[Peetwo]

In a Harfwit's world -

I note that ASA dodged a slap with a Senate wet lettuce last night, so to help get everyone up to speed with the latest from the raiders of the OneSKY trough fund...

Via the Oz: 

‘Unsafe’ airport in line for upgrade


Hobart airport. Picture: Zak Simmonds


MATTHEW DENHOLM
TASMANIA CORRESPONDENT
@MatthewRDenholm

12:00AM OCTOBER 21, 2019


Hobart Airport has had another spike in air safety breaches, as regulators finally ­accept calls to upgrade the city’s increasingly busy airspace.

Documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws show between the end of May and the end of July there were 15 occasions when aircraft, including passenger jets, breached altitude restrictions.

These “operational deviations” mean planes are not at the height they are supposed to be, and are no longer guaranteed safe separation from other aircraft. Airservices Australia said the incidents related to new set departure flightpaths but none resulted in aircraft straying dangerously close to others.

“This was an anticipated transitional issue that did not involve any losses of separation or risk to safety,” a spokeswoman said.

Residents under the flightpaths expressed alarm at the breaches, which follow a spate of more serious “loss of separation” incidents in the months after the flightpaths — known as SIDs (standard instrument departures) and STARs (standard instrument arrivals) — were introduced in September 2017.

“We are alarmed to hear about yet another string of safety breaches,” said Joseph Holmes, president of the South East Coast Lifestyle Association.

“These are clearly not teething problems, or the fault of pilots, as Airservices has previously stated. This seems unbelievable, given the safety problems that have already occurred. Along with their concentrated and damaging noise impact, it is obvious that SIDs and STARs alone are not sufficient to ensure safe and efficient air travel at an increasingly busy capital city like Hobart.”

Documents reveal the Civil Aviation Safety Authority has decided to give in to pressure from pilots, air traffic controllers and residents to upgrade Hobart’s airspace from “class D” to “class C”. This means satellite or radar surveillance is used to guide aircraft to the ground, rather than relying on “procedural control” by the local tower. It would bring Hobart into line with other capitals and busier regional centres.

The move has been resisted by CASA, but its latest ­review of Hobart airspace, completed in recent days, recommends Airservices submit a plan to make it happen “within 12 months”.

Hobart passenger movements increased by more than 400,000 to 2.7 million in the 12 months to February, 1.7 million above the trigger for an upgrade.

The CASA review finds 107 safety “occurrences” at Hobart between December 2016 and May this year, an increase it blames in part on aircraft failing to comply with SIDs and STARs height requirements. “There were some … where increased (aircraft) surveillance or changing the airspace classification may have prevented the incident,” it concludes. In one anonymous submission, a Hobart air traffic controller warns the current system is unsafe.

And via the SMH:

Air traffic control boss 'Mr Mintie' stalked trainee, asked for kisses
By Richard Baker
October 15, 2019 — 11.50am
A senior Airservices Australia manager who dubbed himself “Mister Mintie” repeatedly stalked and sexually harassed a female air traffic control trainee, including asking if he could attend hospital when she gave birth.
The man’s conduct is outlined in a series of emails from 2016 included as part of a compensation claim lodged in the Federal Court by law firm Maurice Blackburn, which is representing the woman.

The woman was a trainee air traffic controller.CREDIT:MICHAEL BUNN

The woman, who worked in Melbourne, was unable to complete her training and developed significant health problems due to her treatment by her former boss, who no longer works for Airservices.

The revelation of the legal action comes two months after Airservices announced it had engaged the nation's former sex discrimination commissioner, Elizabeth Broderick, to conduct an extensive review of its workplace culture.

Airservices Australia is a statutory federal agency responsible for ensuring the safety of air travellers. When it announced Ms Broderick's review, Airservices said it had "zero tolerance" for all forms of workplace harassment.

The female trainee was bombarded with emails from her boss in which he called her his “fav girl"and asked for a "private dance". He signed off some emails “amore per sempre” (love always).

He also repeatedly asked the female trainee to provide him with a photo of her before he went on holiday to Italy. When the woman told him, "F--- off, that is not on," he later that day emailed to apologise: “Hey, sorry if I acted like a goose today about the photo and things. I promise tomorrow I’ll be back to being a gentleman. But boy, did you look pretty today … I’ve never believed about pregnant women ‘glowing’ until now.

“See you tomorrow – can’t send amore tonight because my heart rate is still up …”
While the manager focused his attention on the young woman, he spent less time with other trainees he was responsible for educating and monitoring.

On the manager’s last day of work before his Italian holiday, he left a Minties wrapper from a sweet he had given the female trainee weeks earlier under her windscreen wiper. It had a love heart drawn on it.

