Can They Do This In Queensland?
 

Apparently Queensland local councils have the power to regulate the use of private airstrips. Is this legitimate or is there something else going on??????




Why drive to work when you can fly? Cairns man fights for airborne commute - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

I was always under the impression that approval for a private air strip was subject to a Development Application approval from the local council and they could stipulate conditions on its use.

I don't think this is limited to a QLD only thing. I am aware of private strips in NSW that have a similar restriction

Odd that council can restrict/regulate this, yet anyone can rumble up and down the driveway and around the streets on a Harley or in a WRX.

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.

He shouldn't have asked, that's a given.

A Spitfire to fly to work every day? Maybe if he'd chosen to fly something more conventional like a 152/172 or perhaps something Rotax powered that's barely louder than a sewing machine, he wouldn't have drawn attention to himself in the first place.

What engine is that thing running? Maybe it does actually sound like a jackhammer every time it takes off...

Would like to hear how big his property actually is, as in acres.

It also smells to me a little like spite on the pilots behalf. 45 mins to drive, ok, what about daily pre-flight, MR, warmup and taxi time, then when he lands at the other end, he has to presumably drive to his office/factory and how long does that take?

I'm just trying to see it from both ends.

Can they do it? absolutely...unfortunately. Paddy has been fighting this for ages. As for flying a quieter aircraft his Spitfire has, from memory, a Lycoming? engine in it so it is very quiet any way...

Good luck Paddy...someone who is actually employing people through his engineering business, making things in Australia for use by Australians. Indeed a very rare person...probably why they're trying to shut him down, can't have someone actually doing something productive.

I would suspect that various environmental issues would raise their ugly heads at Shire level, the most likely one being noise pollution, as they call it. If I was the owner I'd be offering council free sight-seeing flights! ;)


Whatever the outcome the one certainty is that council will have a scale of charges for it!

sometimes a win
 

On the other side of the country, good old Busselton Council had to put a heap of restrictions on their airport due to environmental issues.

Don't know how they are going to rationalise those restrictions against the $80m given to them for their upgrade. Maybe it will be ok for 737 / A320 type aircraft to come and go but woe forbid anyone trying to do circuits in a bug smasher.:ugh:

Not a Supermarine Spitfire but an amateur built replica Spitfire MkV with a TIO-540-AE2A engine.

Bit different from a Merlin powered Supermarine Spitfire.

"A Spitfire to fly to work every day? Maybe if he'd chosen to fly something more conventional like a 152/172 or perhaps something Rotax powered that's barely louder than a sewing machine, he wouldn't have drawn attention to himself in the first place."

Sitting in an FOB at Oakland California when a all white Sabre Jet rolled in rattling the windows with noise.
Pilot climbs down peels of his flight suit and helmet to reveal an immaculate business suit. Stuffed the flight suit and helmet into a little baggage nook, his car pulled up beside, and off he went.

According to the FBO girl, an every morning and evening event, he had his own airstrip on his property to fly back to. Funny the different attitudes between countries.

"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?"

Mate this is Australia we are talking about, everything is fine...There's a fine for everything

"Can they do it? absolutely...unfortunately. Paddy has been fighting this for ages. As for flying a quieter aircraft his Spitfire has, from memory, a Lycoming? engine in it so it is very quiet any way..."

Darnit...Sigh....Ahh! the joy of listening to a merlin fire up. I'd almost drive the forty minutes every morning just to listen to that.

What has all that to do with a land use application?? :confused: :confused: :confused:

Some one suggested above it has a Lycoming. Some of those scale replicas also had V8's.

Besides, I know you are old enough to remember the sound of Merlins from your youth!! :} :} :} :} :}

I had a read of the news paper link background story. Apparently there is a complaining horse owner next door..:hmm:
I recently took a bike ride around a near Brisbane horse stabling/paddocking area. Lovely white post and rail fences along the road frontages with mobs of horses at the fences watching the noisy traffic go by - and my KTM 1290 don't go by discreetly..:E So much for horses being bothered by passing noise. My own horses will mob my still running helicopter if I'm dumb enuf to land it next to the feed shed.

