Planning Minister Brad Hazzard will announce the rezoning of South Tralee today for the building of up to 2000 homes, a development that has been the subject of conflict for more than a decade.

Mr Hazzard said the rezoning was necessary, as more housing is urgently needed in Queanbeyan.

Mr Hazzard said it was a “win win” for Canberra airport, allowing it to grow up to five times its current size and with no imposed curfews.

Canberra Airport managing director Stephen Byron said the development would stop any further expansion of the airport, and its viability as a second Sydney hub would be compromised.

Mr Byron said history shows that people who buy houses under a flight path will campaign to impose curfews.

If this happens, Canberra’s role as a freight airport would be ruined because it relies on 24-hour operation.

Mr O’Farrell earlier this year ruled out a second airport in the Sydney basin and said Canberra Airport’s capacity should be increased to take the pressure off Sydney.

“The most sensible option is to build a fast-rail link to the federal capital and use Canberra Airport for additional capacity for flights,” Mr O’Farrell said.

Mr Byron said Mr O’Farrell had made his own plan unviable. “You have got to ask if Barry O’Farrell was ever serious about Canberra Airport playing a role as a second airport.”

Federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese called the decision “farcical”.

“Today’s decision renders his plan for Canberra as Sydney’s second hub farcical and completely contradictory,” Mr Albanese said.

“It defies common sense that he’s killed off his own idea, however absurd it might have been in the first place.”

The director of aviation policy at the Tourism and Transport Forum, Justin Wastnage, said the decision “effectively ruled out” Mr O’Farrell’s plans. Mr Hazzard said the size of the development had been reduced by 20 per cent, so houses would not be built in high noise areas.