#11: The Premier’s $200 million aviation war chest

60 Reasons to Protest: Reason #11 – The Premier’s $200 million aviation war chest

We all remember the embarrassing scene at the Gabba Stadium in March 2022 when Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk hosted former PM Scott Morrison and Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner. All three were trying to announce more nation building projects, yet their speeches were interrupted by constant aircraft noise.

Community members have used the BFPCA one-click complaint link to email thousands of complaints directly to the Premier asking her to use her clout and powers to advocate on behalf of families and communities across more than 226 suburbs of Greater Brisbane. Now that Labor is in power at the federal level, too, she could pick up the phone and ask her comrade Catherine King MP, the federal Minister for Infrastructure & Transport to intervene with a Ministerial Direction to Airservices.

Yet, Palaszczuk refuses to take responsibility, and keeps telling complainants suffering from flight path noise pollution that aviation is not her responsibility as it is a federal matter:

“Thank you for your email… In this instance, the issue you have raised falls within the responsibility of the Federal Government. As the Premier is unable to intervene or assist in this matter, your email has been forwarded to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development for consideration.”

Despite suggesting aviation is a federal matter only, Ms Palaszczuk doubled down adding insult to injury by announcing in Feb 2022 a $200 million aviation subsidy scheme, which she calls “the biggest aviation war chest in the country.”

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The Queensland government, which will pour in half the $200m funding pool, boasts it will be better placed than anywhere else to snap up returning travellers.

While it is arguably nice to see this scheme attracting several new or additional flight connections operated by Korean Air, EVA Air, Philippines Air, United Airlines, Air Canada, and Emirates – the hypocrisy is astounding.

Where is the same care and consideration for families and communities that are being overflown by these airlines on a daily basis? Considering the flawed noise forecasts, the abysmally shonky flight path design, and systematic deceit all now on the public record, how can the Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in all seriousness abdicate her responsibilities to look after the people of Greater Brisbane she is supposed to represent?

Listen to the speech she gave in the Queensland Parliament on 30 Nov 2022. Is this the speech of a Premier, or a lobbyist for the aviation industry?

BFPCA demands that the Queensland Parliament establishes a Parliamentary Inquiry into the impact of Brisbane’s flight paths and ways to rectify the situation using the powers and advocacy of the State of Queensland. The inquiry’s scope should encompass:

1. The clinical and cognitive effects of aircraft noise on Brisbane school children and students;
2. The human health and environmental toll including ultra-fine particle air pollution;
3. The influence of the aviation industry’s donations to political parties and lobby groups;
4. The need to reform state planning legislation as a result of inadequacies identified in the National Airports Safeguarding Framework 2016 with relying on Australian Noise Exposure Forecasts (ANEF) for land use planning;
5. The failure to engage communities and obtain a social licence to operate drone delivery services and air taxis in Queensland.