The curfew is an absolute joke.
The Hawker 900XP was rejected from the excemption list even though the 850XP which is noisier has been on it for years. During curfew you can only take off or land over the water anyways so what is the harm done? Are the ships unloading in Botany Bay going to complain?
The answer from the department was something about "not putting an additional undue pressure on the system during curfew hours". Please, SY controllers could make a killing playing the US stock market (at the moment anyway) or writing a thesis during curfew as there is nothing else to do.
"Undue pressure on my re-election" would have been far more appropriate!!
As for the fine. The re-election issue would be a likely consideration again. "I have been tough on the reckless airlines who so brazenly break the rules. Under this government, the airlines have been fined hundreds of thousands of dollars....."
