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I AM writing in regard to the proposal to increase a private Pilot Training Facility at Kempsey airport.
It seems relatively clear that many residents do not understand the implications and huge scale of this proposal.
Comments such as: You chose to live near the airport, that is the way it goes! Think of all the money and jobs it will bring to the region!
Well, I personally live 15km away and am not really affected by the take-offs and landings, just the incessant drone of these aircraft day and night without any respite. It is unpleasant at the least and more of the region will suffer this same fate.
If it goes ahead the airport will have more flights than both Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie airports combined. If this training facility goes ahead with its full proposal there will be little or no room for anyone else to use the facility, nor any scope for the region to assist in its future development and tourism.
Another major issue that seems to go unnoticed is at other airports, planes land (coming from other areas of the State), and planes take-off, leaving the region. This proposal from the training facility will have aircraft flying permanently over the region with a constant buzz and drone of the engines to all of the region’s residents.
It has been suggested that the flight plan includes a circle incorporating Kempsey, South West Rocks, Hat Head, Crescent Head, Dondingalong, Willawarrin and back. 520 approximately two-hour long flights buzzing around incessantly every week. That is a nail in the coffin for tourism along with our quiet pristine rural environment. Next time you see a small aircraft buzzing above you, assess it, then multiply it by 27,000.
First and foremost a curfew must be imposed. Every major airport inclusive of Sydney has a curfew from 11pm until 6am. Kempsey has none. Therefore it is unreasonable for the applicants to request airport use 6am to midnight (it should be noted that the training facility is under an understanding of restricted hours in its present small scale).
Many rural airports have restrictions for take-offs but not for landings, along with restrictions on certain runway direction use to avoid undue noise to its neighbours.
Port Macquarie, our closest neighbouring airport, has approx 5236 movements per annum with runways going over the ocean, causing little or minor disruption to very few residents. Port Macquarie Airport has much more modern and superior facilities including tarmacs and towers etc.
Coffs Harbour is also a neighbouring airport, much larger than Port Macquarie and has approx 27,000 movements per annum, with two two-way tarmac runways.
Kempsey Airport was handed to the people of Kempsey by the Federal Government to be managed by the Kempsey Council as a small rural airport. It was never intended to have movements greater than Port Macquarie or Coffs Harbour. It does not have the infrastructure, nor the distance away from homes to entertain such huge amounts of noise and movements.
Council should reassess the curfews pertaining to the airport usage and place a total restriction of aircraft movements to a maximum of 8000 per year (then re-evaluate every five years). In addition a curfew of take-offs between the hours of 9pm and 8am with no restriction for landings. In addition the student facility proposal should be restricted to the above stated hours and an imposed maximum aircraft movements of 4000. This is a fair share of airport usage.