Central Coast Council is currently undertaking a detailed airport master planning process which aims to deliver an airport designed specifically to support the general aviation sector in NSW.

The repeal of the Warnervale Airport Restrictions Act in 2021 provided our community with a clear signal regarding the future of the Central Coast Airport at Warnervale. Council is now getting on with what the State Government has asked of us in relation to planning for the Airport.

As the ninth largest region in Australia, the Central Coast is recognised as a substantial growth corridor, yet it remains the only major population centre without a recognised and supported airport.

Central Coast Airport Masterplan

The Central Coast Airport Masterplan will set a coherent framework for development whilst providing certainty for the community to protect environmental and conservation land by identifying and excising these lands from any developable land. The general aviation hub will complement other planned developments in Council’s northern precinct, including Warnervale business and education precinct, Warnervale town centre and Wyong Employment Zone industrial lands.

The Central Coast Aviation Hub will be a key driver of economic and employment growth for the Central Coast. The masterplan will ensure that the airport is developed as:

• a key driver for regional economic development
• a key driver for the generation of regional employment opportunities, particularly in the skilled, professional and technology-based sectors
• a stimulus for regional investment
• a stimulus for the tourist industry
• a key regional infrastructure project which will provide air transport options for residents and improve the region’s economic competitiveness.

Telephone Survey

In late 2021 Council undertook an independent survey to explore the community appetite for the development of this Masterplan. This survey was used as a tool in the decision-making process to determine if Council should continue with the development of the Central Coast Airport Masterplan.

Key outcomes from the survey included:

• Broadly 75% of the 602 residents surveyed indicated they were either “strongly in support” or “supportive” of the airport concept
• 90% were “supportive or somewhat supportive
• Respondents rated creation of employment opportunities and local business opportunities as the highest development objectives of the proposal

You can view the results of the telephone survey here.

Request For Information (RFI)

On 8 February 2022 Council resolved to proceed to Gateway 1 and 2 of the Central Coast Airport Development Framework which includes undertaking an RFI (Request For Information) from the general aviation industry and other interested parties to determine the future demand requirements on the airport.

The RFI process concluded on 5 April 2022.

Next steps and Stay updated

Council has used the information collected throughout the telephone survey and RFI process to inform the development of the Draft Central Coast Airport Masterplan which is on public exhibition between 14 December 2023 and 13 February 2024.

Central Coast Council has prepared a draft Masterplan for the Central Coast Airport, informed by feedback collected via a 2021 telephone survey and through industry engagement undertaken in 2021/22.

The Masterplan details the development of land surrounding the Central Coast Airport at Warnervale and presents the Central Coast with a new economic sector that will stimulate employment and economic activity.

Under the proposal, Council intends to confirm those areas of Porters Creek Wetland that can be established as a stewardship site. As a stewardship site, the biodiversity values of Porters Creek Wetland will be protected in perpetuity.

Airports form an integral part of the Australian economy and are critical in connecting communities and enhancing the broader economic performance. Without access to local aviation services, the capacity for local trade and tourism to grow and compete with other major regional centres will be constrained. As the ninth largest region in Australia, the Central Coast is recognised as a substantial and significant growth corridor, yet it remains the only major population centre without a recognised and supported airport.

There have been many technical, financial, social and environmental complexities worked through in the development of the draft Central Coast Airport Masterplan.

The draft masterplan provides a roadmap for development of the airport precinct over the next 10 years. Safeguarding the airport by upgrading the runway and taxiways to a Code 2B in accordance with aviation design authority classification, gives greater clarity to potential and future use of the airport.

The runway is recommended to be widened from 10 metres to 23 metres, with the length remaining at 1200m. This will allow the airport to accommodate a wider array of aircraft up to an initial maximum take of weight (MTOW) of 10,000 kg, including but not limited to commonly utilised aircraft such as Beech King Air, Cessna Citation and the Beechcraft 1900.

The length of the runway is not suitable for regular passenger transport (excluding charter), with the masterplan seeking to explore expanded general aviation uses which may include, hangars, aircraft maintenance, charter operations, pilot training, aircraft sales and leasing, airport-related intermodal logistics, research and development.

The draft masterplan allows for the opportunity to expand employment activities, encourage greater tourism and has been developed in consideration of the important ecological constraints surrounding the airport lands and Warnervale Employment Zone (WEZ). Future investigation into the potential land use is proposed to both the west and east of the airport:

The outcomes of these areas will be supported by a detailed analysis of the ecological constraints to determine the preferred land use. This information will be reported back to Council for further consideration: