The pending approval for a third runway for Melbourne Airport is placing substantial political pressure on electorates largely held by the Australian Labor Party.
Melbourne Airport chief executive Lorie Argus has been patiently anticipating the federal government to approve the third runway, a $3 billion project aimed at bringing in more flights and lowering airfares.
This has raised concerns over aircraft noise pollution among Melbourne citizens, particularly as flight paths will have to be altered (over houses) to accommodate the extra flights.
Despite 18 months of consultation, Federal Transport Minister Catherine King doesn’t look like she’ll decide on the third runway any time soon.
Kos Samaras, former Labor strategist and RedBridge Group pollster, said it’s “definitely going to be a problem [for Labor].”
“The federal seats of Calwell and Gorton, they absorbed 10 per cent swings against them last election. It will hit the state seats as well, where it’s a larger problem. That’s why it’s been sitting on her desk… It was on her desk for approval last December,” Samaras added.
In Melbourne, electorates closer to the airport at Tullamarine in the north-western suburbs suffered big swings away from Labor in the last election. Hence, this issue promises trouble to come for the Labor party during election time.
Source: Financial Review.
