Federal Government Sellout
Privatisation. Land Developers vs. The Little Guy
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1920183803873130640Article posted on the 2nd of November 2008, by Ben Morgan
Some weeks ago, I was approached by a friend who invited me to make contact with a general aviation business at Bankstown Airport, thinking I may be interested in the problems they were experiencing. On doing so, what I learned very quickly, was enough to make my blood boil.
During the late 1990’s the Australian Federal Government, lead at the time by the Liberal Prime Minister Mr John Howard, brought forward the proposal of privatising Australia’s airport infrastructure assets. Underpinning this proposal was the argument that the government at the time would need to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in airport upgrades - money the government simply didn’t have. Rather than look towards the Australian tax-payer for additional funds, the decision at the time was made to sell off the airport assets off to private ownership, with a view that these private companies would invest and built our aviation industrial capabilities.
Some 10 years on, the effects of privatisation are now beginning to filter to the surface, nowhere more visibly than Bankstown Airport, in the outer suburbs of Sydney, Australia.  Bankstown Airport Limited commenced its ownership and operation of Bankstown Airport during 2003, and since then has been plagued by poor relationships with its tenants and operators.
If you believe the publicity and messaging pumped out by Bankstown Airport Limited and its executive management, there simply is not a problem at Bankstown. In fact, things have never been better. According to Mr Kim Ellis, Bankstown Airport Limited (BAL) Chief Executive Officer, Bankstown Airport has become a commercial hub of all things aviation, with many new and diverse aviation related businesses having setup operation at Bankstown.
So, why the bad rap and poor relationship with airport tenants?
According to several aviation businesses interviewed by aviationadvertiser.com.au, activities on the aerodrome are in decline, with aviation businesses being gouged out of the airport precinct by massive increases in charges, fees and rent, in favor of the more lucrative and profitable industrial and commercial land development opportunities.
Mr Darrin Ward, President of the Save our Secondary Airports Association agrees with the views of the airport tenants that the situation at Bankstown Airport is getting worse not better. “the people who have purchased the airport have decided its a business park and are doing everything possible to turn it into exactly that. This of course is against the terms of the Commonwealth Airports Act, but we are continuing to see things done that are detrimental and terminally damaging to aviation, all in the interests of developing Bankstown Airport as a Business park.” he said.
One airport tenant explained that aircraft parking charges had increased to over 5 times the pre-privatisation rate. If the increase in aircraft parking charges were not bad enough however, BAL has also substantially increased aircraft landing charges which have a dramatic effect on the profitability of small general aviation training businesses.
Aminta Hennessy and Ray Clamback of Clamback & Hennessy, a general aviation business which provides flying training services and international aircraft ferry flights from Bankstown Airport. According to Aminta and Ray they now find their business, its assets and their futures in the hands of a private corporation who seems to have little to no interest in nurturing and growing aviation activities at Bankstown.
Having signed a commercial property lease with the Federal Airports Corporation in 1988, Aminta and Ray invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into new hangars and offices. Assets which under the terms of their lease they owned.
Without their consent or consultation the Federal Government sold out the ownership of their property lease and assets under the terms of its privatisation agreement, and in doing so, sold-out Aminta and Ray’s superannuation retirement fund.
Aminta and Ray made representations to BAL eight months prior to the lease’s date of expiry. Having received no communication and with only six weeks to go, they received a letter from BAL advising them of the termination of their lease, come the 31st October 2008.
Adding insult to injury, BAL not only intend on terminating their existing lease with no-renewal or roll-over, they also informed Clamback and Hennessy that they are keeping their $850,000 hangar under the leases terms of reversion, and along with it, taking their retirement superannuation with it.
For Aminta Hennessy, OAM recipient recognising her 40 years of commitment and services to the Australian Aviation Industry, the reality of this situation is clear, “They are stealing our hangars, and making us lease them back again at 2.48 times the rent we were paying, and because we can’t afford to do that, we’re being forced off the aerodrome and onto the dole. 40 years working and investing in aviation and I left nothing” she said.
Just taking a look at the Bankstown Airport land space, it is clear that commercial land development is indeed what is going on. Since 2003 over one third of the land space at Bankstown airport has been allocated to industrial commercial development, resulting in the critical loss of Bankstown Airport’s important training cross runway.
