Amberley aerospace centre underway

A major aerospace precinct is to established adjacent to the Amberley RAAF base in Queensland.

The development application seeking Preliminary Development Approval Overriding the Planning Scheme for the Aerospace and Defence Support Centre – Amberley (ADSC-A) has been approved by the Ipswich City Council.

An initiative of the Queensland Government, ADSC-A is intended to be a masterplanned, high-technology, commercially oriented hub adjacent to RAAF Amberley for companies and organisations servicing and supporting existing and future opportunity markets within the aerospace and defence industries with a particular emphasis on:

- aerospace industries involved in modification, maintenance, repair and overhaul of fixed and rotary wing aircraft and aircraft components, including manufacture of aircraft components, with tow-way access from the airbase’s runway and taxiway system to facilitate fly-in / fly-out capability, and - defence industries encompassing the domains of aerospace, land, maritime and electronic.

First stage construction completion is due in Second Quarter 2013.

The next project stages planned for commencement in the Third Quarter 2010 are:

- Stage 7: Master Planning and First Stage Subdivision Approval

- Stage 9: Site Contamination Remediation and Validation

- Stage 10: Project Assurance Framework Business Case and Funding Approval

- Stage 11: Governance and Tenure Strategy and Planning

A draft Operational Concept Document (OCD), intended to provide a high-level overview of the characteristics and capability of ADSC-A, is due to be released to industry for comments during July 2010.