When will Councils get the message!

[Jabawocky]

Aircraft for Sale, Plane Sales, Planes for Sale – Aviation Advertiser ? – Online Magazine Dragster threat to Casino airport. (http://www.aviationadvertiser.com.au/2010/07/dragster-threat-to-casino-airport/)

Norther NSW folk should tell these folk we do not want to have Fly Ins on your Drag Strips.....so don't drag race on our airfields! :mad:

Ask the folk at Warwick what happens when you let Volvo Trucks do brake testing :=........ damage to the surface, and subsequent costly repairs. :ugh: Not sure who paid the repairs as the council has an aviator so maybe Volvo go the bill this year, after two years of damage.

Volvo should have been using Willowbank.....as should these folk! Or use Morgan Park in Warwick. It has a drag strip albeit smaller than Willowbank.

I race cars too........but I do struggle to see the sense in drag racing, so each to their own.....and keep of the nations airports. Top Gear might be to blame!:ooh:

[rioncentu]

Yep I think good old Top Gear has a bit to answer for.:ugh:

Local motor event promo was held on, guess where, Parallel Taxiway at YBRK.

On the media coverage I didn't notice too many ASIC cards being worn....:sad:

[OZBUSDRIVER]

Interesting. Hey Jaba...old drag racing saying Petrol is for washing parts, Alcohol is for drinking and Nitro is for racing...Drag Racing is all about the social life. Granted , you stick with it long enough you get known around the country...good clean fun for most of it...

Anyway, back to this. Good start would be the sanctioning body ANDRA. Casino would be too narrow to get approval for a big race meet...so is limited to the tiddler classes that do not attract paying crowds..The big money is the group one classes Top Fuel, Funny Car and ProStock and these guys can only run on dedicated tracks or perform "exhibition" passes. This councillor hasn't told his fellow councilors about the noise pollution that comes with these events...you reckon an overflying aircraft on landing gets compliants..try a Top Fueler on full noise...the noise area for willowbank is in excess of 5km and thats ground level noise.

This councillor is going to have to dredge up some serious dollars to get an unlimited licenced track and then...he will have to compete with the big killers..Willowbank, Eastern Creek and Ravenswood...yes Western Australia..Ravenswood...its a closed shop! Even Bob Jane Corp cannot budge them..either pay up or you do not get sanctioned..no sanction no track owners club entry no club entry no big race events...thats why Melbourne doesn't have a track...and why Casino hasn't got a figs chance of getting a major dragstrip up and running.

Morgan Park is 8th mile and carries big restrictions on performance. This guy is just building a track for the local hoons...what a waste of an asset. They will be innundated with noise complaints so bad that no meeting will survive a season. Even with "Street Legal" mufflers!

[tail wheel]

Stop whinging Jabba and look up Gimli, Canada, a true "multi function airport" - successfully used, simultaneously for drag racing, gliding and air transport category aircraft.

The Gimli Glider was one of the world's most successful attempts to cross a Boeing 767 with a glider and land in the midst of a drag race.

[Ultralights]

When will councils get the message? as long as there is a fast buck, and a lot of personal gain to be had, then Councils will make sure they Never get the message!

ahhh Democracy at work..

[Jabawocky]

That post is not going to win you the top spot in POTY :E....seems Chimbu Chuck has a nose in front still!

Yes Gimli....great story......might have been less damage had it still been an airfield! ;)

J:ok:

[Chimbu chuckles]

Democracy at work?

Democracy is when 2 morons out vote 1 genius.

[frigatebird]

He might turn out like this fella

Idi ... Amin - a modest fellow, as evidenced by his (self awarded) full title:

"His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshall Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular"

[Jabawocky]

Not many pics from you lately FB.....your scanner broken, or is the album pretty much done over?

SO did you get some from the xmas in July party? :}

And what is with the fuel supply at YMYB these days?

J:ok:

[frigatebird]

Just giving others a go jaba, I might see something new..
Took night shots of the town, but they weren't interesting.
Filled up there today, don't know of any problem. See there is a bandit, SWF in for work. Flew it twice, a while ago now.

