Strategy (EAPL, 2013) that groundwater is located between 23 to 29 metres below the surface level within the Newer Volcanics basalts. This is consistent with recent groundwater sampling undertaken nearby at 260 Wirraway Road which identified the depth to groundwater at that site ranged from metres to metres (Kleinfelder, 2017). A site specific Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) will be prepared to ensure construction of the project does not impact water quality. Given the depth to groundwater, there is a low likelihood of any impact on groundwater due to the project. After project-specific WSUD features are implemented to ensure no exceedances of water criteria listed in the Airports (Environment Protection) Regulations 1997, EAPL has assessed there will be a minimal stormwater impacts associated with the development Air Quality Sources of non-aviation, ground-based air pollution at Essendon Fields include ground traffic (private vehicles, taxis, buses and service vehicles) fuel storage and refueling operations, other mechanical equipment and dust generated during construction. The nearest sensitive receptors are residences located approximately 520 metres from the development site, on the opposite side of the Tullamarine Freeway. Potential impacts from the operation of the proposed office development will be associated with the building s mechanical systems and plant and additional vehicle traffic. EAPL will ensure the development complies with relevant legislative requirements for emissions. Green Star rating tools reward sustainability outcomes and encourage moving beyond standard practice. EAPL has committed to achieving a 5 star Green Star Design & As-Built rating for this project, which will drive enhancements to energy consumption, as well as a range of other holistic environmental sustainability considerations. Green Star Design & As-Built projects can achieve a Green Star certification of 4 to 6 Star Green Star, where 4 Star represents best practice, 5 Star represents Australian excellence and 6 Star represents world class. There would be negligible impacts from the operation of the building on internal air quality and air quality at sensitive receptors Noise The site is located within the ANEF 30 Noise Contour, as contained in the Essendon Airport Master Plan Accordingly, the noise environment is primarily dominated by aircraft noise. The Australian Standard AS 2021:2015 Acoustics Aircraft noise intrusion Building siting and construction identifies a commercial building as conditionally acceptable between the ANEF 25 and ANEF 35 noise contours. The detailed design phase will take account of AS 2021:2015. The primary factors that affect aircraft noise intrusion are the roof structure and the facade. As per the specification of the recently constructed Hyatt Hotel at Essendon Fields, the design specification will meet the required standards and can be achieved, for example, through sound insulation in the building envelope 32

33 such as acoustic glazing. Therefore, operational noise impacts on internal receptors would be negligible. The nearest sensitive receptors are residences located approximately 520 metres from the development site, on the opposite side of the Tullamarine Freeway. Plant and machinery noise from the operation of the development is expected to have no impact to local residents or other sensitive receptors Waste Management The site is currently vacant land with no waste outputs. The site is located within the English Street Precinct where the main waste is non-putrescible (general solid waste) from office and retail operations. The building is designed to be a single office tenancy, with the flexibility to be a multi-tenant building. For single tenancies, the management of waste is the responsibility of the tenant. However, EAPL continues to monitor and assist tenants to improve their waste management. For multi-tenanted buildings where the waste management is under EAPL control, EAPL implements a waste segregation program to encourage recycling. The operator of the café tenancy will likely require a Trade Waste agreement with City West Water, for the discharge of waste into the sewer network. EAPL will ensure Trade Waste agreements are in place for the building, as required. EAPL also undertakes audits to ensure sub-lessees at Essendon Fields have current Trade Waste agreements. The impact of the project on waste volumes would therefore be low during operation Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Substances The site is currently vacant land with no dangerous good or hazardous substances stored on site. The storage and handling of dangerous goods or hazardous substances is not covered by Commonwealth legislation for Airports. Therefore the relevant legislation is the Victorian Dangerous Goods Act 1985, the Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations 2012, the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations Given the predominately office use of the proposed building, minimal dangerous goods or hazardous materials are likely to be stored at the site. EAPL will require sublessees of the building to comply with relevant legislation regarding the storage and handling of dangerous goods or hazardous substances, including correct disposal. EAPL undertakes periodic audits of tenancies to check compliance with these requirements. The impact of dangerous goods or hazardous substances during operation is therefore assessed as negligible Resource Use Office buildings have the potential to be heavy users of energy and water resources if not designed to minimise consumption of resources (and associated greenhouse gas emissions). Green Star rating tools reward sustainability outcomes and encourage moving beyond standard practice. EAPL has committed to achieving a 5 star Green Star Design & As-Built rating for this project, which will drive enhancements during the detailed design phase to energy consumption, as well as a range of other holistic environmental sustainability considerations. Green Star Design & As-Built projects can achieve a Green Star certification of 4 to 6 Star Green Star, 33

