Source: AAP Author: 03/28/2008
Subject Concerned: Government Opinion Cargo Airport
Adelaide Airport's restrictive and antiquated night curfew is strangling local business and hindering South Australia's economic development, a report says.
The South Australian Freight Council report said the Federal Government should review the current laws restricting flights in and out of Adelaide's main airport between 11pm and 6am.
"South Australia is failing to maximise its true economic potential due to a restrictive and antiquated night curfew at Adelaide Airport," freight council chairman Vincent Tremaine said.
"While we recognise that the airport's metropolitan location requires measures to protect surrounding residents from unreasonable levels of noise, the state's economic prospects are being slowly eroded by this current out-dated regime.
"We keep hearing how South Australia's economy is taking off thanks to the growth of tourism, mining and the export of fresh produce - but many of these industries depend on the effective and efficient operation of the state's main airport."
Noise for residents living near the airport has been an issue for many years.
While maintaining the current flight restrictions, the previous Federal Government helped to sound-proof 650 homes at a cost of about AU$50 million.
Steve Georganas, the federal member for Hindmarsh, which includes the airport, said he did not believe the new Labor Government would change the current regulations.
They include bans on domestic passenger flights during the curfew hours and a limit on the number of freight and low-noise aircraft during the curfew period.
But the freight council report said the regulations should be modified to allow passenger and freight aircraft to all operate under the same rules.
The report also called for uniform national road, rail and port regulations and the introduction of a 20- to 30-year transport plan for South Australia.
It further proposed the introduction of 24-hour clearways on major freight routes to reduce the disruption caused by parked cars and a full assessment of the impact any climate change measures would have on the freight industry.