If loosing an important training runway is not indication enough, there are clear safety risks for those organisation who continue to use Bankstown as a training aerodrome. Runway edges are now lined with chain-link fences, providing little to no room should an aircraft come to grief on landing. And, when the industrial and commercial land becomes built up, one can only imagine how well a training aircraft will hold up, should it veer from its intended take-off or landing course and collide with a cement or brick building.
For other airports in the Sydney basin, the outlook is also not that positive. Under the terms of the federal government privatisation agreement Bankstown Airport Limited purchased all three of Sydney’s general aviation aerodromes, creating a clear monopoly over the airport spaces in the Sydney basin.
In December this year, the general aviation industry will be dealt another crushing blow with the permanent closure of Hoxton Park Airport. A closure that has been focussed around commercial and industrial land development deal. A sale that is estimated to return approximately $250 million to Bankstown Airport Limited. Not a bad return for the sale of one three Commonwealth assets valued in 2003 at approximately $200 million.
Clearly there are big dollars, very very big dollars, to be made in selling off airport land, and with the urban sprawl moving further into the outer suburbs, once protected airport spaces such as Bankstown, Hoxton Park and Camden are becoming juicy fruits for the salivating land development companies.
If the general aviation industry in Australia is to survive the imposed greed of of these corporations it will require the assistance and intervention of the federal government to demonstrate “new leadership” with regards to saving Australia’s ailing general aviation industry.
end.
AUDIO RESPONSES TO THIS ARTICLE
Mr. Col Rodgers of AOPA
Click to play Mr. Col Rodgers response.
Darren Ward, President of Save Our Secondary Airports Association.
Click to play Mr. Darren Ward’s response.
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Benjamin Morgan, Aviation Advertiser
James Crockett, Pacific Blue
Tim Blatch, AOPA
xxxxxxxx, Red Baron
Aminta Hennessy, Clamback & Hennessy
Ray Clamback, Clamback & Hennessy
john mcneill,
Peter Flanagan, Pacific Avionics
Darrin Ward, Basair
Phillip Hanic,
xxxxxxxx,
xxxxxxxx,
xxxxxxxx, Alto Group
Phillip Reiss, Reiss Aviation
DAVID GEMMELL, Gemmell Helicopters
Daniel Thompson,
xxxxxxxx, Pacific Avionics
Jeff Dunaway,
Richard Phillips, Sandel Avionics
Antoon Morreau, Stream Industry Pty Ltd
xxxxxxxx, Private Aicraft Operator
xxxxxxxx,
David Brown,
Steve Moxey, Pacific Avionics
Brad Granger, Pacific Avionics
Barry Smith,
Gabriel Kalotay, Private
Brian Dehlsen, Kelvindale Products Pty Ltd
Michael Greene,
Walter Bock, W & F Bock
George Srank,
xxxxxxxx,
James Moline, moline associates
Kevin Haydon,
Darrn Privitera, Fligt Data Systms Pty. Ltd.
Maralyn Kastel,
Jay Lennox Layfield,
Peter Hocking,
Keith Clark,
Bill Stone,
Morgan R Kelly, formaly w/King Radio
Graham Swannell, Aeronautical Engineers Australia
John O\'Driscoll,
Zane Davis, Aerospace Aviation
xxxxxxxx,
Gary Carter, All Aluminium and Cast Iron Welding Services
Billy Nicolopoulos, Nicolopoulos Sheetmetal
Jan Stone, Aerospace Aviation
Peter Allan James,
xxxxxxxx, Rowtag Pty Ltd
Henry Knight, Private
xxxxxxxx,
John LeMarquand,
Kathleen LeMarquand,
Judy Pay, The Old Aeroplane Company P/L
Graeme Spedding,
xxxxxxxx, Minovation
Michael Gordon, Paper Planes
Rod Cork,
Steven Howarth, Howarth Aviation
xxxxxxxx,
xxxxxxxx, none
Philip Maley,
