Patrick English has put in an application to the local council to fly the plane from his private airstrip in the rural township of Koah to Cairns.
My opinion is that the problem started when he asked. If you have a rural property do you need permission for the following?
Driving a car on the property?
Driving a tractor on the property?
Operating a chainsaw on the property?
Riding a quad bike on the property?
Riding a motorbike on the property?
Driving an aeroplane across the property?
Is a paddock an airstrip? If so why do you call it that?
IMHO If the aeroplane happens to become airborne whilst driving it across the property then it becomes a commonwealth problem controlled by CASA.