Invitation for Public Comment
Melbourne Airport Pavement Maintenance Program 2 (EPBC 2023/09527)
Melbourne Airport is proposing works on Taxiway Alpha, between Taxiways Juliet and Kilo. The project will involve demolishing existing taxiway and services infrastructure, regrading the taxiway and shoulder areas, installing electrical, communications and stormwater services (including connection with existing services) and reconstructing the taxiway (including shoulders).
The activity is deemed a controlled action under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 due to impacts on Natural Temperate Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain, which is a threatened ecological community.
Melbourne Airport is now inviting public comment on the documentation that will be used to assess the proposed action under the EPBC Act. The documentation is available below.
Runway 16/34 closures
Melbourne Airport is continuing its regular maintenance works on Runway 16/34. The works will take place in March and May 2025 and require closures for Runway 16/34. There will be changes to use of runways because of the closures.
The works include:
- The removal and replacement of Movement Area Guidance Signs (MAGS) as part of our MoS Non-Compliance project
- Runway 16/34 operational maintenance
- Diamond Grinding & Regrooving of Runway ends
The scheduled closures are as follows:
- From 01:00am - 06:00am on 16, 23 & 30 March 2025
- From 11:59pm - 05:00am on 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 23, 24 and 25 May 2025
- From 11:45pm - 05:45am on 14, 21 & 28 March 2025
There is also an extension to the standing airfield maintenance closure:
- From 01:00am - 03:25am on 17 & 24 March
Taxiway Zulu works
The Taxiway Zulu project is part of taxiway development works that includes the construction of a new taxiway, realignment of an existing taxiway and extension of a third taxiway. These works began in March 2019 but were suspended in October 2020 due to the impacts of COVID. They are now due to be completed in 2026.
The works are part of the overall future development of the Melbourne Airport terminal precinct and in particular, the expansion of Terminal 2.
Do you have a question?
For questions about these projects, please email [email protected].
Any noise complaints or feedback can be directed to Airservices’ Noise Complaints and Information Service (NCIS) at 1800 802 584 or online via this link.
Frequently Asked Questions
What will change?
Aircraft landing and taking off during the night maintenance windows will utilise existing flight paths.
At times when the north-south runway is closed, all aircraft will use the east-west runway (Runway 09/27).
There will be no change to the overall number of aircraft using the airport each day. However, between 50 and 70 flights that would normally use the north-south runway at night will instead use the east-west runway.
This will be temporary, and only on the nights of the week when the north-south runway is closed for maintenance works.
We have worked with airlines and other stakeholders to strategically schedule some heavy aircraft types (e.g. A380) earlier or later than the night closures. This will have the added benefit of minimising impact to nearby communities.
There will be no changes to flight paths, except for the short period when the displaced threshold is in place, when some departures to the north will operate from the reduced runway length.
How will aircraft noise change while the maintenance work is underway?
While we have made efforts to minimise impacts to the community, some areas to the east and west of the airport will experience additional flight activity during the night-time closures. This is because the east-west runway must be used while the north-south runway is closed.
Residents in the following communities may experience additional overflight activity during the night-time closures:
- Hoppers Crossing
- Maddingley
- Eastern areas of Melbourne such as Hurstbridge, Bundoora, Greensborough and Doncaster
- Melton South
- Inner north Melbourne areas such as Essendon and Preston
- Mount Macedon
- Eden Park
When will this change occur?
Work will commence on 3 November 2022, and the project is expected to be fully completed by early 2024.
When was this maintenance work last done?
Maintenance work of this scale on the north-south runway was last done in 2011. However, we are always undertaking routine maintenance, including work over the past several months, which has also involved similar night-time closures for 1-3 nights a week.
Will you only undertake works on those five nights a week?
Our maintenance schedule includes closing the north-south runway for 6.5-8 hours five nights each week. Depending on the schedule, we may need to close the runway on additional nights to complete critical works, however this will be kept to a minimum.
There will be no works between Saturday night and Sunday mornings or over the Christmas/New Year break (between 15 December 2023-16 January 2024).
What will change?
Aircraft landing and taking off during the night maintenance windows will utilise existing flight paths.
At times when the north-south runway is closed, all aircraft will use the east-west runway (Runway 09/27).
There will be no change to the overall number of aircraft using the airport each day. However, between 50 and 70 flights that would normally use the north-south runway at night will instead use the east-west runway.
This will be temporary, and only on the nights of the week when the north-south runway is closed for maintenance works.
We have worked with airlines and other stakeholders to strategically schedule some heavy aircraft types (e.g. A380) earlier or later than the night closures. This will have the added benefit of minimising impact to nearby communities.
There will be no changes to flight paths, except for the short period when the displaced threshold is in place, when some departures to the north will operate from the reduced runway length.
How will aircraft noise change while the maintenance work is underway?
While we have made efforts to minimise impacts to the community, some areas to the east and west of the airport will experience additional flight activity during the night-time closures. This is because the east-west runway must be used while the north-south runway is closed.
Residents in the following communities may experience additional overflight activity during the night-time closures:
- Hoppers Crossing
- Maddingley
- Eastern areas of Melbourne such as Hurstbridge, Bundoora, Greensborough and Doncaster
- Melton South
- Inner north Melbourne areas such as Essendon and Preston
- Mount Macedon
- Eden Park
When will this change occur?
Work will commence on 3 November 2022, and the project is expected to be fully completed by early 2024.
When was this maintenance work last done?
Maintenance work of this scale on the north-south runway was last done in 2011. However, we are always undertaking routine maintenance, including work over the past several months, which has also involved similar night-time closures for 1-3 nights a week.
Will you only undertake works on those five nights a week?
Our maintenance schedule includes closing the north-south runway for 6.5-8 hours five nights each week. Depending on the schedule, we may need to close the runway on additional nights to complete critical works, however this will be kept to a minimum.
There will be no works between Saturday night and Sunday mornings or over the Christmas/New Year break (between 15 December 2023-16 January 2024).