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Hobart Airspace Design Review

Stakeholder Reference Panel Summary Report

Prepared for Airservices Australia

September 2018

Stakeholder Reference

Panel

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.taniaparkes.com.au/

Disclaimer

This report has been prepared with due care by the consultants, who believe the contents to be fair and accurate.

However, neither Tania Parkes Consulting nor individual authors of the Report accept any responsibility for any error or omission, nor for any application of its contents.

Contents

1.0 Executive Summary .................................................................................... 2

2.0 Introduction ................................................................................................ 3

3.0 Stakeholder Reference Panel .................................................................... 5

4.0 Key Themes................................................................................................. 7

Attachment 1: Terms of Reference ..................................................................... 13

Attachment 2: Invitation to attend panel meeting ............................................ 16

Attachment 3: Panel Agenda ............................................................................... 17

Attachment 4: Hobart Airspace Design Review Timeline .................................. 18

Attachment 5: Airservices Management of Airspace presentation .................. 19

Attachment 6: Flight Path Design Considerations summary ............................. 40

HOBART AIRSPACE CHANGES – STAKEHOLDER REFERENCE PANEL SUMMARY REPORT – SEPTEMBER 2018

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1.0 Executive Summary

Airservices Australia’s (Airservices) primary obligation is to ensure that aircraft and passengers are able to travel safely.

On 14 September 2018 Airservices hosted a Stakeholder Reference Panel (Panel) in Hobart as part of the program of Hobart Airspace Design Review (Review) consultation activities. The Stakeholder Reference Panel concept is regarded internationally as best practice when engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders across change initiatives and is being incorporated into consultation activities in industries such as transportation, utilities and mining.

The Panel was chaired by Dr Tania Parkes (Tania Parkes Consulting) and consisted of stakeholders from Clarence, Sorrel and Tasman local councils, state government, Hobart International Airport, Airlines, and community advocates from Hobart Community Aviation Consultation Group, South East Coast Lifestyle Association and the Dunalley Neighbourhood House.

The Panel explored the international and domestic regulatory flight path design constraints, aircraft operational requirements, and the considerations that had been collated following industry and community stakeholder consultations over the previous months. Additional

considerations were presented by stakeholders and these will further inform the flight path design activity.

The proposed flight path designs will be available on the Airservices website from 31 October 2018 and will be open for consultation and feedback until 27 November 2018, including on-site consultation from 15-21 November 2018.

Based on considered majority advice from the Panel, Airservices will consult on the proposed flight path designs that meet the balanced requirements of the broad stakeholder groups. One community advocacy group has disagreed with this approach. Airservices will provide a summary of other routes assessed and why they did not meet mandatory standards, design constraints or stakeholder requirements.

Airservices thanks the Panel for their genuine engagement, the comments and feedback, and the collective goodwill to progress the upcoming community consultation in a meaningful way.


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2.0 Introduction

The Hobart Airspace Design Review is a technical review being undertaken by Airservices with safety of air navigation as the primary consideration.

Within the operational requirements and constraints at Hobart Airport, Airservices will review the design of the Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs) and Standard Instrument Arrivals (STARs) for Runway 12 and Runway 30.

Given Airservices requirements to consider safety as the most important consideration, and the regulatory requirements to utilise satellite-based navigation, SIDs and STARs must continue to be utilised at Hobart Airport to ensure the travelling public continue to receive the best level of air traffic control service with the safest outcomes.

Changes to arrival and departure flights

Airservices introduced changes to arrival and departure flight paths at Hobart International Airport in September 2017. The changes were designed to organise aircraft departing from or arriving into Hobart Airport onto standard routes. Following implementation, community concerns were raised and a modification to the routes was introduced in March 2018.

The new flight paths are associated with satellite-based navigation systems aimed at improving the safety of aircraft landing and departures. The use of satellite navigation systems is occurring across Australia as required by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

In April 2018 the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman (ANO) released her report Investigation into complaints about the introduction of new flight paths in Hobart April 2018. Airservices accepted the ANO recommendations including that Airservices seek expertise in community engagement.

Community engagement

Airservices retained Tania Parkes Consulting (TPC) to lead community engagement to inform the Review. This work commenced in May and June 2018 with consultation sampling of affected areas to better understand the social impacts experienced by communities resulting from the September 2017 and March 2018 Hobart flight path changes.

The consultation also sought feedback on preferred engagement approaches that will be used as the basis for consultation when Airservices presents the Review findings.

The Social Impacts of Hobart Airspace Changes (September 2017/March 2018) and Community Engagement Plan are available on the Airservices website. An online survey seeking comment on the draft Community Engagement Plan was open from 4-18 September 2018.

The Community Engagement Plan recommended a Stakeholder Reference Panel be established to ‘bring stakeholders to the table’, to assure them that they have a voice


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in informing Airservices of issues of importance to them in refining airspace design, and that they have the opportunity to understand the issues from the perspective of other stakeholders.

Both documents can be found at http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/projects

/flight-path-changes/hobart-airport-standard-arrivals-and-departures/)

This Hobart Airspace Design Review Stakeholder Reference Panel Summary Report represents a synopsis of the Panel meeting.

