The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government is seeking community input from the North Canberra Community Council (and others) on draft guidelines for Community Aviation Consultation Groups for the leased federal airports.
The establishment of Community Aviation Consultation Groups was an initiative of the National Aviation Policy White Paper.
Comments on the draft guidelines are sought by close of business 28 May 2010.
Submissions and any questions can be directed to:
Asa Masterman
Airport Infrastructure Regulation, Airports Branch
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
Email: asa.masterman@infrastructure.gov.au
Postal: GPO Box 594 Canberra ACT 2601
Phone 02 6274 6750″
Mobile: 0421 647 859
Fax: 02 6245 4285
The draft guidelines paper has been reproduced below:
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The North Canberra Community Council receives support and funding from the ACT Government
The Airport (Parafield) has not bothered to do any real consultation in the past. They are only calling from views from the public now because they are being forced to. Wonder how many “Friends of Parafield Airport” will get on to the “Consultative Committee”?
They have put out a community info brochure showing where the planes are supposed to fly. Problem is that 80% of the movements operate from the one runway and certain areas cop more of the noise than others. The daily flight numbers must be some kind of joke. There have been days when we get a flight overhead (often low at 600ft) every 60 secs ie 60 per hour for up to sixteen hours. No wonder mental and social problems are rife here.
Dear Dr Masterman,
Thank You so much for taking an interest. For so many years aviation, (along with obscene main road pollution, also imposed through Parafield without Community input), simply is not measured or recognised as a serious Public Health issue by various Transport Departments.
Life in such environments for many is not worth living. One simply cannot function, as short term thought continuously erased while being tortured during every noise event. Chronic raised stress levels cannot be good, yet nothing is done. All airport decisions seem to be made by those not living here, while the horrendous pollution remains unmeasured.
Please, we hope you get noise recognised as a public health issue.
Kind Regards,
Ramon & Brian
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You may have recieved this by e-mail, but here it is again:
Thank you for offering us a perusal to the draft Guidelines for Community Aviation Consultation Groups.
Apart from trying to ensure an ‘Independent Chair’, as it stands, such consultation groups still have no binding authority to curb the relentless arrogance of airports making profits at the expense of the health and amenity of the surrounding Community. We anticipate the current Community Aviation Consultation Groups guildelines will change nothing currently happening at Parafield airport.
A Representative external from any aviation/transport related Departments, versed with the knowledge about the adverse effects of noise on human health, that is empowered, and given a permanent seat in the Community Aviation Consultation Group would be beneficial. We would like to see an appointment of a Representative from the Department of Health present, but without any meaningful responsibility, or authority, nothing may change.
Currently the true extent of flight training noise still has not been measured and reported to the Government. How anyone realising 20-25000 low flying aircraft movements circling around Parafield per month, ALL these flights go over uninsulated residential housing, how after so many years they still do not recognise that as serious public health problem, is beyond us.
Furthermore, emphasising the red tape of Community Groups being Incorporated seems irrelevant. In the past, it has led to vocal members pressured into becoming ‘silent’. Ordinary people do not have the financial resources to deal with aviation groups. Ordinary residents around Parafield rely on elected ‘Representatives’ to be fully aware of what goes on, and do something to re-instate, ensure, and protect their rightful standards of public health and amenity.
We hope its not too late to add some more acknowledgement and focus on environmental public health standards.
Yours sincerely,
RD & KM, C-: SPAN
cc: AAAAFOC