He continued to email the woman while he was on holiday, signing off many emails with “MM”, which was shorthand for "Mister Mintie".

Upon his return his attention became physical, with requests for hugs, kisses, directions for her to sit closer to him and him trying to press his fingers to her lips.

In one exchange, he said: “I clean shaved for you.”

The man, who was married, also insisted on giving the trainee a bracelet he bought in Italy. But he told her he really wanted to buy her underwear.


During a discussion about her parental leave arrangements, the heavily pregnant trainee had to physically insist her manager remain across the table. He responded by saying: “What? Do you think I’m going to molest you?”

The man later in the same meeting asked if he could come to hospital when the trainee gave birth. He was told “most certainly not” by the younger woman.

A consultant’s report into the man’s conduct delivered in early 2017 confirmed he had stalked and sexually harassed the female trainee by requesting physical contact, asking for dates, taunts of a sexual nature and asking intrusive questions about her personal life and body.

Airservices Australia's decision to engage Ms Broderick for the workplace culture review came after former Federal Court judge Tony North, QC, warned public safety could be at risk because of the severity of its workplace problems.

Mr North's opinion was sought by the air traffic controller's union.

His opinion that public safety could be at risk is strongly disputed by Airservices.


Former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick.CREDIT:ALEX ELLINGHAUSEN

Since the announcement of Ms Broderick's review, a small number of senior Airservices managers decided to resign or retire.

The case involving the female trainee and Airservices Australia will go to trial at the Federal Court in Melbourne in April next year after mediation talks failed.

The woman’s lawyers are seeking compensation from Airservices Australia for alleged breaches of the Sex Discrimination Act through the senior manager’s harassment.

They also accuse the federal agency of breaching the terms of an agreed return to work plan after the woman returned from leave.



In its defence filed in the Federal Court, Airservices has admitted many of the facts pleaded in connection to sexual harassment. However it has said it was not responsible for the manager's emails when he was holidaying in Italy.



In regards to alleged breaches of the Disability Discrimination Act, Airservices has taken a more aggressive stance, stating that many of the woman's claims did not have a proper legal basis.
Maurice Blackburn principal Kamal Farouque said Airservices was relying on a highly technical statutory defence which if accepted would mean thousand of public servants would be prevented from suing the Commonwealth for damages under the Sex Discrimination Act.

Finally, very much ASA related, the PFAS spectre refuses to be ignored...

Via the other Aunty:

Erin Brockovich sounds alarm over PFAS contamination after more Queensland sites revealed

Exclusive by Josh Bavas

Updated Mon at 11:41am


[b]PHOTO:[/b] American activist Erin Brockovich is urging governments to do more about PFAS contamination. (ABC News)

American activist Erin Brockovich has warned all levels of government in Australia to act swiftly to prevent the spread of PFAS chemical contamination, with more affected sites coming to light.

Key points:

• More than 60 sites in Queensland are believed to be contaminated by PFAS
  
  
• A university campus and a residential development are being built on two of the contaminated sites
  
  
• Erin Brockovich says Australia is behind in dealing with the issue
  

ABC News has obtained a list of more than 60 locations identified by authorities in one state alone believed to be contaminated by the synthetic compounds.

They include a prime parcel of riverfront real estate in Brisbane slated for a high-end residential development and a university campus currently under construction to the north of the city.

PFAS chemicals are found in firefighting foam and other products manufactured for their resistance to heat, water and oil.

Authorities overseas, such as the US Environmental Protection Agency, have found PFOA and PFOS chemicals (a type of PFAS) can cause reproductive and developmental, liver and kidney, and immunological effects in laboratory animals.

Queensland authorities said PFAS can persist for a long time in the environment and tend to accumulate in the bodies of animals and people.

A study is currently underway by the Australian National University looking at the health impacts on people who have come into contact with high levels of the chemical.

Ms Brockovich said the details from Queensland alone were "alarming".

"I'm coming over here having dealt with this in every state in America," she said.

"The sites that you're looking at here in Queensland — these didn't just happen this morning, this has been going on for a very long period of time.

"Imagine your whole country and how many sites you have in other territories — you could be looking at hundreds and hundreds of locations and what is in fact happening to your water supply and to your people.

"You really need to wake up to these issues in this country — here in Australia you are bigger and better than this."

New developments among PFAS sites

The list of locations includes 26 fire stations, eight current or former defence sites, six airports, four ports, three town water supplies and several waste facilities.

It took more than a year for ABC News to access the documents from Queensland's Department of Environment under Right to Information.

Some locations on the list have been well publicised — like the contamination of a Bundaberg reservoir last year and the accidental release of 22,000 litres of the toxic firefighter foam at the Brisbane Airport in 2017.

