2019-05-16 Ordinary Meeting Agenda

ORDINARY MEETING AGENDA                                                                     16 MAY 2019


2.    Next Steps
The issue of the flight paths is an important issue to those parts of the Noosa community that are
potentially affected by the proposed flight paths. In recent weeks, a number of community meetings
have been held and new community organisations established that are focused on this flight path
issue.
Large community meetings have been held at Tinbeerwah and Peregian Beach and these meetings
have been attended by the Mayor and some Councillors. Councillors have also recently met with
representatives from the newly established Noosa Hinterland Residents Association and Council is
also liaising with the newly formed Flight Path Forum which is taking a key role in co-ordinating the
campaign in relation to the proposed flight path issue.
Flight Path Forum is a recently incorporated association which is acting as an umbrella or co-
ordinating group to work with other organisations that are lobbying on this issue. This includes the
following organisations:
     Friends of Lake Weyba
     Peregian Family and Friends Association
     Peregian Beach Residents Association
     Castaways Beach Residents Association
     Noosa Hinterland Residents Association.
Flight Path Forum has also met with Federal Member for Wide Bay, Llew O’Brien MP. He requested
that the group put together a document that clearly articulated what the group is seeking. Attachment
1 to this report contains that “Statement of Intent”.
It is understood that Mr O’Brien has indicated his support for this Statement of Intent. Flight Path
Forum and the Noosa Hinterland Residents Association are now seeking formal support from our
Council for this Statement of Intent.
Our Council should support this Statement of Intent. Although Council has no jurisdiction in relation
to airspace matters, it is important that our Council continues to take an advocacy role that supports
the concerns of our community.
One of the key concerns raised by the Statement of Intent is the poor consultation process. An
alternative process is proposed to offset the failures of the initial consultation. The initial consultation
was undoubtedly very poor. Some examples include:
     Where residents did receive notification of community information sessions, often that
      notification was received after the community information sessions had been held;
     The community information sessions were under-resourced and many residents who attended
      were unable to get information provided. There were also reports from residents that
      inconsistent information was provided at those community information sessions;
     There was inconsistency as to who received information about the proposed flight paths. As
      a practical example, the CEO lives in Noosaville which is well removed from any flight path
      area but received a letter box drop about the issue. The Mayor who lives in Tinbeerwah near
      a proposed flight path did not receive a letterbox drop.
     There appears to be a clear lack of notice given to residents. At the Tinbeerwah Hall public
      meeting called by concerned residents on the flight path issue, only two out of approximately
      250 attendees indicated that they had received a formal advice about the flight path issue.
      Similarly, at a community meeting at the Peregian Beach Community House, only eight out of
      approximately 400 in attendance indicated that they had received a formal advice about the
      flight path issue.
     Flight Path Forum has developed a 60 page document that highlights deficiencies in the
      consultation process.


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