Perth Announces A$1bn Redevelopment

The Western Australian city of Perth has revealed plans for a seven-year A$1bn expansion programme.

The redevelopment will merge the international and domestic terminals, construct two new airport hotels and provide additional parking and more efficient public transport.

Over the past five years domestic passenger movements at Perth Airport have increased by more than 85 percent, and in 2007 Perth Airport achieved its passenger traffic forecasts for 2016, Perth Airport CEO Brad Geatches says.

Phase 1, to be completed by 2010, will be a new terminal dedicated to Western Australian air services.

Phases 2 and 3 will comprise new international and domestic terminal facilities.

The airport says designs for the new international and domestic terminals are still being developed, but it is likely that they will include extensive redevelopment of the existing international terminal and the construction of new terminal space.

The final vision for Perth will be confirmed in a masterplan, which the airport is required to submit to the Commonwealth Government by 2009.

Geatches says he expects to be able to publicly release details of concept designs for Phases 2 and 3 of the new airport by the end of 2008.

Last month, WA Premier Alan Carpenter branded the existing airport an embarrassment to the state.

By Elizabeth Clifford-Marsh