34 where 4 Star represents best practice, 5 Star represents Australian excellence and 6 Star represents world class. Additionally, EAPL has committed to design the building to an Office Base Building Energy Rating of 4.5 Star NABERS. The National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) is a rating system that measures energy efficiency and environmental performance. The NABERS Energy and Water tools for offices, shopping centres and hotels measure performance on a rating scale from 0 to 6 stars Predictive energy modelling undertaken during the design stage will provide confidence that the desired rating of 4.5 Star NABERS is capable of being achieved for the Base Building (central services and common areas). Increased resource use as a result of the operation of the development is unavoidable in the current market conditions (e.g. commercial return and good business practice). However, the environmental efficiency commitments will lead to relatively low and acceptable impacts on resource use. 6.3 Traffic Impacts Traffic consultants One Mile Grid prepared a Transport Impact Assessment (TIA) (Appendix D) and a Green Travel Plan (GTP) (Appendix E) (September 2017) in relation to the proposed office building development at the airport. The TIA has been prepared to assess the potential traffic impacts associated with the proposed development. The main conclusions from the assessment are: It is recommended that parking be provided at a rate of spaces per 100 sqm to ensure that parking impacts are not created within and around Essendon Fields. This recommendation is equivalent to total car spaces; An assessment of development-generated traffic impacts was undertaken using 2017 estimated traffic volumes as a base case for assessment. The additional traffic, estimated at between peak hour movements would be readily accommodated within the soon-to-be completed Matthews Avenue / English Street / Freeway Interchange and the existing Wirraway Road / Melrose Drive / Tullamarine Freeway intersection without need for additional mitigation works; Traffic volumes internal to the site are expected to be readily accommodated by the existing road network; and The proposed development does not raise any issues that have a significant impact on the local or regional community. The traffic engineering advice is discussed in further details below Public Transport The subject area is serviced by public transport with bus and tram services operating along Matthews Avenue on the western side of Tullamarine Freeway. The Public Transport Victoria (PTV) services in the area are detailed in the table overpage. There are a number of public transport services in the vicinity of Essendon Fields. However, with the exception of the Smart Bus connection to the DFO, PTV currently does not provide bus services into Essendon Fields (Refer Figure 7). EAPL has recognised this issue and has contracted a bus operator to operate an independent bus service for workers of Essendon Fields. The service provides a link from English Street Essendon Fields to Essendon Railway Station, which currently runs at 30 minute intervals between 7:15am to 9:30am and 4:15pm to 6:30pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). 34

35 A Green Travel Plan has been prepared as part of this development to encourage travel mode behaviour change and to promote use of sustainable transport options such as walking, cycling, public transport or car-pooling. (Refer Appendix E). Key initiatives of the Green Travel Plan include: Bicycle facilities comprising secure parking within the basement level, a dedicated bicycle access ramp adjacent to the main vehicle access and end-of-trip facilities including a total of 233 lockers and 22 shower/change rooms. Public transport information to be displayed in the foyer, along with information on the nearest Myki purchase and top-up locations. (EAPL has previously requested PTV authorise a Myki retailer at Essendon Fields so that passengers arriving from interstate can use Victoria s public transport network). Essendon Fields staff shuttle frequency of service to be increased to 15 minute intervals between 7:15am to 9:30am and 4:15pm to 6:30pm Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays). Car-pooling to be encouraged through a central database, preferential parking spaces and offering free taxi vouchers to guarantee a ride home if the driver becomes unexpectedly unavailable. EAPL will be responsible for implementation and monitoring of the Green Travel Plan. For further details refer to Appendix E. 35

