Farmland at airport boundary set to fly

THE first international flights don’t take off until December, but the benefits of Avalon Airport’s increased reach has already landed.

A 141ha highway site adjacent to the airport has been listed for sale with the agents expecting landbankers to offer more than $50 million for the property.

That comes after Melbourne investors paid $4.1 million in 2012 for the farm at 15 Avalon Rd, at the Avalon Rd interchange with the Princes Freeway.

Rutherford Real Estate director Atholl Williams is seeking expressions of interest for the property, which is being marketed as a landbanking opportunity.

Mr Williams said the site had high exposure, with a combined traffic count of 58,000 vehicles a day passing on the Princes Highway, plus connectivity to ports, rail and other airports.

“Such prime road, air and port connectivity means the property holds a wealth of landbanking opportunities,” Mr Williams said.

“Business park, industrial estate, major international corporate development or even a combination of these are all potential opportunities to be looked into, but would be subject to government co-operation and approvals.”

Avalon Airport chief executive officer Justin Giddings said it’s unlikely the airport’s owners, Linfox, would be in the market for the property, given it already controls 1700ha of land.

“It is zoned rural land and I think it’s unlikely that will change because of the airport,” Mr Giddings said. “It’s very hard to have commercial and industrial land in that area because of the flight paths.”

Mr Giddings said the airport’s ultimate plans included a hotel, better carparking, shopping and service station near the terminal.