Hansard Transcript – 13:30 31/08/2020 – Hansard Chamber Green

Mr LLEW O’BRIEN (Wide Bay—Deputy Speaker) (13:31):  Today I say thank you to Flight Path Forum, which prepared an excellent research paper and research material into the proposed flight path of the Sunshine Coast Airport.

They identified numerous flaws in the assessment and consultation process by nearly every agency involved. I took these concerns to the government and Airservices Australia repeatedly, and I received repeated assurances that the agencies had done their jobs appropriately.

I raised these concerns in parliament and sought to have documents tabled — submissions from hundreds of constituents detailing the problems.

Now we finally have the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman’s report, which provides a detailed critique of the flaws in the process and has made strong recommendations vindicating Flight Path Forum’s work.

The ANO’s report goes to show that you don’t take a backward step, even when the government is telling you that everything’s fine. It clearly was not.

Airservices Australia now has the opportunity to show it has learned its lessons and genuinely engage with Flight Path Forum.

I thank Flight Path Forum, the community and the ANO for their work and look forward to the ASA honouring its implementation of the ANO’s recommendations.