So, how did it happen?

In 1999 a committee called the Perth Airport Noise Management Consultative Committee (PANMCC) was established by Westralia Airport Corporation Pty Ltd (WAC) the operators of Perth Airport. The PANMCC meets every 3months, January, April, July & October. Serving on the PANMCC are persons representing the Aviation Industry & the community i.e. Federal MP’s & Shire Councils.

On the 26^th July 2006 the PANMCC was formally advised by Airservices Australia, the organisation responsible for flight paths, that they were going to do a review of airspace in Western Australia. This review was to be called the “Western Australian Route Review Project (WARPP). To do a review means a subject will be looked at, it does not necessarily mean that changes will be made.

In November 2008 new and altered flight paths were introduced by Airservices Australia. At this time it was not apparent that changes had been made because the wind in the summer months comes mainly from the South West & the flight path changes were only to be affective when the wind was from the northern sector.

Aircraft have to take off and land into the wind. 

By March 2009, as the winds swung to the North, it became apparent that there had been changes. Firstly, there was now a NEW flight path for incoming aircraft that travelled South passing over Glen Forrest, Paulls Valley, Hacketts Gully, Bickley, Carmel, Pickering Brook and Roleystone before turning West to approach the runway from the southern end. The old flight path had travelled down the coast, turning East and flying over the Western Suburbs before landing on the southern end of the runway.

A second change to effect the Perth Hills was moving a flight path used by outgoing east bound aircraft leaving the northern end of the runway. It was moved South from its previous path so that it now subjected residents of Stoneville through to Chidlow to the noise of not only incoming aircraft, as in the past, but now also to outgoing flights.

Another NEW flight path for outgoing aircraft heading North and leaving the northern end of the runway has the aircraft banking left as it passes over Swan Districts Hospital and continuing on over the northern suburbs. The old flight path headed directly North passing near to Pearce RAAF Base. This flight path is still sometimes used.

Once the changes were noticed people contacted the airport and were told to contact Airservices Australia who told them that the community had been informed and to contact their local shires and MP’s who were on the PANMCC. These people denied ever being told and that this was the first they had heard of any flight path changes.

Since then Perth Hills residents having been trying to discover the truth. How did it happen? What we do know is:

There have never been any public consultation, meetings held or adverts in the media to advise the public or to solicit opinions.

Clearly this is unacceptable ... the story will continue.