Travis Grant, Qantaslink
Daniel John,
Mal McKenzie,
Ben Wyndham, Atlass Aviation, Scone
Andrew Learmonth,
mark jones,
xxxxxxxx,
Darren Gibson, Macleay Aircraft Maintenance
Mike Smith,
greg ackman, Mobile One Australia
xxxxxxxx, Rottnest Air-Taxi
xxxxxxxx,
xxxxxxxx, Complete Avionics P/L
Brendan & Carol Filbey,
Charles Perry, RBA
Robert Fox,
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Peter Pagac, Screensound Pty Ltd
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GaryCriddle, Australian Aerial Surveys Pty Ltd
mark boast,
Paul Casley, Avincorp P/L
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Adam Purcell,
Mr R.J.Cowley,
Lyn Gray, Fly Oz
GIORDON CRAIG,
Brian Abraham,
Rodney Johnston, Bush Flight
Thomas Warren,
Mark Woods,
Tracy Shannon,
xxxxxxxx, UniSA Aviation Academy
Olga Ward,
Simon Somogyi,
Robert Edwards, Airflite
Andrew Firman,
Kevin Swash,
Doug Stickland,
Rod Irvin, Private Pilot ATC
Warwick Henry,
Michael Danielson, Student CPL,
Alan Skeoch, Basair
Karen Janssen, Qantas
xxxxxxxx, Basair College
Andrew McIntosh,
Michael Flood, Royal Flying Doctor Service
xxxxxxxx,
Bradley Porter,
Darren Lambert, Basair aviation college
Ian Campbell,
Lars Lindemann, Denmark
xxxxxxxx,
Andrew Andersen,
Scottie Galloway,
Haidee Wong,
cliff brown, airsales wa
Simon Whitehead, Jetpoint Pty Ltd
mike costin, Metafore pty ltd
Daniel Ball, Student
David Healey,
GRAEME BRITTEN,
David Skeoch,
Aaron Brownlow,
Dominic Aloe, Pacific Avionics
xxxxxxxx,
Ryan Macdonald, Pacific Avionics
Dave Sando, Unity Airlines
xxxxxxxx,
Tiju Thomas, A Small Shed Plus
Geoffrey Hill, HilAir
Greg Schmidt,
PETER BERNARDI, pvt
Ian Woodhead,
Robert Merrylees,
Anthony Watts,
xxxxxxxx, Plantworld
roger turner, roger d turner
xxxxxxxx, W R Wallace Consulting Engineers P/L
geoff Shield, grshield
Tim Allen, Southern Highlands Aero Club
Geoff Hopkins,
Michael Broome,
DU TRAN, PACIFICAVIONICS
Jeremy Williams,
JOHN B DAVISON, DAVISON AVIATION SERVICE
Eddie Seve,
Neil Kershler,
Dave Pyett, Airag Aviation
David Laughton, Practical Computer Services P/L
douglas atcheson,
ADuncan, AD & SE DUNCAN
Robert Evans,
Willem van Ast,
Allan Ould, TRX
Andrew Whiteman,
Stuart Green, Aust Dental Fix
Paul Whetham, Wizard Home Loans
Conrad Gration, Private pilot and farmer
Norman Pearson,
John Nuku, Northwest Shedmasters
Philip Ayrton, Philip Ayrton + Associates
tim porter,
IAN GOLDIE,
David Ind, skyline@skylinensw.com.au
Trevor Withnall, TME Systems Pty Ltd
Alex Baldwin,
Chris Johnson,
Bob Bosanquet, Ryan Aircraft Sales
xxxxxxxx,
Martin Ongley,
John McCorkell,
Russell Puttock,
Senja Robey, Robeyair
xxxxxxxx,
David Adkins,
xxxxxxxx, Private
Graham Harvey,
Gary Dunn,
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xxxxxxxx,
Mal Shipton, Formerly GOANA Air Safaris
Christopher Newna, Concept Aviation Supplies Pty Ltd
Greg Porter, Central Air Services
Lindsay Lobwein,
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Ray Feltman,
Martin Russell,
Lincoln Robinson, Save Essendon Airport Group
Clive Johnson, Johnson Properties Pty Ltd
Peter HALDEN,
Andres Kornijczuk,
Keith Sweeney, INLAND CITY AEROPARK, GOULBURN, NSW
Margaret Sullivan,
Maurei Baston, Air Transport Management
xxxxxxxx,
David Peterson, Orbitec
John Gallacher,
Eloise Matheson, Private
Louise Woods,
Allan Tudehope,
Helen Perry,
Craig Shepherd,
Jacki King,
xxxxxxxx,
xxxxxxxx, SFC
Don Martinez, aircentre.com.au
Anne Greene,
Sean Kennedy,
xxxxxxxx, Manilow Pty Ltd
xxxxxxxx,
Gary Weeks,
Clinton Brisk, Airborne Solutions
Stan Wright,
Liz Dobe, Bulldog Transport
B.V.Quinell, Pay,s Air Service
Charlie Bamborough, CKB Civil Pty. Ltd.
