Senate Standing Committee Mr Dick Pearson Rural & Regional Affairs & Transport Secretary, SKAAG Inc. Parliament House CANBERRA ACT 2600 Email: 17 December 2020 Dear Sir/Madam, Subject: Supplementary Submission to Previous Submission No. 43 Senate Inquiry - General Aviation Industry This supplementary submission relates to Terms of Reference (d) ‘any other matter’ and is presented to help explain commentary in the earlier submission (No. 43) lodged by the Save Kempsey Airport Action Group Inc. with endorsement by affiliated community groups. Australian Standard 2021:2015 The following statements were included under Standards in the Conclusions section of the earlier submission: • AS 2021:2015 was not designed for the purpose of determining ‘acceptable’ levels of aircraft noise for existing residential properties that were not sited or constructed to meet the standard. • AS 2021:2015 is repeatedly and deliberately misapplied by consultants and client Councils in assessing the social impact of flight training operations on existing residents. The following recommendation was included in that submission: That the Department approach Standards Australia to develop a Standard covering the acceptability level/s of aircraft generated ‘constant noise density’ in the outdoor environment subject to human habitation and occupation. Request Standards Australia verify that current AS 2021:2015 is not fit for this purpose. The following evidence is now attached that collectively supports the conclusions and recommendation: • CV - Dr Rob Bullen: Note that Dr Bullen is a member of Standards Australia Committee EV-011- Aircraft & Helicopter Noise. Dr Bullen was the lead author of AS 2021:2015. • Extract - Page 5: Dr Bullen’s peer review findings re application of AS 2021 in the Noise Management Plan prepared for Kempsey Shire Council by consultants The Airport Group (TAG). • Letter from Kempsey Shire Council to President of SKAAG Inc: Note highlighted admissions and justifications for misapplication of AS 2021 to airports Australia wide, given ‘no other available or appropriate alternative noise criteria to assess aircraft noise exposure on existing residents.’ 1 Offensiveness Page 3, paragraph 4, last sentence of the earlier submission read: ‘The fact that many of the training entities are foreign owned and train pilots exclusively for their own airlines is offensive to impacted residents’. The thrust of the comment is that foreign aviation interests appear to trump the interests of residents living in the vicinity of rural and regional aerodromes. Community objections to industrial scale flight training businesses suddenly appearing at previously unaffected rural aerodromes is about the adverse impacts on residents, regardless of ownership of the business entities or the nationality of the student pilots. Residents’ objections would still arise even if it were training pilots for QANTAS, Rex or any other Australian airline. What residents find ‘offensive’ is the fact that they are expected to sacrifice their amenity, well-being and mental health to satisfy the interests of foreign business entities. How many people do you throw under a bus for the supposed ‘local economic benefits’? This view has existed for a decade or more but has been amplified by the current state of diplomatic relationships with China - a significant player in the ownership of flight training entities in Australia and supplier of trainee pilots. See links below to ABC News articles. These articles to help explain the situation outlined above: • https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-07/mildura-pilot-school-allegedly-funded-with- embezzled-china-loans/12032616?nw=0 • https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-24/mildura-flying-school-chinese-students-laser- pointers-jam-radios/12181800 The alleged deplorable and illegal actions of some people as reported in the ABC News article dated 24 April 2020 regarding laser pointers, jamming radio signals and racial abuse is inexcusable. However, it goes to show the level of community frustration and anger resulting from politicians and authorities failing to address the root cause - flight training, particularly circuit training. Whilst the foreign ownership issue is not directly related to aviation legislation per se, it does have direct relevance to General Aviation and should be addressed by the Senate Committee. The issue of AS 2021:2015 being not fit for purpose and consistently misapplied by aviation industry consultants and local councils due to the absence of an appropriate alternative does have direct and significant relevance to the General Aviation industry and its relationship with those on the ground. I respectfully ask the Senate Committee recognise this as being ‘any other matter’ under its Terms of Reference and deal with it effectively as recommended in the initial submission (No. 43). Yours sincerely, Consider signed if sent via email or aph account. Dick Pearson Secretary, Save Kempsey Airport Action Group Inc. 2 https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-24/mildura-flying-school-chinese-students-laser-pointers- jam-radios/12181800 Flying school for Chinese pilots reports racial abuse, laser pointer attacks and jammed radio signals ABC Mildura-Swan Hill By Christopher Testa Posted FriFriday 24 AprApril 2020 at 5:01pm QantasLink is among those to have raised concerns about increased activity at the airport.