36 Service Route No. Description Nearest Stop Tram 59 Airport West Flinders Street Station, City Matthews Ave 477 Moonee Ponds Broadmeadows Station via Essendon, Airport West, Gladstone Park Matthews Ave 478 Airport West SC Melbourne Airport via Melrose Drive 479 Airport West SC Sunbury Station via Melbourne Airport 482 Airport West SC Melbourne Airport via South Centre Road Airport West Shopping Airport West to Gowanbrae via Melrose Drive, Gowanbrae 490 Centre Drive 501 Moonee Ponds Niddrie via Strathmore 902 Chelsea Airport West (SMARTBUS Service) 952 Night Bus City -Footscray Maribyrnong Airport West Gladstone Park - Broadmeadows Matthews Ave Figure 7: Public Transport Accessibility 36

37 6.3.2 Existing Traffic Volumes To assist with the transport planning for Essendon Fields, Jacobs was engaged to collect and survey all traffic and pedestrian movements at the access points to Essendon Fields during October to November The surveys revealed three distinct peak periods: A morning peak hour from 7:45am to 8:45am; An evening peak hour from 4:30pm to 5:30pm; and An afternoon peak from 12:15pm to 1:15pm. From the 2015 traffic counts, One Mile Grid estimated existing traffic volumes taking into account recent developments and the reconstructed Melrose Drive / Wirraway Road / Tullamarine Freeway interchange. (Appendix D) As no internal connections are provided between the Bulla Precinct and the remainder of the airport, those traffic volumes and associated impacts have been omitted from the Transport Impact Assessment. To assess the surveyed operation of the relevant intersections, the traffic volumes were entered into SIDRA Intersection, a traffic modelling software program. The SIDRA Intersection software package was developed to provide information on the capacity of an intersection with regard to a number of parameters. Those parameters considered relevant are, Degree of Saturation (DoS), 95th Percentile Queue and Average Delay as described below: Degree of Saturation (DoS) represents the ratio of the traffic volume making a particular movement compared to the maximum capacity for that particular movement. The value of the DoS has a corresponding rating depending on the ratio as shown below. Degree of Saturation (DoS) Rating Up to 0.60 Excellent 0.61 to 0.70 Very Good 0.71 to 0.80 Good 0.81 to 0.90 Fair 0.91 to 1.00 Poor Above 1.00 Very Poor It is noted that whilst the range of 0.91 to 1.00 is rated as poor, it is acceptable for critical movements at an intersection to be operating within this range during high peak periods, reflecting actual conditions in a significant number of suburban signalized intersections. Average Delay (seconds) is the time delay that can be expected for all vehicles undertaking a particular movement in seconds. 95 th Percentile Queue represents the maximum queue length in metres that can be expected in 95% of observed queue lengths in the peak hour. The results of the analysis are provided in the following Table for each relevant intersection. The Matthews Avenue / English Street / Tullamarine Freeway intersection is modelled in the Transport Impact Assessment before and after the widening of the English Street Bridge and other capacity improvements as part of the CityLink Tulla Freeway Widening Project. For simplicity, the traffic impacts post-completion of the CityLink Tulla Widening Project are discussed in this Chapter. However, an overview of the Freeway works and the before and after modelling is provided in the Transport Impact Assessment (Appendix D). 37

38 SIDRA Results 2017 Operating Conditions Post Completion of CityLink Tulla Widening Intersection DoS Delay (s) Queue (m) AM Peak Hour Matthews Ave / English St / Tullamarine (west) Matthews Ave / English St / Tullamarine (east) Wirraway Rd / Melrose Dr / Tullamarine (north) Wirraway Rd / Melrose Dr / Tullamarine (south English Street / Larkin Boulevard PM Peak Hour Matthews Ave / English St / Tullamarine (west) Matthews Ave / English St / Tullamarine (east) Wirraway Rd / Melrose Dr / Tullamarine (north) Wirraway Rd / Melrose Dr / Tullamarine (south) English Street / Larkin Boulevard As identified above, after the upgrades as part of the CityLink Tulla Widening project, the Matthews Avenue / English Street / Freeway Interchange intersection will operate under fair conditions, with reasonable queus and delays on all approaches. The Wirraway Road / Melrose Drive / Tullamarine Freeway intersection is operating under excellent conditions in both AM and PM peaks, with minimal queues on all approaches. The English Street / Larkin Boulevard roundabout within Essendon Fields is operating under excellent conditions with considerable capacity for additional traffic growth. 38

