5000 new car parks at Brisbane Airport

[David Knudsen]

From http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/

5000 new car parks at Brisbane Airport
Tony Moore | March 19, 2008 - 6:00AM


An eight-floor car park with 5000 car spaces will be built next to Brisbane Airport's new domestic terminal where the short-term car parking area is currently located.

Work is expected to start later this year.

The new car park, costing about $150 million, is one of three projects to move ahead this year as Brisbane Airport celebrates its 20th anniversary on its current site today.

Brisbane Airport Corporation has lodged an application with the Federal Government to get public comment underway on the new car park.

Work is also proceeding smoothly on its new $340 million International Terminal, which is set to open in September or October.

The new car park will be built just to the north of the Airtrain link to a brand new $400 million domestic air terminal, which will be modernised to include a suite of new automated self-service "check-in" facilities.

Passengers will enter the new domestic terminal at the first-floor level from the train and car park and walk right through to the new passenger check-in, security and and baggage areas of the new domestic terminal.

They will not have to cross the roads in front of the domestic terminal as they do now.

In December, brisbanetimes.com.au reported these major changes to make it easier for passengers to book into Brisbane's new domestic airport.

Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) public affairs manager Jim Carden in December said as soon as the Federal Government gave the go-ahead, public consulation over three months on the plans could begin.

"So we go out and consult with the airlines, the community groups, the taxis, the disabled, virtually everyone," he said.

Plans to upgrade the domestic terminal have been detailed in BAC's Master Plan for Brisbane Airport and outlined in the latest BAC Annual Report.

The impetus behind the three projects - part of a $2.5 billion upgrade of Brisbane Airport - is the growth in passenger and aircraft numbers.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the day the former prime minister Bob Hawke officially opened the "new" Brisbane Airport on its current Eagle Farm site, before it was "privatised" and run by the Brisbane Airports Corporation (BAC).

Back then Bob Hawke said the domestic terminal, the 71 metre-high control tower and the runway was "state of the art" and "ahead of its time."

Today BAC general manager Koen Rooijmans said the growth in passengers demonstrated how quickly the airport was growing.

"Twenty years ago the airport handled just over 900,000 passengers a year, where today it is nearly 18 million," Mr Rooijmans said.

In the 20 years since the domestic and international terminals came on line almost 200 million passengers - (198,182,845) have flown in or out of Brisbane Airport.

In the very first year Brisbane Airport flew 743,832 passengers from its domestic terminal and just 197,168 from its international terminals.

Today Brisbane has become an important gateway to international visitors.

Based on 2005 figures Brisbane Airport now receives the second highest total of overseas tourists (1.09 million), behind Sydney Airport (2.3 million).

The airport's has also become a major employer in the Brisbane region, Koen Rooijmans said.

"In 1998, the Airport workforce was around 5000, but today we have around 15,000," he said.

"Like the rest of Queensland, Brisbane Airport has experienced huge growth and has become one of the state's most important pieces of infrastructure, and a major economic engine room that sustains Queensland's enviable lifestyle and economy."

He estimates there will be 42,500 jobs at the airport site by 2023.

[Bob C]

Hi David

I've read many comments that the road system is horrendous around Brisbane airport and causes much grief to passengers and residents alike.

Has the recently opened International Terminal carpark worsened things and have any efforts been made to improve the situation ? Will the new Domestic carpark add to the misery or are the authorities taking steps to alleviate the problem ?

We can only dream of such new infrastructure at Perth airport and the way WAC is clearing ground for open air carparks we'll probably merge with Brisbane one day. WAC loves to spread but seemingly has an aversion to going up !!!!

[David Knudsen]

Hi Bobby,

The carparks themselves aren't causing any traffic problems, the major problem is that the main road to the airport comes off a roundabout that interchanges with the Gateway Motorway that is the major route from south to north through Brisbane (and it basically bypasses the city for any vehicles on Highway 1) - The roundabout has been there for yonks and was always a trouble spot, but they installed traffic lights there last year (on the roundabout) and its made the traffic even worse, most peak hours there is a delay of about 45 minutes to an hour to get tp the airport.

They are taking steps to fix it, like new entry points into the airport from the north and south directions on the gateway to take the pressure off the roundabout, but I think its still atleast a year off. We can only wait and see I guess!

[Raymond Rowe]

That whole entry are to Brisbane airport is a discrace.Just one big carpark.