Originally Posted by
PiperCameron
I really don't understand why folks are surprised by this, since exactly the same process (with some local variation) was followed with Brisbane's additional runway not all that long ago: Step 1: Build it. Step 2: Release the flight paths to the locals to complain about, Step 3: Pin the blame on one or more of the hundreds of government-selected 'consultants' on the buck-pass list and finally move on squeaky-clean.
It seems it works so well that it's SOP for governments all over.
Sorry Piper Cameron but BNE was always intended to have a parallel runway.
GO back to the 1970's Parliamentrary Public Works Committee documents and you can follow the design through to the Airport Master Plan.
Roads were laid out, the tower sited, its pillars oriented, all to allow for that runway.
In those days the Department of Many Names (DCA then I think) included what is now CASA and AsA as well as the "Airports Branch" which then designed airports but later became simply a management function in the Department where it is today.
One thing that did change following community consultation is that the new parallel was "slid" north along its centerline to reduce noise in the suburbs to the south of the airport.
Thank BACL for that change; it had zip to do with the government.
The processes for BNE were vastly different (and much better informed) than those for WSI.