Victoria’s Government Introduces Strategic Framework to Boost Vertiport Development
Skyportz, an Australian vertiport developer, has expressed strong support for the newly released Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Action Plan for the State of Victoria. This plan marks a significant step forward in establishing the necessary infrastructure for air taxi operations and other AAM initiatives.
Five years ago, Melbourne was selected by Uber Air, along with Dallas and Los Angeles, as a prospective city for early air taxi services. Since then, the industry has been awaiting clear governmental direction on vertiport land use planning.
“The Australian Advanced Air Mobility industry has been waiting for some Government policy leadership on vertiport land use planning to kick start things, so we welcome today’s release from the Victorian Government,” said Clem Newton-Brown, CEO of Skyportz.
According to the action plan, the Department of Transport and Planning will develop and publish initial guidance material within the next year. This material will support the assessment of early vertiport applications under the existing Victorian regulatory framework. By 2026, the department aims to review and update specific land use and development regulations to support a coordinated approach to vertiport planning infrastructure.
Additionally, the Department of Transport and Planning will explore opportunities to integrate Advanced Air Mobility and zero-emission aviation technology into future Victorian transport, precinct development, and freight-related policy, strategy, and frameworks.
“This policy announcement is a green light for the property development industry to start planning for this revolution in the way we move people and goods,” said Newton-Brown. He emphasized that “the vertiport infrastructure is the missing piece of the puzzle for this industry. Without new vertiport landing sites in places people want to go, the aircraft will never fulfil their potential.”
Skyportz aims to decouple aviation from traditional airports, enabling commercial and industrial property developers to host vertiports. Over 400 property sites in Australia have expressed interest in hosting a vertiport.
“The interest from the property industry is rapidly building – we envisage that those developments with vertiports will attract higher rents as businesses demand to have drone freight and air taxi services for customers,” added Newton-Brown.
The Australian air regulator, CASA, has also released vertiport guidelines, underscoring its commitment to facilitating Advanced Air Mobility in Australia. The guidelines suggest that new vertiports will exclude helicopters to help develop community support for Advanced Air Mobility.
“This will give the AAM industry an opportunity to demonstrate to the community that a vertiport (catering only for air taxis) may be more desirable than a heliport. If communities are going to accept AAM as an industry, then gaining this ‘social licence’ is vitally important. With the guidance for vertiports clearly excluding the use of helicopters then we hope that local councils and communities will be more accepting to AAM in their localities,” Newton-Brown concluded.
The implementation of this action plan is anticipated to propel Victoria to the forefront of the Advanced Air Mobility sector, fostering innovations in air transportation and logistics.
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