[Howabout]

tail wheel,

Yep, but they just got away with it. I think the Captain said that if it had been a 'bus, he couldn't have side-slipped to lose alt and might have ended up in the gymkhana because he'd have had to land long. That's just foggy memory - maybe that font of all things B767 can confirm. Chimbu?

Frigate,

I think that the esteemed Dr Idi Amin Dada also had a bar to that VC. The version that I remember was:

Field Marshal Dr Idi Amin Dada, VC and bar, DSO, Protector of the People, the Great Bull Elephant

[frigatebird]

The amalgamated council allows truck brakeing tests on one of our airports here too. Then they complain about having to maintain it for aircraft. Suspect they have a secret plan to subdivide it if they can get away with it. The current lot never built them in the first place. Still a lot of runaround with allocation of leases, and allowing later arrivals to tender over and force out established tourist ventures who have been there for years without the opportunity to match the stiff quote required for their site. There is plenty of space at both for new business. Landing fees for the light private and ultralights are back on the agenda it seems, even though the amount to be collected will not cover the cost of administering it all. The councillors and staff really have no idea about aviation facilities required at all levels for growing cities. Should treat the airports as parks and gardens for the use of all, instead of being hooked up on only airline access. They put in a multimillion dollar Waterpark for a few users in one city.

Took a fisherman friend and his girlfriend up for a half an hour over the river yesterday, Jaba. After two marriages, he doesn't install wives into his home anymore, the last one got most of the previous big home. We did Nasho together, and he has a great way of telling a yarn or two. Went up the river at a thousand and saw one of his boats near the Barrage, then cut down to Beaver Rock and circled while we watched his son pull his other one off a mudbank on a rising tide. Gave me some cooked prawns for it. Have taken him on other flights so he could suss out possible eel dams to approach the owners for permission. Great weather, who wouldn't enjoy freedom like that? Shame the council wants to spoil some access to things like that.

[Jabawocky]

And this needs stopping or it will become the norm.