Having a google earth look-see of the area around Koah I see several back yard motor cross tracks around the area. One track looks to be over ten acres in size. So much for the quiet country area..:hmm:

Last time I flew up 'back-o-Cairns' I seen large numbers of scenery destroying wind power generators on the hill tops not far from Koah. Obviously the local council don't give a flyingFeck about scenic amenity..:hmm:

You mean your nitro RC heli eh.

Heh, Nitro injection. It would come in handy some days..:cool:





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So the RAA machine you imported from the USA and a heli in the stable
eh?

Looks like my post #14 hit a bit to close for the comfort of some..:cool:






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Lol not at all, I just don't believe that you own a helicopter as you've never spoke of this before that I recall so I'm educated guessing that it's a toy one or a mini, helicycle or Rotorway which I would class as toys also.

His neighbours are 'gilding the lily' equating it to a jack hammer. BS.
The Spit sounds like any other Cherokee 6 on initial wind up, but is long gone after 10 seconds.
I gather he would commute in his quieter 172 and with an early departure, I'll bet the sleeping locals would not even be aware he had gone.
Not sure if he is Inst rated , so there would be many days when the wx would put a stop to getting off the ranges VFR anyway.
Anecdote...
When getting/ nominating a conservative use initially with his application ( bad move) TRC office person said they didnt really care how many flights a week he made.
OK change the application to show.. Oh no cant do that ...you'll have to re-apply...and fork out another few $s thousand.!!
New Council. New problem. Bureacrats Rule, OK

The Kuranda Paper...local rag for that area, has a major article, explaining Landowners proposals for more strip use, etc.
They make comment that YMBA is only 30 mins away by road and 'allows storage of pvt planes'
Hardly the point when he has his own strip and hangar. And years ago when he was chasing a YMBA hangar site the Councils were in a 'Dont know what we're planning to do there yet ' mode, so after 4 years of asking he just got on with life elsewhere.

Certain persons at Koah would lodge a noise complaint for the Emergency Services chopper if it came to pick them up for hospital after a snake bite.!

I live near Mr English, and you should see the ruckus these people are raising in the local social media groups.
Anyone would think he is building an international airport.
It seems to be a core group of three residents, but they are enlisting the help of their mates that live nowhere near Mr English's place.
They are also now complaining about "low flying aircraft" through Stony Creek endangering residents. I'm almost under the YMBA - SCK track, and have never seen anything under 1000' AGL. Theu are sending complaints to CASA, who they are blaming for "not investigating", and "being complicit"
And you are correct, when the rescue helicopter is around as it was the other week rescuing an errant bushwalker, they are all up in arms about how low it is flying, etc.
Maybe they are worried about their dope crops being discovered........

For positive /helpful comment for the Mba Shire Council, before 15 Dec...
[email protected]. attn Assessment Manager. re application/17/0029

To poke a few truths into the doomsayers... [email protected]

Read also..http://www.kurandaregion.org/peacefu...troyed-forever

Help needed...the sky is falling (into disuse).

Lesson: Never apply to council for an airfield. You just happen to have a paddock that yer land your aircraft on..:)





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aroa
I'm already in a war with the MSC over another matter.
Needless to say, my "sent items" is full of [email protected]
Putting my 2c worth in on the side of Mr English may not help things :)
Ah stuff it... I'll give it a run :ok:

What, the ones planted on crown land adjoining their own properties?

Just start a rumour and the feds will be all over it in seconds.

Spite??!! "45 mins to drive, ok, what about daily pre-flight, MR, warmup and taxi time, then when he lands at the other end, he has to presumably drive to his office/factory and how long does that take?" Ummm... He has a plane he enjoys flying... I would absolutely love to fly my own plane from my own airstrip to work everyday. I would possibly even get out of bed a little earlier to do so!! His world = :ok: Your alternative =:ugh:

Social media has spawned an entire new realm of outrage, any clown with zero life can garner Simpson like mob behavior (without the actual going outside) from behind a keyboard

Look, that man is enjoying his life and his neat plane!! I'm outraged!! :ugh:

Heh..:)

Perhaps it could be argued that the Spitfire driver is just an early innovator, an early adopter, of the coming age of personal air transport for all. What are the laggards in the Mareeba shire council doing about facilitating the coming wave of personal flying transportation drones..:)

It's coming up on 17th December so perhaps some words from Simon Sinek are relevant. If time limited start just after the eight minute mark for words on them push bike salesmen: https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sine...ction#t-471862






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