6 minute read
Council ignores heliport objections
Heliport approval causes a buzz with objectors
Sandstone Point Hotel
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by Sheree Hoddinett
The approval of a heliport at Sandstone Point Hotel and Holiday Resort has been met with massive disappointment by local groups and residents who highly objected to the application. Despite more than 700 formal objections, Moreton Bay Regional Council approved the establishment of the helicopter landing area at their meeting on December 8. The Pumicestone Area Noise Abatement Group (PANAG Inc.) has been co-ordinating the campaign against allowing helicopter services in this populated and environmentally sensitive area. Chairman Ken Park said those who had objected were not impressed with the way the application had proceeded and would not be giving up their fight. “Council took eight months and one day to decide this application, during which the staff held meetings with the applicant and allowed him to amend the application; but held no meetings with the objectors,” Mr Park said. “Now, the objectors have a mere 20 working days, during the Christmas and New Year holidays, to prepare and file an appeal to the court.” The application lists a large number of prerequisites for incoming flights under a Fly Neighbourly Policy & Landing Procedure (FNPLP). This includes items such as only flying between 7am and 45 minutes before civil twilight; only a limited number of arrivals is allowed each day and month; landing approval required from the hotel and the helicopter is not permitted to land if a non-controlled member of the public is within 30 metres of the aircraft. Mr Park said PANAG, along with residents in the area, had raised concerns in their objections in regard to birdlife, those driving on the Bribie bridge and also families living close by to the hotel.. “We fought so hard to protect the iconic pelicans and we are now also fighting to protect the lives of drivers who will be terrified by the noise and sudden appearance of low-flying helicopters only metres above their heads,” Mr Park said. “There has also been a complete disregard for the protected resident and migratory birdlife - indeed there has been a less than acceptable consideration of all the prescribed environmental regulation for this sensitive protected area.” Despite the application being approved by council, Division 1 councillor Brooke Savige voted against it, but in line with the Local Government Act, she said she accepted the decision of council. Ms Savige said she was disappointed that a more thorough assessment of the environmental impacts of the land use wasn’t conducted. “In the meeting of December 8, I spoke at length about the reasons for voting against this application,” Ms Savige said. “At the core of these reasons was my concern that no environmental impact study was undertaken to assess the impact that may occur on our surrounding environmentally sensitive areas. “In the absence of such a report I found it difficult to be confident that there would be no impact, and therefore, without more information I felt I was unable to support the application in its current form with the information available to me. “Furthering my decision was the resounding feedback from the community. With over 700 submissions against the application, it was clear that the community had significant concerns and after reading each submission I believe that not all their concerns were able to be mitigated or minimised through conditions. This solidified my voting position.” Even with voting against the approval, Ms Savige said she hoped there would be no long-term impact experienced due to helicopters flying in to the area. “Our area is unique and precious,” she said. “We have an array of wildlife and beautiful natural areas that most people value and want to see protected for generations to come. “However, if there are impacts from the use of helicopters I hope that the conditions outlined in the approval and through the Fly Neighbourly Policy will assist in minimising these and addressing any issues if they arise. “ Moving forward, Mr Park said PANAG would be forging ahead with challenging the council decision. “Next stage is to file our appeal with the Planning and Environment Court after which we will be appointing planning, aviation, environmental and acoustic experts to present our case,” Mr Park said. “This is an expense that that we should never have had to bear, but the council has forced us down this path. “The bottom line is - would you agree to having a heliport on the property next door to your home?” To find out more about being a part of or assisting the PANAG fight, you can contact treasurer Peter Dallimore on 0409 321 779. The family-owned Comiskey Group, developers and operators of Sandstone Point Hotel, did not respond to The LOCAL’s invitation to comment on the issues raised here.
Creative talent shines through
Sheree Hoddinett chats with an aspiring local cartoonist
Jackson Neve might be young, but he already has thoughts on what he’d like to do with his future. A love of drawing from an early age has propelled the 11-year-old from Elimbah to set his sights on a career in comic strips. However, in order to get there, he knows he has to start small! It was while he was looking through the last edition of The LOCAL Island and Surrounds News that Jackson noticed there was no comic strip and he decided he wanted to create one. “When I noticed there was no comic strip in the paper, I emailed Belinda and surprisingly she let me do one,” Jackson said. “I was just brainstorming different dad joke ideas to centre the strip around and this one just came up.” With his creative mind on the task, Jackson made short work with his first comic strip coming to life in just over a day. It goes to show what you can achieve when you set your mind to something. “I’ve loved drawing ever since I was little and I just keep practicing,” Jackson said. “Jackson has always had a creative side and he has loved to draw for as long as we can remember,” his mum Kristy added. With plans to create more quirky comic strips now and into the future, Jackson has even come up with a name – Rage Comics. “I thought the name was cool ever since I started drawing the comic, so I added it on,” he said. “I would love the chance one day to start my own comic company. That would be the ultimate dream.” For now, check out Jackson’s comic strip.
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