Lionel Smith,
W. Sheedy,
xxxxxxxx,
Ralph Holland,
xxxxxxxx,
Ian Edwards,
xxxxxxxx, Nil
xxxxxxxx,
xxxxxxxx, Credit Suisse
Christine Carter,
xxxxxxxx,
Hugh Nivison, Mirani Pty Ltd
Yehoshua, Neyeah Aviators
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Xavier LECROART, Basair Aviation College
Richard Dale, Flight Club Pty Ltd
Mark Smith, Mark Smith Aviation.
Sue Campbell,
Dr. John Lowrey,
xxxxxxxx,
Alan Cohen, Charter Pilot Bankstown
Michael Keating,
Andrew Kotzur, ME&C
Neil Richardson,
reg shiel,
xxxxxxxx,
xxxxxxxx, Airservices Australia
Terry Travers,
Terry Travers,
Scott Abela,
Robert Young,
xxxxxxxx, Aerospace Aviation
Ivan Grigel, former Pacific Avionics technician and Clamback and Hennessy student,
Jim Crocker,
Henry Sweetland,
Russell Flanagan,
Kurt Newman,
Daniel Lauder,
Ros Irwin,
xxxxxxxx,
Marnya Flanagan,
amanda flanagan,
xxxxxxxx,
Roger Serong,
marjorie campion,
Chris Wheatley,
Robin L Wilkie,
xxxxxxxx,
michael Campbell,
Doug Thornton,
Rob Cumming,
Chris Clark,
Andrew Harris,
xxxxxxxx,
Mark Quintano, Basair
Tracy Tees,
Brendon Cleaver,
ben triefus,
Nick Carpenter,
Dr Peter Duffy, private pilot - IFR
Michael Motts,
Llew. Martin, Australian Mobile Services Pty Ltd
xxxxxxxx, N/A
Dianne Becker,
Mike Burns,
Kesch Roberts, AEROTUNE
Tony Peters, Gippsland Flight Centre
xxxxxxxx,
Michael Morgan,
Michael O\'Leary,
Bruce Nash,
Naeem Siddiqui,
Ben Esler,
Brian Tyas,
Gerry Varley,
Graham Bell, Abel Aviation Pty Ltd.
Glenn McNeil, Private
Arica Newton,
Elizabeth Carson,
xxxxxxxx, KA
Jeff,
Janet Harper, AWPA
Greg Ralph,
Stuart Thomson,
Katie Watkins,
Don Harvie, Individual
Michael Roberts,
Graham Nutt,
xxxxxxxx,
Ian Harvie,
Peter Ansell,
Howard Fowler,
Paul whelan,
Brian Harward, Maule Aircraft Australia Pty.Ltd.
xxxxxxxx, Basair Aviation College
David Cooper,
Helen Paterson,
Damien Murphy,
Gregory M Gatt,
Richard Thompson, Flycorp TY LTD
Lee Laborczfalvi,
Steven Robinson,
Chris Nelson, industry participant
David Boundy, SUPERAIR
Keiron Rado,
Peter Stitt,
Kevin Swiggs,
Neville French, Aerotisan Pty Ltd
Clinton Wauchope,
xxxxxxxx,
Grahame,
Raymond Spaul,
oscar williams, sydney flight training centre
Robert Leonard, Air Bush Charter
Alena Lavrushkina,
Andrew Hain,
Greg Young,
Kevin Thomas, Society of Radio Heads
James Freedman,
xxxxxxxx, Professional Pilot
Robert Kyle,
Christian Le Claire,
Robert Crain,
jenny cornwell, private citizen
Nigel Brookes,
xxxxxxxx,
John Anthony Glynn, Australian Aviation Legal Services
Frank Ward, Bavodi Pty Ltd
xxxxxxxx, Private
Randall Todd, Melbourne Rotor Dock
Christopher MacIldowie,
xxxxxxxx, Private
xxxxxxxx,
R W Stevens,
Josef Melvald, jetpropulsion
Mike McCauley,
Rod Douglas,
xxxxxxxx,
Dominic Mackenzie,
Andrew J C Pedley,
Barry Cain,
Barry Small,
David Saint, Private Pilot
xxxxxxxx, Airag Aviation Services
xxxxxxxx,
Andrew Loughran,
Robert Thomas,
Martin QUINELL,
Scott Rochford,
Richard Morris,
Daniel Lesmond,
xxxxxxxx,
Mark Whitehead,
xxxxxxxx, Ulladulla Computing Assistance
xxxxxxxx, Georges Hall Action Group for Birdwood Reserve
Stan van de Wiel, ex Moorabbin operator
Seamus Campbell,
Allan Churn,
peter prcevich,
The situation at Bankstown is beyond outrageous. Many businesseswill be put out and General Aviation in Australia shall be set back to the dark ages. Private aircraft owners shall be forced to move out of the Sydney Basin with disastrous results
As a matter of urgency the Federal Gov must seek a solution to help save our ailing industry.
