The Mandalay Newsletter May 2004

 

The main item of business of the Annual General Meeting was the proposal by motor racing identity Paul Stoddart to operate a new airline called OzJet from secondary airfields in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

Archerfield has been proposed as the Brisbane base and our Association has lodged objections to the proposal.

There has been a lot of activity since the AGM and although Mr Stoddart is still keen to start up his airline, OzJet’s chief executive Peter Schott has announced that the project has been put back by about eighteen months be-cause of “problems with due process”.

To put it more simply, strong objections by residents in three states who would be disadvantaged by the proposal as well as opposition by the New South Wales and Federal Governments have caused the plans to be put on hold.

Locally we have the strong support of the Lord Mayor and our local councillor Jane Prentice as well as support from the federal members for Ryan and Moreton, Michael Johnson and Gary Hardgrave.

Mr Hargrave is the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister and he has been very vocal in his opposition to the OzJet project.

Discussions have also involved the Minister for Transport and Regional Services and Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson.

On a state level, we have the support of our local member Ronan Lee.

I would be nice to have a full hand but as yet our Premier has not stated his opposition to the proposal. I consider the Premier’s support to be very important and will continue to work to-wards obtaining it.

Putting a project on hold is often a ploy to re-introduce it when there is a change in the political mix and there will be a couple of important elections held during the next eighteen months.

It also allows human nature to take hold and the anger of residents to cool.

We don’t want to wait for eighteen months. We want the Archerfield part of the proposal closed down and nailed shut.

Details of correspondence and where you can send your letter of objection are on our website.

 

Warren Fletcher
 

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© 2001 Mandalay Progress Association Inc