The Mayor of Queanbeyan, Frank Pangallo has argued that it will cost his city up to $40 million if the Poplars housing development does not go ahead. The proposed estate is directly under the future flight path of Canberra International Airport. Mr Pangallo says Poplars represents about a fifth of readily developable land for the city.
Mr Pangallo has a point, but the Poplars should still not go ahead. Relocation of Canberra Airport is out of the question. Traffic will inevitably increase to make life at the Poplars a noisy hell.
Mr Pangallo’s suggestion of giving future residents a warning on their zoning certificates is no solution. In 20 years’ time the warning will count for nothing. Real estate agents will downplay the future problem. Building the Poplars will result in a huge future conflict like those near Sydney Airport and at Badgery’s Creek. We must learn from those lessons.
Mr Pangallo’s concerns would be better met by some federal-state-territory funding to bring some other land up to development standard.
Building under a future flight path is madness. Mr Pangallo, though, will probably have retired when the noise from Poplars constituents becomes unbearable.