[Peetwo]

TICK TOCK goes the Harfwit Hobart flightpath clock - 

This might start to get a bit messy for the Can'tberra village idiot i.e Dear Old Harfwit?? 

Via the Oz:

Flight path threat to tourism
12:00AM MATTHEW DENHOLM
The success of Matt and Vanessa Dunbabin and their $1.5 million contribution to Tasmania is under threat from a new jet route.

---

New flight path threatens top-end Tassie tourism


Surveying a wild coast of forested headlands, rocky islands and deserted sandy beaches, Matt and Vanessa Dunbabin contemplate the looming destruction of a dream.

As fifth-generation custodians of a secluded corner of Tasmania’s rugged southeast, the Dunbabins have spent years and at least $1 million diversifying their historic 6000ha Bangor sheep farm into a thriving tourism destination.

However, their stellar success and $1.5m contribution to the local economy is under threat from a new east coast jet arrival route.

Airservices Australia, the airspace agency already under fire for bungling the introduction of new flight paths for burgeoning Hobart Airport, has decided on revisions, including a new east coast jet arrival route.

It would direct flights arriving from Sydney and Brisbane down Tasmania’s east coast, close to Maria Island, before crossing the entire width of the Dunbabins’ expansive property on the Forestier Peninsula.

The couple’s Bangor Vineyard Shed business, a green shoot emerging from the ashes of the region’s catastrophic 2013 bushfires, copped a dramatic increase in aircraft noise from the last flight path revamp, imposed in September 2017.

Airservices’ revised plan now threatens their latest business endeavour — gastronomic, cultural and historical experiences centred on Lagoon Bay involving local chefs, guides and eco-tourism enterprises.

Mr Dunbabin said 15 jets a day would fly about 4000 feet above the bay, where high-end guests pay top dollar to wine, dine and explore the property where Abel Tasman’s expedition hoisted the Dutch flag in 1642.

“Tasman anchored under what will be the new flight path,” he said.

“The business we’ve established out here is so dependent on that immersive, natural experience and the beauty and tranquillity of Lagoon Bay.

“That experience is incompatible with aircraft noise.”

Noise from the existing 45 flights to the property’s west had already affected the experience at their wine and oyster restaurant; now the new flight path threatened to destroy their Lagoon Bay eco-tourism operation.

“We won’t be able to conduct the business there,” Ms Dunbabin said.

Other local tourism businesses also are deeply concerned, including e-mountain bike tour operator Ben Rea, who offers top-end clients experiences at Bangor and Maria Island, which he also believes will be affected.

“The people making the flight path design decisions have been given parameters that include no understanding of what we’re doing here,” Mr Rea said.

Locals say consultation has not appeared genuine, and they have tried unsuccessfully to persuade Airservices bosses, including chief executive Jason Harfield, to visit the area to discover the impact of their decisions. They are “mystified” as to the rationale for the change.

Air­services has argued the redesign is to ameliorate noise impacts, but locals say this argument is Orwellian.

“This actually makes things worse — new people will be directly overflown, and for many the planes will now be right in their face,” said Joe Holmes, of the South East Coast Lifestyle Association.

Airservices said the proposed changes would “optimise the use of Tasmania’s airspace and support the economic growth of the state”.

“This is a complex process that requires us to balance the needs of a range of stakeholders without compromising safety,” a spokeswoman said.

“We believe our proposed flight paths will achieve the best overall outcome for the people of Hobart and Tasmania. We will consider all feedback before introducing the final designs in late 2019.”

However David Patman, of the South East Coast Lifestyle Association, said it appeared Airservices was imposing new standardised departure and arrival flight paths — known as SIDS and STARS — to avoid investing in longer-term solutions to Hobart Airport’s growth.

“Airservices … are trying everything to force a regional airport air traffic management solution on to Hobart,” Dr Patman said.

“Every other capital city and major airport has multiple air traffic control options, including the use of radar. But in Hobart, Airservices want to make SIDs and STARs the only option, so aircraft have to fly extra miles and noise is concentrated all in one area.

“Yet Hobart’s passenger traffic is more than double the federal government’s threshold of one million passengers per year to be upgraded … to a Class C capital city airport, which requires radar.”

MTF...P2