39 6.3.3 Recommended Car Parking Provision Planning and development on leased federal airpost sites is regulated under Commonwealth law and is not subject to state, territory or local government planning laws. For office uses, clause of the Essendon Airport Land Use Plan requires that car parking be provided at a rate of 3.5 spaces per 100 sqm of office floor area. Application of this rate to the maximum proposed Net Lettable Area of 14,100 sqm gives a requirement of 494 spaces. For the 250 sqm café use (most appropriately classified as Restaurant ), the clause requires car parking to be provided at a rate of 0.6 car spaces to each seat available to the public. Based on an estimate of 100 seats, this equates to a requirement of 60 car spaces for the café. Based on the above, a total of 554 car spaces are reqired under Clause of the Essendon Airport Land Use Plan. It is noted in the Transport Impact Assessment (Appendix D) that the café component is unlikely to attract parking demands in its own right, instead trading largely from employees of the office use above and other business uses in the area. As such, the Land Use Plan requirements for the café are considerably inflated compared to the actual requirements of the use. Clause of the Essendon Airport Land Use Plan notes that approval may be given to reduce or to waive the number of car spaces required by the table. Before a requirement for car spaces is reduced or waived, the applicant must satisfy the Airport Operator that the reduced provision is justified due to: Any relevant parking precinct plan The availability of car parking in the locality The availability of public transport in the locality Any reduction in car parking demand due to the sharing of car spaces by multiple uses, either because of variation of car parking demand over time or because of efficiencies gained from the consolidation of shared parking spaces. Any car parking deficiency or surplus associated with the existing use of the land. Any credit which should be allowed for a car parking demand deemed to have been provided in association with a use which existed before the change of parking requirement. Local traffic management. Local amenity including pedestrian amenity. An empirical assessment of car parking demand. Any other relevant consideration. Notwithstanding the above, the Victorian Planning Scheme, upon which the Airport requirements are based, is considered to provide an appropriate baseline for assessing car parking provision for the new use. The car parking provision requirements for most new developments within Victoria are currently outlined within Clause of the Planning Scheme. The Clause outlines two rates for parking provision: Column A which are the standard rates; and Column B which are alternate (lower) rates which only apply where specified by a Parking Overlay. A summary of the comparable parking provision rates for office and café uses under Victorian requirements is summarised below. As identified earlier, the café component is unlikely to attract additional parking demands in its own right, instead trading largely from employees within the precinct. 39

40 Use Office Column A Rate 3.5 spaces per 100 sqm Column B Rate 3.0 spaces per 100 sqm Use Rate Car Spaces 3.0 spaces 423 spaces (based Office per 100 sqm on 14,100 sqm) NFA NFA NFA Cafe - - Café (Food & Drink) 4 spaces per 100 sqm LFA 3.5 spaces per 100 sqm LFA Application of the above Victorian rates to the 14,100 sqm Net Floor Area (NFA) for the office proposed on-site equates to parking provisions of 494 and 423 car spaces for the two respective provision rates. Additionally, the café generates a parking requirement for between 9-10 car spaces. Office parking demands are, in part, dependent on the supply of parking. Where unlimited car parking is provided and at no cost, parking demands will be high as there are no incentives to alter travel mode choices. Where there is a limited supply of longterm parking, employees are encouraged to shift to more sustainable travel modes from private vehicle transport. Providing limited long-term car parking is in line with current Victorian planning policy to limit private car usage and encourage take-up of sustainable transport modes. Therefore it is recommend by EAPL s traffic consultant that parking provisions are not based upon maximum estimated demands. Based on the experience of traffic consultants One Mile Grid, and having regard to the location and context of the subject site, One Mile Grid has recommended that car parking be provided at a rate of between 2.5 to 3.0 car spaces per 100sqm for the office use. As any car parking demands associated with the café will be minimal, it is considered that the above supply of parking will be sufficient to accommodate for all users of the development. EAPL will therefore make the following car parking provision for the development: 40

