[Peetwo]

Federal Govt continues to obfuscate decades old airport safety issue?   

Having been tasked by Aunty Pru -  - to troll through decade old Estimates Hansard where Shane Carmody was a feature at Fort Fumble (CASA) -   - I happened to come across an interesting passage of Hansard that featured none other than Sterlo submitting a QON to the then Murky and crew at the department...

Senator STERLE—I want to raise with you an article at page 8 of the Australian on
Tuesday where it is reported that the minister has rejected some shops in Sydney airport
because of the fear that it could be hit by a plane. Are you aware of that?

Mr Mrdak—That is correct. The minister has recently rejected a major development
proposal by the Sydney Airport Corporation for a retail commercial development in close
proximity to the runways of Sydney airport.

Senator STERLE—Do you know how high that building would have been?

Mr Mrdak—My recollection is of the order of 18 metres. I can check that. It is of that
order.

Senator STERLE—Would you be able to tell me the size of the chimney stack for the
Perth brickworks?

Mr Mrdak—I will come back to you on that.

Senator STERLE—You may want to take this on notice, Mr Mrdak. How close to the end
of the runway is that chimney stack?

Mr Williams—We will take on notice the exact details. The assessment took into account
the potential impact on what is called the obstacle limitation surface which is the protection of airspace in and around the airport. The chimney stack came well within the height limitations of the obstacle limitation surface. It did not penetrate the OLS. The assessment said that the plume that would come out of the chimney stack would not penetrate and cause a potential impact on aviation operations. The conditions on the approval also highlight towards the end that, once the brickworks is operational, if the speed of the plume coming out of the stack is different to what was proposed or modelled in the MDP, that would need to be referred back to CASA and to Airservices for further assessment.


Senator STERLE—I will get you to take it on notice. Can you come back to me with the
height and the distance from the end of the runway. I have no further questions.

Somewhat irrelevant (IMO) this was the answer to the good Senator's QON:

Answer:
The height of the stack is 37 metres above ground level.
The distance of the brickworks stack to the closest end of Runway 06/24 is
approximately 1,350 metres and the stack is offset from the centreline of the runway
by approximately 450 metres.

  
What perked my interest was Sterlo's reference to the...

 "..minister has rejected some shops in Sydney airport because of the fear that it could be hit by a plane.."

A quick Google did not bring up the Oz article but it did bring up a SMH article (or three):

Sydney Airport shops plan thrown out

By Jessica Irvine
13 February 2007 — 2:00am

The Transport Minister Mark Vaile has rejected a revised proposal by Sydney Airport to build a large shopping centre and business park onsite.

Mr Vaile cited "public safety" concerns for the decision, expressing concern about the proximity of the proposed shopping centre to the end of runways.

"I am not satisfied that SACL [Sydney Airport Corporation Ltd] has fully assessed and addressed the issue of public safety,'' Mr Vaile said in a statement.

"My decision also had regard to the level of uncertainty that remains regarding the potential impact the development could have on local traffic around the airport," Mr Vaile said.

The revised proposal was for a 48,000-square metre outlet centre, bulky goods/homemaker centre and discount store, 2000 square metres of office space, commerical buildings and 2412 parking spaces in the south-east precinct of the airport.

Under the Airports Act 1996, the minister has the power to reject proposals submitted by the operators of leased federal airports.

AAP Reports: Sydney Airport chief executive Russell Balding said the company was committed to ensuring public safety.

"More work will be done on the issues of concern to the minister,'' he said.

"Sydney Airport understands that given this decision it will need to undertake additional analysis and work before deciding whether to again submit the retail centre for the government's consideration.

"Should Sydney Airport make a decision to proceed further with the proposal there would be a new round of public consultation.''

&..

Airport shopping mall grounded


13 February 2007 — 11:00am

IT WASN'T quite in the jaw-dropping league of unexpected decisions, but the Macquarie Bank empire found yesterday that it's not always going to get its own way over the future of Sydney Airport.

With its influence over the airport already causing the bank some turbulence regarding the $11 billion takeover of Qantas - since rival airlines are not happy it is likely to end up unduly controlling both - the Federal Government showed a surprisingly tough line by rejecting a $200 million plan to build a massive retail centre on land next to Sydney's three runways.

Transport minister Mark Vaile knocked back the proposal on safety grounds because he feared a jumbo jet could plough into the shopping centre if it overshot the third runway.

I haven't been able (yet) to find the basis for the Minister's decision on aviation safety grounds and whether it was because the shopping precinct proposal would impinge on the ICAO Annex 14 defined OLS; or the... 

Civil Aviation (Buildings Control) Regulations 1988 (ref Ironbar above or: http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/c...cr1988441/ ):

3. Prohibition of the construction of buildings in specified areas  

4. Prohibition of the construction of buildings of more than 25 feet in height in specified areas  

5. Prohibition of the construction of buildings of more than 50 feet in height in specified areas  

6.Prohibition of the construction of buildings of more than 150 feet in height in certain areas 

Also refer schedule 6: http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/c...edule.html 

 
..., however I can fully understand why Sterlo attempted to garner a 'please explain' on why it was the Minister Mark Vaille rejected the SACL proposal for a shopping precinct onsite at Sydney airport but did not reject the Perth Airport MDP application for a brickworks development proposal within the Federally controlled airspace surrounding the Perth airport. 
 
IMO the former Minister's decision also sets a precedent for rejecting the construction of high capacity public shopping precincts in close proximity to Federally controlled/leased airports. 
It is therefore deeply disturbing that one year after the former Minister made that decision the ICAO audit team identified a parallel safety issue in regards to...(refer pic)

   
...and again nearly a decade later...(refer pic)



....and yet despite having a supposedly fully compliant ICAO Annex 19 State safety management system (SSP) this repeatedly ICAO and Minister identified significant safety issue is STILL yet to be effectively risk mitigated by any or all directly interested parties responsible for the effective implementation of the ICAO Annex 19 SSP - PLEASE EXPLAIN??

MTF...P2   

Ps If you think too deeply about the following dept QON and attachments you'll despair that we are being controlled as an industry by bureaucratic morons; or you can quite simply think of it as an episode of yes minister or Utopia...  : 

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