Network Breakfast - March 6th 2007

Topic: " The effect of the growth of the Canberra Airport on the location of housing development in our Region."

Speakers:  Stephen Byron and Bob Winnel.

Stephen Byron is the Managing Director of Canberra International Airport.

Bob Winnel is the Managing Director of

 The Village Building Co.

The direction that housing development takes in a city is important to small business owners.

Our two speakers have strongly different views which direction that housing development should take in our city.

It is in light of this, we present this discussion on the effect of the Canberra Airport on the location of housing development in the Region.

The format of this breakfast presentation will be the first speaker speaking for 7 minutes, then the other speaker for 10 minutes. With a 3 minute right of reply by the first speaker.

There will a limited time for questions after the presentation.

Join us for what will be a lively presentation and a wonderful networking opportunity!

Some background:
A View from the Village Building Co.
The Village Building Co. is a Canberra based company with
130 shareholders. It has developed more than 10,000 blocks of land
in Canberra, Wollongong, Orange and Brisbane over 15 years.
The Company prides itself on contributions made to local
communities and governments and to environmental issues.

The Village Building Co. fully supports the vision of the Canberra Airport to serve the region's emerging transportation needs,
just as the Village Building Company proposes to properly meet the region's southern housing needs, in accordance with clearly promulgated and soundly based ACT, NSW, Commonwealth and Local Government planning schemes.

The proposed residential development of Tralee will have no impact on the fulfillment of Canberra Airports' growth strategies. Tralee will not cost Canberra Airport one flight into or out of, its airport.

Tralee will contribute to a more efficient and diverse urban form for the region. It is the most economic land to produce and the closest land for both southern Canberra and for Queanbeyan Town Centre. Aircraft noise is a very minor issue for Tralee.

A View from the Canberra Airport.

"This (Tralee) is the only rural land free of housing now available to the south of the Airport for the region's flight paths," Mr Byron said.

"Build thousands of homes on that land and it's only a matter of time before the residents living there campaign to have the flight paths shifted, and that means noise sharing for Queanbeyan and Canberra because there is nowhere else for the aircraft to go."

In a determined bid to stop Council's plans, the Airport has launched a multi media campaign to raise awareness about the adverse impact of aircraft noise on community health and lifestyle, and house and land values.

Since purchasing the Airport over eight years ago we have worked closely with local communities, the airlines and Airservices Australia to create a network of flight paths that protect 99.5% of Queanbeyan and Canberra from aircraft noise," Mr Byron said. 
 

Bio of Robert Winnel B.A.; Dip. Ed.; Dip. Ed. Admin

Managing Director The Village Building Co. Limited

Bob spent his first ten years of employment in the NSW and Commonwealth public service, before starting his own development company in 1976. He is a Director of the heritage listed Brassey Hotel in the ACT and also of Rex Airlines. Bob has held various ACT private sector representative positions and ACT Government advisory committee roles. Prior to forming VBC, Bob built 800 homes in the ACT. He was Chief Executive of the MBA ACT during the builders' labourers deregistration and is also a past President and life member of the MBA. In 1988, Bob drew together previous joint venture partners and other leading Canberra business associates to form The Village Building Co. Limited.

Bio of Stephen Byron.

Stephen is currently the Managing Director of both the airport lessee company, Canberra International Airport Pty Limited, and the airport management company, Capital Airport Group Pty Limited.
In the eight years under Stephen Byron's management, the Airport has embarked on a major works program that has transformed the Airport from an aviation backwater into a transport hub for southeastern Australia. New access roads engineered, car parks made bigger and more accessible, a multi-user terminal was built to encourage low cost operators Virgin Blue and Rex and the main runway was extended and strengthened and taxiways upgraded and navigation aids improved to cater for a new generation of wide-bodied aircraft - both commercial and those carrying international VIPs directly into the national capital.