41 6.3.4 External Traffic Impacts Estimated traffic generation and impacts are detailed in the Transport Impact Assessment (Appendix D). The outcome of the analysis of external intersection performance postdevelopment is summarised in the table below. As shown in the table, the Matthews Avenue / English Street / Freeway Interchange intersection is expected to experience slightly decreased performance following the introduction of the proposed office. However, a significant level of capacity will remain to accommodate any additional flows to and from the airport, generally remaining under fair operating conditions. A review of the critical Matthews Avenue / English Street / Freeway Interchange intersection with the addition of these traffic flows indicates no significant change to operation, with queues and delays increasing by no more than 5% during the AM peak and less than 5% during the PM peak. In consideration of the above, the Transport Impact Assessment determined that the proposed development will not adversely impact on the traffic flows surrounding the airport. The Wirraway Road / Melrose Drive / Tullamarine Freeway intersection will experience negligible increases to queues and delays and will remain operating under excellent conditions. SIDRA Results Post-Development Intersection Performance (External) Intersection DoS Delay (s) Queue (m) Ex. Future Ex. Future Ex. Future AM Peak Hour Matthews Ave / English St / Tullamarine (west) Matthews Ave / English St / Tullamarine (east) Wirraway Rd / Melrose Dr / Tullamarine (north) Wirraway Rd / Melrose Dr / Tullamarine (south) PM Peak Hour Matthews Ave / English St / Tullamarine (west) Matthews Ave / English St / Tullamarine (east) Wirraway Rd / Melrose Dr / Tullamarine (north) Wirraway Rd / Melrose Dr / Tullamarine (south)

42 6.3.5 Internal Traffic Impacts The at-grade car parking associated with the site is to be located within two car parking areas to the north and east of the site respectively. Having regard to these locations and the expected supply of parking within each, One Mile Grid has analysed the approximate traffic volumes generated at each key intersection internal to the Essendon Fields site. These are presented in Figure 8 below. Superimposing the above traffic volumes onto the 2017 English Street / Larkin Boulevard operation gives the post-development operation presented in the Table below. The intersection is expected to remain operating under excellent conditions with very minor increases to queue lengths. Noting that the Nomad Road / English Street intersection is restricted to left-in/left-out movements only, it is expected that traffic volumes will be readily accommodated. During the AM peak, when total traffic volumes are greatest, neither the through or left movements are required to give way and will be free flowing. During the PM peak, eastbound traffic volumes along English Street are reduced, providing many opportunities for traffic to exit from Nomad Road. The development is projected to generate 114 rightturn movements at the central English Street median break and 128 movements at the Hargrave Avenue Median break. These represent an increase of around two additional traffic movements per minute at each intersection, which is a level of traffic that should be readily accommodated. Similarly, movements to and from Wirraway Road are expected to be more than 47 additional movements each hour, equating to less than one movement each minute during the peak periods. It is expected that the access to each at-grade car park will be controlled via boom gates and will provide for a capacity of 600 vehicles per hour. The anticipated movements to and from each car park are therefore not expected to result in any appreciable level of queuing external to the car park. The on-site car park will provide for two-way movements at the site access and will comfortably accommodate movements to and from without external impact. EAPL will establish appropriate pedestrian paths to provide safe and convenient access between the development site and car parking. SIDRA Results Post-Development Intersection Performance (Internal) Intersection DoS Delay (s) Queue (m) Ex. Future Ex. Future Ex. Future AM Peak Hour English Street / Larkin Boulevard PM Peak Hour English Street / Larkin Boulevard

