Little relief ahead under flight paths

RESIDENTS in the state’s South-East unhappy about Hobart airport’s flight paths will have to wait another year before any changes are made.

The organisation behind flight path changes, Airservices Australia, will spend about 12 months reviewing the changes it made in September after Forestier Peninsula residents expressed anger about it.

The changes meant aircrafts were moved on to standard routes — rather than the previous system of each aircraft being given an individual route by air traffic control. It resulted in up to 50 planes a day flying directly over Boomer Bay, Dunalley and other Forestier Peninsula towns.

Residents last year appealed to Federal Transport Minister Darren Chester and the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman Narelle Bell.

A subsequent review and public consultation saw an alternative, but similar, route near Connellys Marsh, Dunal- ley and Sloping Main announced in November. The changes started on March 1.

Airservices is undertaking a further review of arrival and departure routes into Hobart.

This review will take about a year. Any recommendations will seek to balance flight path safety concerns with minimising aircraft noise.

Dunalley resident David Patman said residents he had spoken to wanted the pre-September flight path reinstated, which meant planes flew over a larger area before descending over Seven Mile Beach and landing. But Airservices has rejected the proposal.

“The new path is set for one direction [down the Forestier Peninsula], whereas it used to go different ways,” Mr Patman said. “Residents I know are happy Airservices are doing another review into this. While they are doing it we would like to see [planes] revert back to their previous path.”

An Airservices spokeswoman said it had implemented an alternative flight path into the airport, which was more aligned to the original path.

“Airservices has recently discussed local community concerns with [Tasmanian] Senator [Johnathon] Duniam, and has offered to provide a detailed briefing on the proposed plans and why changes to flight paths at Hobart Airport are critical,” she said.

“Airservices has already publicly committed to community consultation in Hobart as part of its ongoing review.”

Mr Patman said the Ombudsman had investigated Airservices’ handling of the original consultation process.

He said the findings were to be presented to the Airservices board and federal Transport Minister Michael McCormack.