President: Russell Kennedy 0427 627 477 PO Box 502
Secretary: Glenys Flynn 6689 1501 CASINO NSW 2470
6th September 2010
Brian Wilkinson
General Manager
Richmond Valley Council
Locked Bag 10
CASINO NSW 2470
Dear Brian,
Casino Aero Club Inc hereby makes an open submission by way of objection to the
proposed DA 2011-064 (the DA) by Juke box Lismore Inc.
The proponent has failed to address our and other objectors concerns raised in the
previous DA 2010-420 which the proponent later withdrew. In this regard we therefore
resubmit our submission and objection to that DA as we are of the view that there are
many matters we raised in that submission that are still relevant to this current DA.
We note that the crime prevention report written by an experienced police officer outlining
serious issues and thus making recommendations has been ignored by the proponent.
There is nothing in the DA about RTA reports, i.e. arterial road issues. Casino Aero Club
Inc. has documented our concerns to council advising that the proponent has, and still fails
to liaise with the existing users of the aerodrome. The proponent has demonstrated
unwarranted aggression towards the aviation community. The latest, this DA states that
access to the aerodrome will be denied to tenants/land owners during the event unless a
ticket of entry is procured. They go as far to state all private access gates will be manned
and aerodrome users are deemed “FREE LOADERS”.
The proponent has exhibited hostility and lack of consideration to the existing aerodrome
users.
We believe the proponent is clearly incapable of co existing with aviation users and
therefore is not considered a suitable proponent for the proposed use of the land the
subject of the DA.
We are of the view that the unsuitability of the proponent and lack of merit of the proposal
should compel council to refuse the DA. We now address the substance of the proposal.
Objections to 2011-064 on consideration are as follows:
1. Parking of 1000 vehicles on the grassed area west of the grass runway is not acceptable due to risk of rutting. This area is used for itinerant air craft accessing the tie down area and councils proposed fee box site will be in nearby proximity to which one would reasonably expect more air movement to occur in this area.
2. Casino Aero Club holds serious concerns for the safety and well being of those spectators and their vehicles parking parallel to the runway on the southern side. Public will most likely take up vantage points in or around their vehicles, the DA does not show a proper safety barrier and seems to have pedestrians mixed in with transiting competitor and spectator vehicles.
3. The proponent claims that petitions of support for drag racing at casino aerodrome have been submitted to council as part of this DA, the writer also states in the DA that most of the support for drags comes from outside Casinos LGA. This now raises concerns that this DA will be determined by the popularity of residents outside Richmond Valley LGA and not on its merit or best interest of Council’s LGA.
4. The proponent has ignored our concerns that the aerodrome should not be subjected to the shear forces of high performance spectator’s machines such as the Bandag bullet. No noise impact statement supports this DA as one would reasonably expect from a proponent employing top fuellers.
5. The consumption of alcohol should not be tolerated as this can, and will lead to unsociable behaviour. The proponent claims in the very substandard Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design part of the DA (CPTED) that there is no evidence of disorder or riot from racing fans in Australia. What about the Easternats March 2010, Bathurst etc where it has been suggested that alcohol played a significant part in Riots.
6. The CPTED is deficient in many ways, i.e. lost children procedures, risks of predators; poor lighting at the car park at eastern end of airfield is fraught with obvious dangers.
7. The proponent claims they can clear the runway for emergency in less than three minutes. The obvious concern to us is whether the proponent is suitably qualified to declare that the strip is serviceable for intended aviation, specifically where FOD (foreign objects and debris) is of major concern. This is apparent when reckless statements are made in this DA regarding aircraft weights and landing distances, some aircraft under 2000kg can land inside 40 metres, air ambulances far exceed 2000kg which can also land short. However, the issue here is that spectators would most likely be exposed to an unacceptable risk, in some circumstances aircraft may require the full length of the strip as a go around may not be an option.
8. Insurance, it is obvious that not all spectators‟ vehicles will be comprehensively insured and may very well not carry any insurance at all. This may conflict with Council’s current public insurance policy regarding aerodromes. It is our understanding that competitor vehicles are only covered by ANDRA’s insurance when engaged in actual racing, so who covers the risk of vehicles manoeuvring loading/unloading & refuelling etc?
9. It is noted that the event management does not include a plan of action in the event of fuel/oil spills on the airfield. It is understood that the rural fire services do not offer suitable foam retardant or have proper means of disposal of hazard material.
10. The promoter states all gates will be manned to prevent free-loaders from entering aerodrome. This action will not be tolerated by the tenants of the aerodrome, investors of the aerodrome should expect value for their investment and in no way should aviation business suffer financially at the cost of an outside group. At the first trial event this drag race proponent attempted padlocking the gates to private property, on the second event some Casino Aero Club members were charged entry to our premises via our own private access gate. The land use the proponent proposes is clearly incompatible with the current and long term users of the land. The experience of the two events previous has shown that the use of the aerodrome for drag racing events creates a direct land use conflict for existing users.
