CASA's Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR) this week opened consultation on the preferred design for controlled airspace due to be introduced around Ballina-Byron Gateway Airport next year.
A Class D tower is expected to be in operation at Ballina-Byron no later than 27 November 2025 in response to an airspace review OAR conducted in 2022.
In August, the OAR released a preliminary design for consultation, which has since been modified to produce the preferred design.
"Based on the feedback received, we have adjusted the airspace design," OAR states. "The key changes reflected in the updated design are:
- modifications to portions of the lower limit of the controlled airspace to reduce the impact on a number of affected stakeholders
- introduce Standard Instrument Departure (SIDs) from Lismore to accommodate the departure procedure particularly during Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC)
- adjustments to some of the arrival and departure procedures at Ballina based upon operators’ and stakeholder feedback."
CASA recognised the need to do something about rising traffic levels at Ballina in 2015, when a report recommended establishing a Certified Air/Ground Radio Service (CA/GRS). However, the service failed to stop a near-collision in September 2017 between a Cessna Caravan and a Robinson R22.
Airservices Australia established a Surveillance Flight Information Service (SFIS) at Ballina-Byron in 2021, after another proximity incident involving an Airbus A320 and a Jabiru J230 the previous year.
However, another incident involving an Airbus and a Caravan occurred when the SFIS was active in September 2021.
In June 2022, the OAR handed down an airspace review report, which recommended a Class D tower as the best solution for the increasing traffic.
OAR will hold feedback on the preferred design open until 10 December. Submissions can be made on the CASA Consultation Hub.