Support our submission

Airservices Australia is currently conducting a post-implementation review (PIR) of its decision to implement new flight paths in Hobart airspace in November 2017 (https://engage.airservicesaustralia.com/hobart).

This includes a new jet departure path ("Runway 12 jet SID") which audibly and visibly impacts the communities of Dunalley, Murdunna, Boomer Bay, Marion Bay, Bream Creek and Copping. This significantly adds to the impact of the new arrival path over Dunalley ('Runway 30 STAR').

The combination of both flight paths disproportionate has a disproportionate effect these otherwise quiet rural and coastal communities, none of which were overflown by jets prior to September 2017.

SECLA believes that the decision to locate the Runway 12 jet SID in its current position was not made correctly. Firstly, because community members were not consulted about this location and therefore unable to provide feedback on the impact. And secondly because the notes from Airservices's internal design meeting (see by SECLA) show that impact was not properly considered in the decision.

SECLA is therefore lodging a submission to the PIR to move the position of the Runway 12 jet SID to be moved closer to the airport, to minimise its overall impact on communities. We provide three options for achieving this, which could also provide a benefit to airline operators by reducing flight times and miles flown.

Consultation closes on 19 May 2021.

Download SECLA’s submission here

Add your signature to our submission here.

Complain to Airservices

You can complain directly to Airservices about the impact of the proposed changes on you:

Web: https://complaints.bksv.com/asa

Phone: 1800 802 584

You may like to keep in mind:

• Despite $1 million spent on the review, the new Runway 12 SID has been decided without proper consultation - this was never presented as an option and there has been no real opportunity to provide feedback. This was exactly what happened in September 2017.

• Airservices had decided not to comply with the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman’s recommendations to implement a new noise assessment procedure until June 2019 as a deliberate tactic to avoid a proper assessment of the impact of the Hobart changes.

• Airservices’ plan is designed for a regional airport with low jet traffic and is unsuited to a growing capital city airport like Hobart.

SPEAK TO THE OMBUDSMAN

If you are not satisfied with the Airservices response you can contact the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman (ANO). She is closely monitoring Airservices’s compliance with her recommendations:

Web: http://ano.gov.au/complaints/

Phone: 1800 266 040

Get the Senate involved

The Australian Senate’s job is to make government agencies accountable for their actions. The Senate’s Rural Regional and Transport Committee has a standing inquiry into the performance of Airservices Australia. Write to them and ask for a public hearing into Airservices’s lack of transparent and thorough consultation with all relevant stakeholders in the development of its 20 year plan for Hobart’s airspace.

Ask why Hobart Airport’s control tower is over 60 years old and Hobart, the fastest growing capital city airport in Australia, is still without radar. And why Airservices is trying to implement a regional airport model at what should be classified as a capital city airport.

Committee Secretary
Senate Standing Committees on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Phone: +61 2 6277 3511

rrat.sen@aph.gov.au

Engage our political representatives

Write to Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Honourable Michael McCormack, expressing your concerns about Airservices’s lack of transparent and thorough consultation with all relevant stakeholders in development of its 20 year plan for Hobart’s airspace.

Remind him that Hobart is the fastest growing capital city airport in Australia, but its air traffic control infrastructure is over 60 years old, and his agency Airservices Australia is trying to get away with implementing an air traffic control system designed for small regional airports.

Ask why that of the $80 million allocated to Hobart Airport in the latest ‘City Deal’, none is to be spent on upgrading air safety infrastructure.

Copy in local representatives Senator Jonathan Duniam, Senator Nick McKim and Brian Mitchell MP:

• minister.mccormack@infrastructure.gov.au

• senator.duniam@aph.gov.au

• senator.mckim@aph.gov.au

• brian.mitchell.mp@aph.gov.au

Spread the Word

Tell your friends and family about the air traffic management problems at Hobart Airport. Contact us to join or learn more.