11. The Statement of Environmental Effects states that apron damage was minimal after the last trial event. At the time of writing this submission, the affected area has still not been rectified some 3 months later! As the promoter was not motivated to repair damaged areas then, obvious concerns for the aerodrome users are that should the DA be granted there will be even less motivation to maintain the existing condition of aerodrome. We are therefore justifiably cynical about any “Big Promise”. “You won’t even know we were here after the event is finished”, as this is a proven falsehood.
12. The Greg Alderson and Associates report, regarding the quality and integrity of the strip, is seriously flawed and misleading. It is stated that burn outs actually deposit rubber on the surface, NOT in the opinion of many others who have stated that a static vehicle spinning tyres on the soft compound of an airstrip has a vulcanising effect; this is evident on Casino airstrip after their last event. It is understood that subjecting an airstrip to this form of abuse will in time make surfaces slippery when wet and forms ruts on the surface which can adversely affect directional control for braking air craft. Casino airstrip is unlike any other airstrip that has conducted drag racing trials, it is grooved to aid traction and this may expose it to a higher risk of damage. In relation to the particular aerodromes referred to in the DA. “Newman airfield” is no longer used for drag racing. It’s being resealed and returned to aviation only purposes resulting in the drag racers having to look for another venue. I note that the DA also left out Wellington NSW. We have been advised that this strip also received damage through drag racing activities, and has recently undergone resealing. The DA also states that there are around 40 regional tracks similar to the eighth mile proposed for Casino, this writer can only identify 18 and none of which have a DA granted for the size and scope of this proposed event. In fact quite the contrary, let’s use the proponents example of “Mudgee airport”. The management of the event have to sign a memorandum of understanding, acknowledging that all commercial or council authorised usage of the airfield has priority. This would suggest that if conflict or lost revenue was encountered by the aerodrome users due to drag racing activities one would reasonably expect compensation and or drag racing cancelled. Richmond Valley Council has sold off aerodrome land exclusively for aviation business, it is therefore reasonable for these investors to receive support in attracting aviation business in order for them to justify their investment in Casino.
13. The report also states that the nearest resident is 600 and 800 meters from proposed event. “Scruffy” as he is affectionately known is less than 6 meters from the proposed event and has resided there for some time. The proposed event is in fact no more than 100 meters from the newest permanent dwellings at the RV resort.
14. It is noted that the proponent plans sky diving, fireworks and bands to occupy the aerodrome. This type of event would be better conducted at the „show grounds‟. Often aircraft are left parked on the airfield; the proponent again has not given any consideration to security of such aircraft let alone the safety of such aircraft in the close proximity of proposed fireworks. The DA plan does not show parked aircraft on the tie down area. What does the promoter plan to do in this scenario? It is a federal requirement that aircraft are to be secured from risk of unlawful access.
We believe there are fundamental problems with this DA as there was with the first. Arguably this DA contains even more errors and omissions than the first. We believe the Statement of Environmental Effects does not adequately assess the matters that it ought to have in order for council to discharge its legal obligations under s79C of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. Again, no proper noise assessment is provided and it would appear that the DA is not lawful as there does not appear to be any evidence of landholder consent to the making of the DA.
We are of the view that even if an adequate DA was submitted to Council for its consideration, that in undertaking a merits evaluation of the proposal under s79C the weight of evidence would lean toward a refusal of the DA. We are of the view that the negative impacts of the DA far outweigh any positive impacts of the proposal on the land and in the circumstance proposed in the context of s79C.
On the basis of a considered evaluation and the matters raised in this submission we therefore ask that Council refuse the DA.
Yours sincerely,
Russell Kennedy
President
Casino Aero Club Inc.
Enclosures/attachments resubmitted as being relevant to this DA2011.064 which forms part of this submission.
1. The legal advice from The Environmental Defenders Office dated 14th July 2010
2. The Col Jenkins & Associates Engineers report dated 8th July 2010
3. Casino Aero Club Inc. Submission dated 15th July 2010
Cc: Cr Col Sullivan (Mayor); Cr Stuart George (Dep Mayor); Cr Charlie Cox, Cr Shirley Wheatley; Cr Donnella Kinnish; Cr Steve Morrissey; Cr Robert Mustow; Cr Owen Crawford; Cr Barbara Jefferies

[waren9]

Top Gear tear about on an old WWII strip that, in the main, is made of concrete slabs heavy enough to take the bombers. Cost wasnt an issue, they just got on and built it. Tearing about in cars will never hurt it.

The average "council built strip" is 6 inches of topcourse under a cheap seal coat. Cant handle planes on a hot day let alone cars and trucks tearing about on it.

Something the "monkey see, monkey do" types over here probably dont realise.

Dont blame Top Gear!

[Jabawocky]

Agreed.........mind you the Aussie version was crap!:hmm:

[Jabawocky]

and how about this for timing!

Aircraft for Sale, Plane Sales, Planes for Sale – Aviation Advertiser ? – Online Magazine Abuses of airport privatisation – feature (http://www.aviationadvertiser.com.au/2010/09/abuses-of-airport-privatisation-feature/)

[SgtBundy]

Surely with the amount of open land around Casino there is room for someone to actually build a drag strip if they want to host such an event.

Mind you, having spent a regular portion of my formative years in Casino I question if there is any event that can attract people to that place.

[Peter Fanelli]

If such an event is so important why can't they close a section of road, perhaps the main street of the town.

[SgtBundy]

It would block parking for the pubs