The appalling community consultation run by Sunshine Coast Council and SC Airport in 2014 and with Air Services Australia in 2019 caused outrage among residents. Flight Path Forum arose out of that outrage with the intent to seek a more equitable outcome.
FPF has been working with ASA on their Post-Implementation Review and ASA's call for community submissions on flight path options is a key component of the review.
Flight Path Forum engaged a CASA accredited company, and their Chief Designer worked with us to meet our objective.
FPF has lodged a comprehensive and, in our view, a compelling argument, proposing 3 additional routes and several technical adjustments to the existing routes. The additional routes will allow more equitable sharing of the noise burden across the northern SC and the minor adjustments would reduce the noise experienced by residents near the existing flight paths.
FPF has stressed the aim is to share the noise burden more equitably - not shifting it, and the three additioanal routes will allow that .
The proposed routes depart from and approach the airport to and from the west. avoiding Eumundi and the communities to the north and east of Eumundi The three routes are:
a) a departure route to the south and west (Sydney, Adelaide) that leaves the airport towards Yandina Creek and heads south before Eumundi.
b) a departure route to the north and north west (Cairns) that leaves the airport towards Yandina Creek and then loops to the south of Eumundi and continues.
c) an approach route for flights from the south and west.
There are around 50% fewer people affected by these additional routes compared to the current routes
The adjustments to the existing flight paths are mainly focused on keeping aircraft within the flight path corridor.
We expect ASA will take some time to consider submissions and respond. In the interim they have committed to putting a deidentified summary of submissions on their website.
The FPF Committee would like to thank PBCA and members for their generous support. The community support allowed FPF to engage professional advice and develop a compelling argument for change,
Marian Kroon
President FPF
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