But several others appear to have had little or no previous media coverage, including the former Bulimba Barracks which is earmarked to become one of Brisbane's newest residential precincts.

View the full list of locations obtained by the ABC

The Department of Defence is in the process of selling the site to a developer but began an investigation into the extent of the contamination last year.

A Defence spokeswoman said the developer would take responsibility to "remediate" the land once the settlement is finalised.

"In August 2019, Shayher Group was selected as the preferred purchaser of the site following a competitive open market sale process," she said.

"Shayher Group is an experienced Australian developer that has demonstrated its capacity to successfully remediate, develop and protect the heritage values of the site.

"The contract of sale for the site has provisions to ensure that Shayher Group will commence work to remediate and develop the site in a timely manner."


[b]PHOTO:[/b] The Bulimba Barracks will soon be transformed into a major residential precinct. (ABC News: Craig Andrews)

Also on the list is a former paper mill at Petrie, to the north of Brisbane, which is being converted into a new campus for the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC).

Documents show the Department of Environment issued a notice to the operator Orora after PFAS chemicals were detected in soil and leaking into the adjacent Pine River in 2017.

A final response commissioned by the company itself in response to the Department found there is an "unacceptable risk to birds and animals" in the surrounding waterways popular with recreational fishers.

It also found that some parts of the land would not be suitable for residential development or open public space.

In the report, the company said it was in the process of conducting remediation work and a DES spokesman said it found "no unacceptable risk for people".

"A final investigation report, including a human health and ecological risk assessment, indicated that there was no unacceptable health risk for people on the site or nearby as a result of PFAS," he said.

"Following the investigation, Orora has set up a PFAS treatment facility on site, which is licenced by DES as part of remediation activity associated with current site development."


[b]PHOTO:[/b] The USC Moreton Bay campus is expected to open early next year. (ABC News: Craig Andrews)

'Shame on you': Brockovich smacks down local councillor

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council recently came under fire after announcing plans to release millions of litres of PFAS-tainted water from the airport straight into the ocean off the coast.

Councillor Jason O'Pray released a video online putting some of the water into his mouth saying it was "clean".

[b]VIDEO:[/b] Councillor Jason O'Pray drinks 'clean' PFAS contaminated water (ABC News)

"There's no foaming, there's no discoloration, it's certainly not toxic," he said in the video.

Ms Brockovich viewed the video and said the councillor should be "ashamed".

"You look really stupid because you're taking water that's tainted that you're trying to clean up and throw it in your mouth and say, 'Oh see it's perfectly safe'," she said.

"There's no comparison to that and swimming in it every day over a course of time — so folly it is. Shame on you.

"We're literally going to crap in our own mess kit if we just keep dumping and dumping into our water and our rivers.

"I said years ago we need to get ahead of this and they're not."

Ms Brockovich was flown to Australia by Shine Lawyers for a speaking tour on PFAS contamination and other industrial relations issues like silicosis.

The legal firm has already filed class actions against the Department of Defence on behalf of residents in Oakey on Queensland's Darling Downs and Katherine in the Northern Territory who are claiming to have been impacted by PFAS contamination in their communities.



[b]PHOTO:[/b] Katherine residents have undergone blood testing following concerns their water supply was contaminated with chemicals. (ABC News: Sally Brooks)

Special counsel for Shine Lawyers Joshua Aylward said the legal firm was also investigating other sites around the country.

"I'm a bit shocked because we all know about the Defence bases which have used a lot of this foam that have contaminated the sites around them — there have been a few other sites that have leaked out over time … but personally I didn't realise there were 60 or so sites just in Queensland.'

"The contamination has spread quite widely off many of these defence bases and I would say the list of 60 that you have here in Queensland there will be some of those sites where the contamination has well and truly left the airports or the ports."

Department tracking a number of sites

A spokesman for the Department of Environment and Science (DES) said potential PFAS contamination is monitored by a number of government agencies.

"When these PFAS amounts are small and under the national guidelines they are not considered to be a risk," he said.

"In instances where guidelines are exceeded, the public is advised, any required human health precautions are led by the Queensland Department of Health and investigations to determine the cause of the contamination are undertaken.

"DES is currently tracking a number of sites in Queensland where the potential for PFAS at higher levels may exist.

"The list provided to the ABC includes sites where PFAS has been identified, but this does not necessarily mean PFAS guidelines have been exceeded.

"The Queensland Government was the first government in Australia to ban the future use of firefighting foam containing PFOS and PFOA in July 2016, and has implemented a policy to phase out stocks of firefighting foam containing these chemicals."

MTF...P2