The tactics shown by BAL are in lime with the attitude that they have to GA. Making money is their only aim and goal. I will be using Warnervale for all my visits to Sydney and I urge all other pilots to do the same.
The Federal Government should change the terms of the privatisation agreement putting caps on price increases, preventing seizure of privately-funded assets, preventing encroachment of non-aviation enterprises, and re-opening the cross runway. If compensation needs to be paid to BAL, so be it. The new government can blame the previous government for this mess anyway.
The privatisation of airports has caused the aviation sector to go into crises due to the shortage of pilots. Where will future pilots train if there are no General Aviation airports?
The closure and sale of airports is a national disgrace.
The Rudd Labour Government should be ashamed of what the previous administration did to decimate the General Aviation Infrastructure. The time has come to reverse this farce of selling the Secondary Aiport Assets to greedy property Investors and buy back these vital gateways to the community and keep them in perpetuity for the benefit of all Australians. So how about it KEVIN & FRIENDS its time to get your finger out and start to fix some of the F*@% ups of the Howard years and do some good again. Many tenants of these Airports are on original FEDERAL LEASES have lost and are losing their businesses and buildings after being sold down-the-river to those greedy bastards. Yes I mean you KIM ELLIS ( BAL @ Bankstown ) and GAVIN BIRD ( AAC @ Archerfield ) - your lying and cheating ways with bite you on the butt one day soon !
Having commenced my PPL training with Ray and Aminta many years ago at Bankstown I am somewhat gobsmacked at their predicament after serving the aviation community for so long. I moved to England for many years and unfortunately GA is in the same boat there. Obviously it is all tenants of BAL that are suffering and the government needs to intervene and reverse much of Mr Howards short-sighted wrong doing. If Mr Rudd ca not do so the it is indicative that he condones what is being done
As a student pilot I am one of the victims of the bankstown airport’s privatisation. All the increases in rent and landing fees directly affect the cost of my formation: for instance I am now paying $210 per hour dual on a 152! Even though I am only young and have only studied economics at school, even I can see that selling off the three sydney GA airports to one operator, BAL, will create an absolute monopoly and giving BAL the option of doing what they want when they want as they have NO competition to contend with. It is time for the government to wake up and step in in order to prevent the situation getting any worse. The Australian government must follow the example of the British government when they broke up BAA’s monopoly over London’s busiest airports. Although the economy is in a slump at the moment it is important to realise that this situation will not last for ever and as the Australian and indeed global economy starts to get back on its feet and pick up the pieces, a demand for air travel will again surge. But how would the aviation market cope with this dramatic increase in demand if they do not have the labour to fly the planes? Where would the airlines and GA get pilots from if airports such as Bankstown continue to decline? Wake up Australia, if you want cheap and accessible air travel to continue you must provide the resources and infrastructure to train pilots, cabin crew, engineers… Without the infrastructure, pilots will become very thin on the ground and as a direct consequence, the cost of the average ticket will inevitably rise. That’s my take on the whole situation, now I shall turn it over to the people who can do something about this and simply hope for the best…
Although entities such as BAL and JAH like to style themselves the “owners” of the airports, they are in fact no more than tenants themselves; these airports still belong to the Commonwealth, that is you and I, the citizens of Australia as represented by our elected members in Canberra; WE are the landlords and we should demand that the Feds as managers of our property take action against these tenants who are trashing OUR assets. Actions such as enforcing the terms of the head lease and the Airports Act and stop cherry-picking the Master Plans. Jandakot has been waiting over ten years for the fourth runway. What do we get? A dual carriageway running through the insutrial development area. Presumably paid for in part by our rents and landing fees. No airside infrastructure improvements, just disruption to our businesses and the loss of pristine bush for their development site. The tactics used by the head leaseholders to try and force tenants out of thier property (indeed two years ago they tried to force us all to relocate to a site that would have meant the end of GA in Western Australia!) and their superannuation are unconcionable and we should not have to continually fight for our right to provide services to the aviation industry in a hostile environment when we are entitled under law to quiet enjoyment.
