Future Airfields Projects (EPBC 2024/09907) 

Melbourne Airport is proposing a series of maintenance and upgrade projects on the airfield over the next 5-10 years. This includes: 

• Airfield Renaming - Current taxiway naming system will run out of single-letter identifiers. Renaming required before third runway opens for clear identification. 
• Melbourne Airport Pavement Maintenance Project (MAPMP 3.0) - Long-term maintenance for aging airfield pavement (drainage, pavement, apron replacement). New construction hardstands needed north of airfield for reduced travel for construction vehicles, site amenities, offices, staff parking, material and plant storage. 
• Runway 09/27 Overlay – Upgrades to airfield ground lighting to meet updated standards 
• Hotel Apron South – increased parking standards for growing demands from post-COVID recovery.  
• Staff Car Park Extension – staff carpark expansion for meet with demand of a growing workforce to increase airport capacity.  

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. 

• Notice For Publication – Future Airfields Projects (EPBC 2024/09907)
  
  EPBC Referral
• EPBC Referral Supporting Documentation
• EPBC Referral Online Application
  
  Preliminary documentation
• Melbourne Airport – Future Airfields Projects: Preliminary Documentation for Assessment under the EPBC Act (EPBC 2024/09907)
  
  Ecology Reports
• Melbourne Airport Taxiway Zulu and Northern Compound: Biodiversity Assessment
• Melbourne Airport Golden Sun Moth habitat survey
• Melbourne Airport's Third Runway Project Ecology Technical Report
• Assessments of native grasslands within airfields of Melbourne Airport
  
  Soil Contamination Reports
• Design Package 3 - Taxiway A Structural Rehabilitation Design Targeted Renvironmental Site Assessment Report
• Melbourne Airport Assessment of Organochlorine Pesticides in Airside Surface Soils
• Limited Contamination Investigation - Alpha Apron North and Hotel Apron South
• Northern Access Route and Taxiway Zulu Per – and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances Investigation

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.

These documentations are now available for public information. 

• Notice For Publication – Melbourne Pavement Maintenance Program 2, Melbourne Airport, Tullamarine, Victoria (EPBC 2023/09257)
• Melbourne Airport Pavement Maintenance Program 2: Preliminary Documentation for Assessment under the EPBC Act (EPBC 2023/09257)
• Melbourne Airport Development Projects, Offset Management Plan for Natural Temperate Grassland of the Victorian Volcanic Plain, Draft Plan (redacted version)

Runway 09/27 closures
Runway 09/27 will be closed on the following dates in January to allow for scheduled overlay works. Works will consist of asphalt profiling and asphalt re-surfacing, grooving works and both civil and AGL lighting works.

Closure Dates and Times (local time)

Stage 1

• Wednesday 14 January: 00:01–06:00

Stage 2

• Wednesday 14 January: 22:00–06:00 
• Thursday 15 January: 22:00–06:00
• Friday 16 January: 22:00–06:00
  
  

Runway 09/27 maintenance works
Melbourne Airport will be undertaking overnight maintenance works on Runway 09/27 from 17 December  2025 through to 18 February 2026. Runway 09/27 will be closed during the works which will take place every Wednesday between the hours of 10:00-16:00.

The scheduled closure periods may be impacted by weather conditions. 

Runway 16/34 maintenance works
Melbourne Airport will be undertaking overnight maintenance works on Runway 16/34 from 15 December through to 09 February 2026. 

Runway 16/34 will be closed during the works which will take place every Monday between the hours of 1:30-5:15.

The scheduled closure periods may be impacted by weather conditions. 

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.