FLORA
Farm Land Over Relocation of Airport.
Location: Bartolo Pavilion; Bartolo Cres Mandurah WA.
Flora Convener Ms Irene Cook.

Chairman; Mr. Harry Riseborough
Secretary of the meeting Mr. Gary Gaunt.

Meeting commenced at 7:34pm

Present were over 180 residents of the Mandurah, Murray, Serpentine-Jarrahdale Shire Councils and surrounding areas.
Senator Judith Adams.
President; Serpentine Jarrahdale Shire Council; Lyn Monroe.
Murray Shire Councilor; Morris Bessant.
Councilor John Hughes

The Chairman opened the meeting by calling for apologies.

Apologies;
Mayor Mandurah City Council Paddy McCreevy and Councilor Lynn Rogers
Mayor Murray Shire Council Noel Nancarrow and those councilors sitting in committee.
Murray Cowper, David Templeman, Darren Lee, Vern Goff, Margaret Werner, Don Hatch, Hilda White.

Ascot Capital were invited to attend but ultimately declined.

Dear Irene,
I believe that you are hosting a meeting of FLORA tonight in Mandurah and have expressed interest in a representative from Ascot Capital attending to provide some information. We have chosen to use the ARID Group to manage the community consultation and as you are aware they have established a Community Consultative Group to work through information.  As a member of that group you would be aware that two more meetings covering Traffic Movements, Airport Noise, Visual Amenity and Public Safety Risk are planned.  We believe, at this early stage in the consultation process, that our attendance at another community meeting would confuse this process.
If you have any further queries relating to the community consultation process please do not hesitate to contact Leigh Hardingham on 0427 943 879.
I look forward to seeing you again at the CCG meeting on 2 November.
Regards,          Nick Allingame

Mr. Michael Braybrook, President of the Jandakot Airport Chamber of Commerce gave a presentation including a brief history of Jandakot Airport and the Jandakot Airport Chamber of Commerce (JACC) and canvassed the issues surrounding the unsolicited proposal

The salient points were as follows.

Jandakot Airport’s location and its important relationship to the City, Perth Airport, the Freeway and Roe Highway road links was part of the original Stephenson plan for Perth laid down in the mid fifties and subsequently incorporated into the Hepburn and the now current Metropolitan Region Planning Scheme.  It was also quite deliberately placed on the Jandakot water mound as airports are considered to be one of the most benign land uses.
It is the only airport in Australia that was specifically planned and located to service the City and General Aviation.  The majority of the other Secondary airports around Australia are legacies of previous Domestic and International airport use in the past.  Jandakot Airport is the busiest and most successful Secondary Airport in

As part of the Federal Government privatization policy 99 year leases for the operation of all Commonwealth owned Airports were offered to the market.

http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/aa1996269/

The enabling legislation allowing the private operation of the airports, previously a Commonwealth responsibility, was very specific in the type of use, the fitness, obligations and the responsibilities required of a lessee entrusted with a community asset.

A fundamental part of the protection for the community at large, the tenants, businesses, users and the lessees in the Act, was contained in the requirement for a Master Plan reviewable at 5 years intervals and agreed by ALL of the parties including the State Government, Airservices Australia, CASA and Federal Minister representing the Government and community at large. 
The Master Plan sets out the basis on which and how the airport will be operated and developed for the future.  It provides the foundation on which the airport users, businesses and tenants can plan going forward.

http://www.jandakotairport.com.au/Final%20MP%20%202006%20-.pdf

The Act and the Master Plan was very specific in requiring the lessee to operate the airport as an airport in perpetuity and comply with the agreed Master Plan and the Airport Regulations as amended from time to time. 
The Master Plan sets out very clearly the areas available for commercial development by the lessee and the areas required to be preserved as “airport” and open space.

Around 10 years ago a company called Jandakot Airport Holdings Pty Ltd (JAH) bid and paid over $6,000,000 for a 99 year lease on Jandakot Airport.

Late 2005 the Minister and all of the parties including JAH and of which the JACC were a part completed a review and signed off on the amendments to the 2000 Master Plan to become the 2005 Master Plan for the ensuing 5 years.

In January the airport community was informed by way of an press article in the West Australian News that Ascot Capital had bought JAH for the sum of $43.5 million.  This required the approval of the purchase by the Minister and a determination by him that they were fit and proper persons.  The transfer of ownership of the company, JAH, and therefore the Commonwealth lease required that the new owners assume in writing the obligations of the 2005 Master Plan in their entirety and compliance with the Transport Regulations in regard to foreign ownership and other matters.

https://secure.dotars.gov.au/webforms/infopages/Ownership_control_airports_overview.htm

Shortly after assuming ownership it was again revealed in the press that the new owners “proposed to relocate Jandakot Airport to a new location south” on the basis of three claims.  There was up to this time no contact or consultation with the tenants at the airport

Jandakot Airport airspace was unsafe as a result of its proximity to Perth.

