[Peetwo]

Dicky King Miniscule for Obfuscation?? - 

Via the MSN: 

Minister blocks release of Qatar flight decision papers

Story by Paul Osborne • 17h


A Senate committee is seeking more information about the decision on Qatar Airways flights.
© Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says the government has "nothing to hide", as a cabinet colleague knocks back a Senate request to provide documents about its decision on Qatar Airways' flights.

A Senate select committee on commonwealth bilateral air service agreements is due to hold hearings next week, asking senior Qantas executives, as well as former CEO Alan Joyce, to appear.

The Senate has also requested the government to release documents relating to its decision to knock back Qatar Airways' application for a doubling of flights.

"There's nothing to hide," Mr Marles told Nine's Today show on Friday.

"A decision was made by the transport minister in the ordinary course of her work, as transport ministers have made over an extensive period of time, around how to apply the national interest in respect of this.

"And that's all that she's done."

Transport Minister Catherine King has claimed public interest immunity over documents relating to the Senate order.

She said in a letter that air services agreements were "treaty-level agreements between countries".

"There is a public interest in not disclosing such discussions so the government's negotiations over air services agreements with a range of countries can continue unimpeded."

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie, who is chairing the committee, said the government was continuing its cover-up.

"It is shocking that Transport Minister Catherine King waited until parliament rose to tell us that she will now not be disclosing advice from her department on why she blocked more Qatar Airways flights based on 'public interest immunity'," Senator McKenzie said.

"After giving nine different excuses for her decision, it will be up to the Senate inquiry to try to get to the bottom of this fiasco."

Greens leader Adam Bandt called the minister's move disappointing.

"The public deserves to know what advice the government got about the decision that was made," he said.

The Senate inquiry will also look at federal government decisions on additional air services going back to 2016.

Mr Bandt said if the government was serious about taking action, it would consider bringing Qantas back into public ownership and treating it as an essential service.

Senator McKenzie has flagged Qantas's unlawful outsourcing decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic could also be examined.

She has accused the Albanese government of having a "cozy, personal and political relationship" with Qantas.

Senator McKenzie admitted the former coalition government had partially knocked back Qatar Airways in the past but said the committee would look at previous decisions to help open up the aviation market.

Asked whether former transport minister Michael McCormack should front the inquiry, she said: "The department that worked for the former minister will be called and we'll be asked those questions."

Past transport ministers she had spoken with said Qantas had been "very muscular" in its advocacy to government.

"They all agreed that the culture of Qantas was very aggressive about protecting their market share," Senator McKenzie said.

The inquiry will examine whether a lack of competition in the aviation sector is pushing up airfare prices and impacting the tourism and hospitality sectors.

It is due to report by October 9.

Oh but she did mention the Aviation Green/White paper...

While on the Aviation Green Paper and in relation to non-aviation development around airports, I note that the section that deals with the NASAG and the NASF appears to have an overwhelming focus on NASF Guideline A (refer below). This is troubling when you consider the recent issues highlighted by Moorabbin (approved), Archerfield and Canberra (pending) MDPs, plus the significant safety issues highlighted in the ATSB's topcover safety review of the Essendon DFO approval process...  

Refer: 

1. YMEN original test case for Australian obfuscation of international airport safety standards??
   
2. AusALPA explains the importance of maintaining OLS safety standards?? 
   
3. Airport public self-serving safety risk mitigation obfuscation - Oz style?  
   
4. Puppet Head Dickie King rubberstamps Moorabbin Master Plan?? 
   

 

...To supplement the Airports Act 1996 (Airports Act) framework, the Australian Government is implementing in partnership with states and territories the National Airports Safeguarding Framework (NASF). NASF provides guidance on mitigating aircraft noise off-airport as well as a number of other safety issues, including wind shear, wildlife strike risk and intrusions into protected airspace. It is appropriate to consider NASF when planning developments around civil and military airports. Implementation of NASF in each state and territory, and in local government planning, is ongoing but is inconsistent across jurisdictions.

NASF was developed by the National Airports Safeguarding Advisory Group (NASAG), comprised of Australian Government, state and territory government planning and transport officials, Department of Defence (Defence), CASA, Airservices Australia, and the Australian Local Government Association. It provides a mechanism for all levels of government to consult on how to balance the objectives of reducing aircraft noise impacts on the community against the need to continue to provide land for development through strategic land-use planning.

NASF Guideline A, Measures for Managing Impacts of Aircraft Noise, provides guidance to decision-makers of all three levels of government to ‘manage the impacts of noise around airports, including assessing suitability of developments’.109 Guideline A further states ‘governments recognise the merits of utilising a range of noise measures and tools in conjunction with the Australian Noise Exposure Forecast system to better inform strategic planning and to provide more comprehensive and understandable information on aircraft noise for communities’.110

A 2019 NASF implementation review identified the incomplete introduction of planning mechanisms to address NASF-related issues by local governments. It also found a lack of awareness of NASF by town planners is hindering best practice consideration of development applications near airports. Continuing implementation of NASF towards existing goals by 2027 should be maintained to improve planning outcomes on and near airports and under flight paths for both the aviation industry and for nearby communities. As the majority of airports are not subject to the Airports Act, state and territory governments need to take a leading role in formally adopting the Framework and providing capacity building for state and local planners to be aware of and implement NASF in their planning decisions.

PG 102: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/..._paper.pdf

        
Hmm...I can see where this is heading - 

Essendon DFO accident: No MSM speculation here Christine?

MTF? - Yes MUCH! - P2