A bold new vision to secure Greater South East Melbourne’s economic future
Greater South East Melbourne (GSEM) is calling on the Federal Government to promote competition, create jobs, boost the economy and deliver a net zero future for the aviation sector.
A new airport for south east Melbourne is not just a stand-alone project; it’s an integral part of a broader ambitious vision to secure the region’s future as a significant Australian economic hub, complete with jobs, housing, community infrastructure, arts, culture, a renewable energy industry, advanced manufacturing and tourism.
In its submission to the 2023 Aviation Green Paper, GSEM stresses the pivotal role communities play in maximising Australia’s aviation sector potential and the need for a long-term vision for infrastructure projects that deliver growth and sustainability.
Greater South East Melbourne is a gateway to tourism and trade and will also support further growth and competition in these sectors.
An international freight and passenger airport near world-renowned tourist attractions such as Phillip Island, the Yarra Valley, Dandenong Ranges, the rich agricultural areas of Gippsland, and the Mornington Peninsula would deliver:
· Victorian fresh produce to markets in Asia
· vital manufactured products to overseas and interstate markets quickly and on time
· greater access and ensure the tourism sector remains competitive by maximising tourists’ time on the ground
· thousands of jobs in the construction and aviation sectors
· potentially Australia’s first fully sustainable airport.
Greater South East Melbourne (GSEM) Chair, Simon McKeon said:
“Building an international freight and passenger airport in Melbourne’s southeast makes economic, practical and environmental sense.
“Most Melburnians live to the south and east of the CBD.
“This submission is needed because the development of a new airport is a complex process that requires all levels of government, community, and the private sector to work together.
“We are taking this proactive approach to ensure that the necessary planning and policy settings are in place to protect the feasibility of this project into the future.
“By building a sustainable airport from the ground up, utilising the best of the new net-zero technologies and ensuring the airport can seamlessly incorporate any new technological and sustainable developments, we can pivot quickly to a net-zero aviation future with no reliance on high-polluting legacy fuels.
“The South East Melbourne Airport would be a beacon for the whole sector, demonstrating what is achievable, from the use of low-carbon building materials, through to net-zero power and fuel sources.”