theres a circus in town and its called Bankstown Airport Limited!
Treacherous Behaviour!
My love of aviation was nurtured at Bankstown, I grew up in the area in the ’60’s and it sickens me to see a once thriving avitaion hub reduced to what it is today!! BAL you are scum!!!
But in all the responses I have read we have no answer, there is no strategy to fight BAL.
We need to get organised and make a stand, a unified front of civil disobedience…..flyins, buzzins, tow some banners, hangar meetings Don’t pay your rent for a month all at once….let these pricks know we are not going to go down without a fight. I applaud Ben Morgans positive and assertive action. But now that Howard sold off our aviation assets if you think that Kevin747 is going to do something to undo it.. you are all living in a fools paradise!
Warnervale is also going… North… at this stage. They all should be condemned
This is the result of the Howard government’s policies which encouraged and rewarded commercial greed. The new government needs to find a way of reversing these wrongs created by its predecessor.
Bankstown could be written down in history, “it was an important airport, it was used by transport companies, pilot training companies, and supported associated industry, maintenance and sales. It was also an important destination for emergency use, with Police, Air Ambulance, Royal Flying Doctor and Angel Flight conducting operations.
Like airports before it: Canberra Airport, Darwin Airport, Aero Pelican Airport, Warnervale airport, Goulburn Airport and others, under the terms of use established by the founding fathers ,we all felt they would survive. But unfortunately ways have been devised by government and councils alike to wipe-ones-hands, and it seems that they have been able to arrange, or permitted the sale of public assets to the highest bidder. These sales were subject to limited or ineffective conditions that no-longer protect the intent of the “founding fathers ” and permitted the deprivation of the original tenants, and in some cases the inaugural tenants of their assets and livelihood.”
The loss of Bankstown airport, Camden airport, Warnervale Airport, Aero Pelican airport, Goulburn Airport, and the others closed before them, will see the demise of General Aviation in the Sydney basin, NSW and Australia in general.
There are no Secondary Airports left unscathed, for Queensland and Victorian airports are also under attack.
Coupled with the lock-up of all the regional airports, a hidden agenda has become visible, the (former) government and committees are forcing the closure of all General Aviation airports.
The flow-on effect with the loss of training and ancillary industry, such as maintenance and support, will cause even bigger consequences, consequences to the safety of aviation, which you can read as Regular Public Transport.
Australian citizens will lose as General Aviation looses the ability to train pilots and maintenance engineers, which means the only recourse possible will be immigration and outsourcing to foreign nationals. Those in the industry can already imagine what the consequences will be; the general public will sometime later ask “Why weren’t we told?”
Outback Australians will be yet again be further deprived of services that we in the city take for granted, it will not just be the Aviation Industry that is deprived, it will also be the general public. The demise of Bankstown will see the further erosion of the already sparse health-care services available to remote communities. That was what part of what air transport is about, servicing and transporting people and goods over remote distances.
One detects that the perhaps the founders of BAL feel very confident that they and their family will have their feet firmly on the ground, never requiring to fly overseas, or in an air ambulance, or an RFDS aeroplane, or perhaps on an Angel Flight - for pretty soon these will all be history.
The erosion of airport infrastructure, its people, and its companies is a cancer, that once it starts will be difficult to stem. This cancer must be treated at its source - you guessed it, at the political level.
