Aviation planning policy in Australia: identifying frames of reference to support public decision making

Aviation planning policy in Australia, particularly as it pertains to the expansion of privatized capital city airports, continues to be problematic as a result of legislation that requires federal approval for infrastructure-related projects on airport land, but only requires other stakeholders, such as state and local governments, together with resident groups, to be consulted. This study employs Q-methodology to identify the frames of references held by those participating in the Australian aviation stakeholder arena to develop a better understanding of the context in which existing federal policy sits and to allow airport planners to navigate their way through the views of relevant stakeholders. The identification of these frames of reference across three Australian capital city airports also revealed two underlying nation-wide discourses of ‘power’ and ‘functionality’ pertaining to utilization of the airport space, and aviation in general. These outcomes, though not providing a solution to existing controversies relating to airport expansion, nevertheless concretize the prevailing discourses that should be addressed when formulating and enacting aviation planning policy across the nation.