A special stakeholder roundtable secured by Member for Fairfax Ted O’Brien with Airservices Australia is set to go ahead on Friday, with the Federal Aircraft Noise Ombudsman as a guest observer.
Mr O’Brien secured the roundtable which has been billed as a way to provide stakeholders and community advocates with a better understanding around the regulatory, technical, operational and community feedback which has been considered in shaping Airservices’ flight plan designs for the Sunshine Coast Airport’s new runway.
Airservices Australia said the response to the invitation-only event was encouraging with representatives from Sunshine Coast and Noosa councils, local MPs and Flight Path Forum all to attend.
Importantly, Narelle Bell the Federal Aircraft Noise Ombudsman has also agreed to attend as an independent observer.
“Flight Path Forum has confirmed it has a preferred, alternate, flight path but so far has refused to make the plan public,” Mr O’Brien said.
“That proposal needs to be put on the table before this Friday so all relevant stakeholders and importantly ASA flight path specialists can include it in open discussions.
“We can’t drag the process out indefinitely, if their plan is viable as an alternative the community need to know what that means – for the runway, for environment approvals already in place, and potentially for other Coast communities.”
Four hours has been allocated for the meeting which will take place on Friday, 5 July.
The terms of reference have been set as follows:
The Stakeholder Roundtable provides opportunity for all stakeholders to:
· Discuss the activities completed to date in support of the Sunshine Coast Airport proposed flight path designs.
· Refresh on what we heard the community say – Summary of Feedback Parts One and Two, and community responses to these documents.
· Explore and discuss the Consideration of Feedback Report which includes the Final Design prior to public release.
· Provide opportunity for stakeholders to share and hear a range of views on the final design and report.
· Provide the opportunity for general discussion regarding flight paths and airspace change management.