The arrival of the new Super Jumbo Airbus 380 at Perth Airport would require the closure of Jandakot Airport

The Airport was already approaching its movement limit, and would exceed the available capacity in the short term and there was no means of expansion to meet the expected demand.

The evidence they presented in support was in every case flawed or sufficiently misleading as to be baseless and it quickly became clear that this was nothing more than a grab for the land at Jandakot for residential real estate development.

A discussion and rebuttal of their claims can be found on our website.

http://www.jandakotairportrelocation.org.au/jacc.htm

The meeting was opened to questions from the floor.

Dave Warner

If 98% of the tenants don’t want to go then why are they persisting and on what basis….
JACC, MB:  The Minister has made it clear to us that nothing will proceed that will disadvantage GA in Australia and particularly Jandakot and that doesn’t have the approval of all the parties including the airport tenants or that will disadvantage the surrounding communities in both locations.
It should be noted that the only business at the airport that seems to support the move is a business that uses ex military jet aircraft for joy flights and is having trouble with the residents at Jandakot over the noise.

Keith Burrow

Is the plan for an airport in the Northern Suburbs still current?

JACC JD:  There was some advanced planning done for the Neerabup area which was then stopped as a result of a mass meeting of over 2,000 residents which was misinterpreted by the State Govt as being overwhelming against when at the worst it was 50 % against, it was an election year and the plan dropped out of site.  There is Commonwealth land available at the edge of the Pearce training area that would be suitable and with which we believe the RAAF has no problems, should the future capacity demand another airport.  We would be delighted were this to become so.

Irene Cook

Is there a curfew on Murrayfield and what would the likely result be for the proposed airport site.

JACC JD:  Yes there is a curfew for Murrayfield between 10pm and 6am for circuits but not for normal arrival and departures.
The proposed airport would be required to be open 24/7 to ALL traffic including circuits.

Frank Hewitt

Drew the meetings attention to the fact that Perth Airport is used as the “training school airport” for all the Jandakot schools as part of the CASA syllabus requirement for pilot trainees.  Moving Jandakot even further away would add significant costs to the training.

Jess Smith

Drew attention to the fact that there are no access roads, water, power or other utilities and infrastructure to the proposed site and wanted to know who would be paying for it.

Councilor Bessant informed the meeting that they had been advised by JAH there would be a increase in Rate revenue of $400,000 to the Murray Shire, however this would not cover the interest on any new roads.  The Council would not be providing the roads.

Annette Bain

Expressed personal indignation and outrage at the arrogance of JAH and the manner in which they were approaching the issue of what after all was an unwelcome and unsolicited proposal.


Mr. Crawford

Asked if Perth needs a 2^nd Secondary airport what was wrong with Cunderdin?

JACC, MB: Cunderdin was being used for some training but is not relevant to the current issue.

Lyn Monroe
VP South Yunderup Residents and Ratepayers Association./

Mr. Monroe noted that the minutes of the Murray Shire meeting with JAH thanked Greg King and David van der Walt.  He was concerned that the Murray Shire assumes that it is a done deal and JAH had done a good job. 
Mr. Monroe said that in the end it would be People Power that will win the day and urged everybody to fill out the handout and send it to the Minister, so that your voice will be heard.

At this point of the meeting the Chairman noted the arrival of introduced and welcomed Senator Judith Adams to the meeting.

Mr. Jim Becker

Now a Meadow Springs resident originally lived at Leeming and was driven out by aircraft noise from Jandakot Airport, he urged everyone to get behind and block the proposed relocation as he would be selling out and moving if Jandakot Airport was relocated.

David ??

Queried the approach landing and take off directions and over flying areas.

JACC JD:  advised that the only diagram we have seen published by JAH shows E/W and N/S runways which do not fit with the meteorological conditions for safe operations.  Under normal circumstances these decisions are made by the relevant Government Depts.

Jo Martin

Suggested that the relocation appears to be a fait accompli.  If so where were CASA and Airservices and what happened to the 99 year lease for the current airport?

JACC MB: replied that this was not so, both Airservices and CASA were monitoring the situation closely and that we were expecting correspondence from the shortly in relation to the allegation by JAH that Jandakot Airport was unsafe.  

Senator Judith Adams

Senator Adams responded by first offering her support to the meeting and a commitment to follow through with the appropriate people in Canberra on the issues.
Senator Adams also quoted from a letter received from DOTARS setting out the requirements that had been set for any further progress by JAH on their unsolicited proposal.
Senator Adams undertook to take the petition to the Senate and arrange for it to be tabled in the House of Representatives.
The Senator noted that next week was Senate estimates at which Senators are able to ask questions directly of Departments and that if the JACC were to prepare relevant questions regarding the proposed relocation she would ensure they would be brought up in the appropriate forum.
Senator Adams also noted the adverse impact the proposed relocation would have on the operation of the RFDS and the service available from Murdoch and Fiona Stanley Hospitals.

