The SRT has been dead against floatplanes on the Swan River (more correctly, Melville Water) for the last umpteen years. Here are their stated reasons (which have now been quashed under pressure from somewhere).
SRT Objections to Floatplanes -
http://www.swanrivertrust.wa.gov.au/...r-aircraft.pdf
Map of the area -
http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/media...owsPWCArea.pdf
The area agreed to now by the SRT, is on Melville Water between the PRC recreational area and the Milyu Marine Park. It looks like a pretty cramped area for floatplanes to operate.
Jetskis one side, migratory wetland birds on the other sides - and thousands of boaters (both power and sail) all vying for their spot on Melville Water.
This isn't 1944, folks, when you could land a Squadron of Catalinas anywhere on the River without raising an eyebrow.
It's 2013, Perth has around 1.7M population, and every second person owns a boat or a jetski. It's mayhem out there. I've skied the PRC area (years ago when it was open to skiing) and you needed eyes in the back of your head, then.
Jetskiers are nutters at the best of time, and I'm sure every single one of them will be aware of float planes ..
("Oooh, FARRRRKKKK!!
- where did HE come from??". says jetskier as he's doing a fishtailing figure-8, right in front of a Caravan on a splashdown).
No, I'm sorry, I think this idea is on a par with allowing the Kwinana Freeway to be used for takeoffs and landings when traffic is light.
There's just too much boating congestion (this is a big sailing area), too many people, too many jetskis, too many birds, and not enough room, to carry out a RPT floatplane service safely, in the area selected.
The fact that the SRT was absolutely dead against the idea for so long - then all of sudden it's O.K. - doesn't wash.
Someone has applied a lot pressure here ("mates??") to try and get this up and running.
When the Caravan/s have to take off in a Nth-Easterly direction in Summer, against the prevailing strong Easterlies, the howls of protest from those in the South Perth foreshore multi-million dollar apartments will be overwhelming.