43 Figure 8 - Internal Traffic Volumes 43

44 6.4 Aviation Impacts REHBEIN Airport Consulting prepared an assessment of the proposed Office development on Aviation at Essendon Airport (Appendix F). This assessment is also supported by a Wind Assessment for New Office Building at Essendon Fields by Cermak Peterka Petersen Pty Ltd (CPP) (Appendix G) and a Public Safety Assessment by Rehbein (Appendix I). The Aviation Assessment has reviewed the impact of the proposed 101.5m AHD office building on: Essendon Airport Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS). Operational impacts of any OLS penetration and the risk to aircraft operations. Essendon Airport Procedures for Air Navigation Services Aircraft Operations (PANS-OPS). Line of sight between Essendon Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower and approach to Runway 34 at Melbourne Airport. Other relevant NASF Guidelines. It also provides an assessment of construction stage impacts on aviation. Key findings of the assessment are as follows: The proposed office development at a maximum elevation of 101.5m AHD will not infringe the OLS or penetrate the PANS-OPS Basic ILS. As PANS-OPS is an instrument procedure designed by Airservices Australia, the PANS-OPS height above the site will be verified by Airservices as part of the assessment of this MDP. It was subsequently verified by Airservices that at a height of 101.5m AHD, Airservices has not identified any significant issues (Discussed further at Chapter 6.4.1). The proposed building lies between the Essendon ATC Tower and the approach to Melbourne Airport s Runway 34. Essendon s ATC personnel require sight of aircraft to the south of Melbourne Airport s Runway 34 to give information to aircraft using Essendon s Runway 26. Rehbien notes the Essendon ATC Tower eye level is at RL 93.7m AHD and the shadow caused by the height of the development will prevent visuals within their line of site at certain heights of aircraft approaching Melbourne Airport s Runway 34 from the south. These heights are below 213.1m AHD (southern extent of tower s line of sight) and 218.7m (northern extent). However, given the height of aircraft on a 3 degree approach to Melbourne Airport s Runway 34 are at a height of 354.4m (southern extent of tower s line of sight) and 315.4m (northern extent) the building will not infringe the line of sight from Essendon ATC Tower to an aircraft on a standard 3-degree descent profile to Melbourne Runway 34. The proposed office development lies on the current published ANEF 30 contour, therefore noise impacts will need to be considered in accordance with AS particularly in relation to noise. This is discussed further at Section 5.3 and Section The proposed development is within the wind shear assessment envelope for Runway 08/26 and just outside the assessment envelope for Runway 17/35 which are set by NASF Guideline B from the end of each runway. Guideline B identifies mitigation risk by using a height multiplier of 1:35. The development s height is within the 1:35 slope for both runways as it is 640m perpendicular from Runway 08/26 and 484m from Runway 17/35 centerline. However, due to surrounding existing buildings the consultant recommends EAPL in consultation with CASA, should determine whether more detailed modelling is required. EAPL will undertake wind tunnel modelling and 44