Jeanette Armstrong

Suggested to the meeting that they should let friends and family in the country and the North West know of the adverse results to their health care and they should join them in petitioning the Federal and State Govt against the proposed move.

Allen Elliott

Queried, the statistic being offered by JAH of the possibility of 900,000 movements at the proposed airfield.

JACC:  First that number of movements is simply not possible to safely achieve for one airport AND the relocation is likely to reduce the current GA movements from 415,000 per annum to less than 150,000 movements.


Denise Needham

President Serpentine Jarrahdale Shire Council

Related an example of an older lady in her Shire who received an unsolicited call from a "consultancy" and asked if she was prepared to answer some questions as part of a "survey".  She agreed and was led through a broad range of issues ranging from the environment, Nuclear power, fuel conservation, water conservation, Burrup Peninsula and so on and would she mind if they called again to which she also agreed. 
Some days later she was called again and offered a fee of $70 to attend a local community consultation group where she could share her views. Thinking this would be about some recent and controversial local issues in which she had a special interest (trees and the Cardup area) she attended to be told it was not about those local issues or those covered in the "survey" at all but a "presentation" and "consultation" about the relocation of Jandakot airport. 
She was sufficiently upset and embarrassed at the improper way she had been handled that she took the trouble to ring the Shire President (Denise Needham) to complain.
Formal complaints have been lodged.


Frank Hewitt

Related that he had asked a Director of JAH at a consultation meeting was he aware of the “market research activity” he replied that he was not.
Mr. Hewitt also pointed out that correspondence with the Mandurah Shire revealed that they did not have a position on the issue and urged ratepayers to petition their councilor.

Councillor Morris Bessant

Pointed out that the properties in pink on the map displayed showing the position of the proposed airport were the last properties in the Shire of Murray.
Councilor Bessant also pointed out that there were some unanswered questions and holes in the JAH presentation and that they were sent off for more information.

Councilor Bessant pointed out that so far the Murray Shire Council had not yet received a formal proposal from JAH and until that had taken place and been formally received for consideration Council rules forbade councilors from taking a position on it, lest it prejudice the deliberation.  It was important that formal process be followed.
He suggested that this was most likely why Mandurah Council had not yet done so either.

Roy Barraley
President Yunderup Ratepayers Assoc.
Asked when Jandakot Airport might reach its capacity.

JACC: replied that on present estimates in the Master Plan it might be 15 years or longer depending on the sustained growth rate in the economy.

Annette Bain

Noted that there were a number of politicians present so who do we vote for??

Senator Judith Adams  expressed her support for the meeting and its determination to reject the proposal.  The Senator offered whatever support she is able to muster in Canberra against the proposed relocation.

JACC:  A petition prepared by the FLORA group is being circulated at the meeting and we would urge you to register your interest.  Senator Adams has kindly offered to present them to the Senate and have them placed in the other House.

Mandurah Councillor John Hughes took the opportunity to announce to the meeting for the first time in public that he had been endorsed as the endorsed Labor candidate against the Liberal incumbent Don Randall and that he fully supported the meetings NO for relocation vote.
Councilor Hughes told the meeting they have a voice and must use it.

Ray
From Nth Dandalup
Offered to the meeting that from his corporate experience it was necessary to anchor the facts in people’s minds and that it was necessary to keep to the quantifiable facts and not get distracted by emotive argument.  The facts must be put properly and fairly.

JACC, GG: Applauded the sentiments and reiterated that the JACC was always ready to have productive and positive dialogue for the benefit of the Airport businesses and the future of General Aviation, but as Ray had expressed they must be on the facts.  Too much of JACCs and the airport communities valuable time had been spent correcting the “facts” being presented by JAH.

Jill Curtin

Asked whether JAH was running the airport as an airport.

JACC, :  Yes but only as much as was strictly necessary, there was strong evidence that suggested long term capital works programmes were being held over by JAH in the belief that it was a waste if the airport were to be shifted.


The Chairman announced that there would be another meeting in 6 weeks time and to watch the Mandurah press for details.

He offered a vote of thanks to the Senator and Councilors and the people for their attendance and patience, as well as Irene Cook the Convener and her group for their effort in arranging such a successful and well conducted meeting.

Irene Cook   the FLORA Convenor raised a vote of thanks to Harry Riseborough for his efforts in the Chair and the excellent manner in which the meeting had been run.

The meeting closed for coffee and cake at 8:45pm

ENDS.

Post meeting remarks.:

Irene Cook   the FLORA Convenor later advised that there had been a 99% response to the petition from those attending against the JAH proposal.