This land-grab and greed using legislation as a basis rings very much like the case in Canberra where the local government wanted to sell off the Simonston Caravan park to property developers, which would result in displacement of the many incumbent tenants who had no-where else to go. A petition was raised, and I signed it, as did the majority of other Canberrans - and the tenants won – so petitioning sometimes works – there is still hope, just as there is while one draws breath.
I too believe that Bankstown and Camden cases (and Hoxton Park) are where tenants have no-where else to go, and even the larger tenants cannot go to Melbourne because its Secondary Airport are also under threat.
Guys, if you do not win this petition - cut your losses and retire - I will park my aeroplane in a paddock and look back on flying fondly as one of those things I used to be able to do. I too will buy the history books that name those who contributed to the demise of aviation.
In our hearts we know which organizations are responsible – keep lobbying them.
Ralph Holland, Arising Technology Systems Pty Ltd Canberra: Private Pilot, and Angel Flight volunteer. ralph at arising.com.au
It is scandalous that government airports have been sold to private enterprise for the purpose of pillaging these public assets. Even more so that all three Sydney general aviation airports were sold to the same owner. Where was the ACCC to prevent this monopoly!!!!!
Copy and paste all the replies and opinions here into a letter to your Federal Member and ask them to seek representation and a reply from the minister. Only when we all voice our frustrations will the message begin to get through. It was people power that stopped many unfair Government initiatives. You can be assured if not many complain then it’s viewed as not really a problem by our elected officials. Lets all hope we don’t have to retrofit larger fuel tanks to the training aircraft so we can reach the ever disappearing GA facilities in NSW from Bankstown.
In total support of Clamback & Hennessy, and the other disadvantaged operators at Bankstown Airport, I add my message to this growing list stating my total objection to the way these businesses are being treated.
I have flown at Bankstown for the past 20 years and I’m a solcial flyer, us pilots are seeing this great airport and it’s services diminish before our eyes - where are we to go? More importantly the voices of these airport operators - good and well intentioned people that have built businesses and provided employment - need to be heard and fair treatment for hardworking folk should apply here not highway robbery.
Governments all over the world, have destroyed and violated human rights, with their arrogance, ignorance
and greed.
Our government has joined the ranks of the fascists and communists, in allowing an organisation like BAL, to kill off another Australian industry, along with the people who serve that industry (such as clambach and hennessy), which, has been the training ground of our commercial pilots.
The sickening violation of rights, human, legal and moral, that is happening to Clambach and Hennessy, is almost unbelievable.
What wonderful government foresight was used to sell off ALL of Sydney’s airports… to ONE company.
For any government to look forward, and see clearly the possible results of their actions, would require said government, to remove their collective heads from their collective nether regions.
It an essential part of Australia’s infrasturcture network to have the existing airports, let alone increase capacity. Australia must have this network, which is freely available to all at a fair and equitable cost.
Goulburn, Canberra, Bankstown and on, just in eastern Australia have been impacted in breach of the objectives for fair and reasonable access.
We must rally together to lobby Government against unfair imposts - best shown by the actions of BAL at Bankstown or the Goulburn Mulwarree Shire.
GA aircraft are the first to repond to a major disaster situation.
We need te secondary ariports for that reason.
In the uncertain situation the world is facing we need
our airports there as a safety net.
F*^ck the private dovelopers
This Federal government must move quickly to address the ill-judged privatisation of former FAC airports like Bankstown. If they do not move to correct the mistakes of the past, they may well find themselves ditched after a single term of office.
Having been in GA for some 40 years it very sad to see how this industry is in the doldrums and is only a shadow of what it might have been.
Ben Morgan should be thanked for his very informative video and for having put the case so well. To Aminta and Ray, I hope some better outcome will come to you, I know exactly what it has been like for you both all these years having run a flying business in a parallel manner.
Government airports should be like roads, open to all at minimum cost. The current major airport leases should be requisitioned by government and sold to the private operators as freehold, with a fair deal to the existing sub-lessees.
Lastly I firmly believe that it is only by alerting our parliamentary representatives, and having them understand what a great contribution GA can make to Australian life, will any serious reforms take place. More than ever, with the amazing technological advances we see today, general aviation could advance our prosperity as a nation. Surely the current financial turmoil demonstrates the need for efficient and value adding industry.
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http://couponredeemer.com/federalgrants/