45 submit this to CASA and the Regulator. (Discussed further at Section 6.4.2) The proposed development is situated within light control Zone B for Runway 17/35. The lighting designer will need to ensure that the lights meet the requirements prescribed in the CASA Manual of Standards Part 139 Aerodromes for this zone. (Discussed further at Section 6.4.3) There is no impact on Communication, Navigation and Surveillance (CNS) facilities identified. CNS facilities which have been assessed for impact include: RWY 26 ILS / Localiser; RWY 26 ILS Glide Path; Outer and Middle Markers; and Melbourne Terminal Radar Terrain Clearance Chart (RTCC). The proposed building is outside the Runway 26 building restricted areas and thus will not interfere with this area or the associated marker beacon system. The Melbourne Terminal RTCC elevation of the protection surfaces is 274m AHD. This non-penetrable surface will be considered in final design and construction details. Construction sequencing and methodology should be considered in relation to the OLS and PANS-OPS. This will be provided for in the CEMP (Section 6.6). Rehbein s assessment of the proposal against NASF guidelines is summarised in Section 5.3 of the MDP. The report concludes that the proposed development will have a minimal impact on aviation operations as long as it is designed to the necessary standards. The office building has been designed to the necessary standards and as such no further design changes are required. Construction impacts will be considered and referred to Airservices Australia as necessary Prescribed Airspace Essendon Fields Airport includes a region of prescribed airspace which is protected by Part 12 of the Airports Act 1996 (Cth). Under the Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations 1996 (Cth), a person who intends to undertake controlled activities within a prescribed airspace must obtain the consent of the Secretary. Controlled activities include constructing a building or other structure that intrudes into the prescribed airspace and any other activity that causes a thing attached to, or in physical contact with, the ground (such as cranes or scaffolding) to intrude into prescribed airspace. Controlled activities also include other possible intrusions to airspace which may interfere with a pilot s visibility from an aircraft, including lighting distractions, smoke and trees. The Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) is generally the lowest surface and is designed to provide protection for aircraft flying into or out of the airport when the pilot is flying by sight. It is confirmed in the Aviation Assessment (Appendix F) that the proposed maximum building elevation of 101.5m AHD will not infringe the OLS inner Horizontal Surface elevation of 123.5m AHD. Procedures for Air Navigation Services Aircraft Operations (PANS-OPS) is a surface generally above the OLS and is designed to safeguard an aircraft from collision with obstacles when the aircraft s flight may be guided solely by instruments (e.g. in conditions of poor visibility). PANS-OPS surfaces associated with the relevant departure and approach procedures were assessed against the development. This identified the development height would not penetrate the Basic ILS surface over the site of 142.5m AHD. This is consistent with findings for the slightly higher Hyatt 45

46 Hotel recently approved and constructed nearby to the proposal site. An initial assessment of the development proposal by Airservices Australia confirmed that with respect to procedures designed by Airservices in accordance with ICAO PANS-OPS and Document 9905, at a maximum height of 101.5m (334ft) AHD, the commercial office development will not affect any sector or circling altitude, nor any instrument approach or departure procedure at Essendon Airport. It is noted that procedures not designed by Airservices at Essendon Airport were not considered in this assessment. Additionally, Airservices has advised that the commercial office development at a maximum height of 101.5m (334ft) AHD will not adversely impact the performance of any other Airservices Precision/Non-Precision Nav Aids, Anemometers, HF/VHF/UHF Comms, A-SMGCS, Radar, PRM, ADS-B, WAM or Satellite/Links. This Preliminary Draft MDP will be assessed again by Airservices when issued for public comment. If temporary penetrations of the airport s prescribed airspace are required during the construction phase, approval will be obtained in accordance with the process set out in the Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations Building Generated Wind Shear and Turbulence NASF Guideline B manages the risk of building generated windshear and turbulence at Airports. Essentially, the building generated windshear / turbulence issue becomes safety critical when a significant obstacle, such as a building, is located in the path of a cross-wind to an operational runway. The wind flow will be diverted around and over the buildings, causing the cross-wind speed to vary along the runway. The proposed office building is located to the north of Runway 08/26 and to the west of Runway 17/35 and is in the NASF Assessment Zone for Runway 08/26 and Runway 17/35. The distance from the centerline of Runway 08/26 is approximately 630 metres. The proposed building is approximately 500 metres from the centerline of Runway 17/35 as shown in Figure 9. Figure 9 NASF assessment zones and location of proposed office building. A Wind Assessment for the proposed building was undertaken in accordance with the principles of NASF Guideline B by CPP (Appendix G). The assessment notes that the proposed building is within the 1:35 rule for both runways and requires further aerodynamic modelling in accordance with Guideline B. The 1:35 rule provides a maximum height of 14.2m above runway level due to the distance from Runway 17. CPP conclude the building has the potential to impact the flight path for aircraft approaching Runway 08/24 for winds from the north quadrant and for Runway 17/35 for winds from the west quadrant. A test plan for wind tunnel testing is provided in the assessment. The wind tunnel testing is scheduled for November 2017 and the results will be provided to DIRD, CASA and the State Government as supplementary information during the public 46