60 Reasons to Protest: Reason #19 – BAC’s Chairman David Peever
Former Rio Tinto boss and now Brisbane Airport Corporation Chairman David Peever – of Cricket Australia “fame” – has been ignoring complaints sent to him from thousands of Brisbane families and communities negatively affected by the excessive aircraft noise pollution from Brisbane Airport’s flight paths following a misleading Environmental Impact Statement approved by the federal government in 2007, which duped Brisbane residents.
At the same time, he is seen working together with his former foe ex Labor-Treasurer Wayne Swan on a fight against noise from a beachfront light rail system on the Sunshine Coast. The hypocrisy couldn’t get much better. The Sunshine Coast Daily reported:
Squaring off a decade ago over the Gillard government’s ill-fated carbon tax, former Rio Tinto managing director David Peever and ex-Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan now find themselves on the same side.
(Former foes ditch carbon tax tensions to fight light rail, Sunshine Coast Daily, 28/04/2021)
The pair have thrown their weight behind the growing cause rallying against a proposed light rail system along the beach front at Alexandra Headland.
Mr Peever, now a Cotton Tree resident and Mr Swan, a former Nambour High school student who is a regular at Cotton Tree and passionate Coast surfer, spoke out against what they said was a consistent lack of consultation and failure to respect the community’s wishes. …
Mr Peever said it appeared there was a development agenda in place.
“It seems to me that development is a higher priority than preservation of our beautiful beaches,” he said.
🤯
But there is more …
David Peever is also chairman of Naval Group Australia and was thus at the helm of Australia’s previous $90 billion submarine deal with France, which went pear-shaped.
Michael West Media has reported on the shonky practices of the Australian Government’s Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) previously. One of FIRB’s directors from 2016 – 2021: David Peever.
During David Peever’s term, FIRB approved the Royal Schiphol Group’s acquisition of shares in Hobart Airport – both in close collaboration with the Queensland Government’s QIC (Queensland Investment Corporation).
Does the Queensland State Government thus inadvertently help to circumvent Australia’s airport foreign ownership restrictions?
The Airports Act 1996 limits foreign ownership of Australia’s major airports to 49%. The Dutch Schiphol Group, which also owns and operates Amsterdam airport, holds a 19.61% share in BAC and – despite not owning a majority stake outright – has the exclusive right to appoint various executive leadership roles including the CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff – enabled through the silent approval from its close partner QIC.
What’s more interesting is that Schiphol Group have made a deal with the QIC: That deal saw them – as of 1 November 2019 – acquire a joint 70% share (35 + 35) of Hobart Airport – in effect allowing Schiphol to bypass Australia’s foreign ownership cap of 49% with the silent endorsement from QIC – while BAC Chair David Peever sits on FIRB…
Furthermore, each of their airports sees the community also fighting the excessive noise pollution, so there is a pattern of community abuse: BFPCA here in Brisbane; in Hobart – Just Plane Wrong, and; in Amsterdam – SchipholWatch.
Coincidence?
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