(ABC News: Christopher Testa) Reports of interference with aircraft radio communications and the use of laser pointers at one of regional Victoria's busiest airports, where a flying school trains pilots for Chinese airlines, are being investigated. Key points: • International Aviation Alliance CEO Simon Clemence said tensions over the academy's presence meant it had become "reluctant to even let [the students] out" • Mr Clemence, who is also Mildura's mayor, said unknown persons had jammed radio frequencies • A spokeswoman for the Australian Communications and Media Authority said it was investigating a complaint The International Aviation Alliance academy has been subject to a number of complaints about noise, however CEO Simon Clemence said tensions over its presence in Mildura had escalated to the point where the academy had become "reluctant to even let [the students] out". Mr Clemence, who is also Mildura's mayor, said unknown persons had jammed radio frequencies to prevent its aircraft from operating, and aimed laser pointers at its planes. And, he added, Chinese student pilots aged in their 20s had been subjected to racial abuse on aircraft radios and in public. "All the rednecks are coming out and quite literally attacking us," he said. Academy helping amid covid-19: Clemence The flying school opened to much fanfare in 2019, when Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack announced the Federal Government would contribute $2 million toward the installation of an instrument landing system at the airport. Mr McCormack at the time said the funding was allocated because Anne Webster, then the Nationals candidate for Mallee, "continually rang me and rang me and rang me" and said the region needed the landing system to attract flying schools to Mildura. The academy has been subject to a number of complaints about noise. (ABC News: Christopher Testa) But in recent weeks, enough "distressed" constituents had written to Dr Webster angry about noise from late-night training flights that the MP had written to the flying academy to ask it to consider changing its schedule. Part of the school's plan to alleviate those concerns involves expanding to places like Swan Hill, whose council this week voted to pursue negotiations that could eventually lead to 200 Chinese student pilots learning to fly at the Swan Hill Aerodrome, despite some councillors' concerns. Mr Clemence said the academy's presence had helped some businesses in Mildura survive the downturn associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and that it was even courting interest from the Tasmanian Government. But while business leaders and local councils were attracted to the academy's promise of an economic boost, Mr Clemence said the students had been subjected to vigilante behaviour in the community. A spokeswoman for the Australian Communications and Media Authority said it was investigating a complaint about interference to licensed radio communications services at Mildura Airport and had encouraged the airport's management to report the matter to police. Mr Clemence said while there were genuine community concerns about aircraft noise and foreign ownership, he felt "anti-Chinese sentiment" was fuelling much of the outrage at a time when coronavirus was spreading. "If this was Qantas, would anyone really be making all the complaints and allegations they are making now? I don't think so," he said. ATSB found no need to investigate report QantasLink is among those to have raised concerns about how increased training flights have made Mildura Airport a more difficult place to fly to. In a recent airspace review, the carrier told the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) it had begun to find radio traffic at Mildura "challenging", with pilots commonly encountering "poor or miscommunication" on radio calls. Virgin Australia, another of the three commercial airlines to service Mildura, also told the review none of CASA's recommendations would address the risk of "insufficient or ineffective communication" involving student pilots whose first language was not English. Peter Guest, a recreational pilot from Mildura, said he had encountered communication issues on multiple occasions, and felt it was "just pure luck that there hasn't been a collision yet". The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) contacted Mr Guest this week after learning of an incident last Sunday (April 19) in which he claimed a pilot from the flying school failed to respond to his radio call as he prepared to land. The ATSB decided no further investigation was warranted. CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said more education about radio use at Mildura was planned but stressed the airspace was safe, with three incidents recorded over the past year out of almost 20,000 flights. "We don't believe there are any immediate safety concerns [but] it doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement," he said.