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/projects/flight-path-changes/hobart-airport-standard-arrivals-and-departures/




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3.0 Stakeholder Reference Panel

The Stakeholder Reference Panel was an opportunity to understand the issues from the perspectives of all stakeholder groups.

The Panel was convened to explain the international and domestic regulatory constraints and aircraft operational requirements, and to share and discuss the stakeholder considerations identified through previous consultations so as to validate that they had been documented correctly, and to identify any gaps. Some additional considerations were presented by stakeholders at the Panel meeting and these will further inform the flight path design.

The Panel provided an opportunity to:

Ensure that all stakeholder groups have a voice in informing Airservices of issues of importance to them in refining airspace design and to hear the perspectives of other stakeholders

o Discuss the relevant regulatory, operational and stakeholder considerations for flight path design

o Assist stakeholders to better understand the technical reasons for Airservices’ reasoning and decisions thereby potentially making the broader

community consultations more productive

o Be updated on the processes, proposed activities and timeline through to March 2019.

The Panel met in Hobart on 14 September 2018 in Chancellor Room 6, Hotel Grand Chancellor, 1 Davey Street, Hobart.

There were 15 attendees in total. They included stakeholders from Clarence, Sorrel and Tasman local councils, State Government, Hobart International Airport, Airlines, and leading community advocates from the Hobart Community Aviation Consultation Group, South East Coast Lifestyle Association and the Dunalley Neighbourhood House.

The Panel’s Terms of Reference are at Attachment 1.

A copy of the standard invitation to attend the Panel is at Attachment 2.

The meeting Agenda is at Attachment 3.


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Panel participants

The following stakeholder groups participated in the Stakeholder Reference Panel.

Organisation Participants

Airservices (host) Executive General Manager, Air Navigation Services Group and Community Engagement Manager, Air Navigation Services

Stakeholder Reference Panel Chair Principal, Tania Parkes Consulting

Hobart International Airport General Manager Operations

Local Government – Sorell Mayor

Local Government – Tasman Mayor

Local Government - Clarence Mayor

Community Aviation Consultation Group - Hobart International Airport

Chair

Airlines - Jetstar A320 Fleet Manager

South East Coast Lifestyle Association Community representatives

Dunalley Neighbourhood Centre Community representative

Department for State Growth Project Manager Strategic Projects and Resource Development, Business and Trade Tasmania Director Aviation & Access Development, Tourism Tasmania


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4.0 Key Themes

The matters discussed at the Panel can be summarised under the following themes.

Information provided to the public

It was acknowledged that information provided by Airservices is often technical due to the subject matter. The Panel acknowledged that more recently there has been an improvement in how Airservices presents complex information to the public, for example the use of infographics. There was also reference to Airservices making available the full Social Impacts of Hobart Airspace Changes (September 2017/March 2018) report and seeking comment on the draft Community Engagement Plan as key improvements.

However, the website and complaints mechanism were still considered to be difficult to locate, access and manoeuvre and that the timeframes for response were too slow. Airservices advised that it had been reviewing the website and noise complaints process to identify improvement actions.

Current status of consultations

The Panel was provided an overview of the consultation approach to date and the proposed Hobart Airspace Design Review timeline between January 2018 and March 2019 (refer Attachment 4). The timeline detailed key consultation stages, activities and proposed dates.

It was noted that a feedback survey was underway between 4 and 18 September 2018 on the draft Community Engagement Plan that will

inform the final Community Engagement Plan for the Hobart Airspace Design Review.

There were 634 website views of the Hobart Airport Standard Arrivals and Departures page in the month up to 13 September 2018 in response to the release of information on the Airservices website, representing a significant increase from previous months.

It was agreed by the Panel that establishment of a Stakeholder Reference Panel was constructive to the consultation process.

Overview of Airspace Management

Airservices gave a presentation on the management of airspace in the Australian context, and the application of international and domestic regulations and the operational requirements of aircraft and air traffic control on the flight path design processes. The aim of the presentation was to inform the Panel of the range of constraints that Airservices is required to address when designing and managing airspace. The Panel acknowledged that the information provided was important to the understanding of airspace management and flight path design.

Some of the key information presented to the Panel included:

Flyability –flight path design must be assessed to ensure they are ‘flyable’ at the full range of speeds of aircraft using the aerodrome, while ensuring terrain and obstacle clearance for departures, approaches and missed approaches.

Airspace management complexity – including the classes of airspace for different types of


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aircraft and operations and how each flight path is protected by a volume of airspace.

A summary of how the following determine the required size of the airspace volume needed: ensures the application of a range of separation standards; the types of surveillance available; navigation systems used by aircraft using the airspace, communication facilities and technology available, speeds of aircraft operating in the environment

Navigation - the range of ground based navigation, performance based navigation including the use of global positioning satellites that help to maintain reliable all-weather operations at airports, and help aircraft to fly a more predictable, precise and fuel and emission efficient flight path, while reducing the impact of aircraft noise.

Aircraft – the range of on-board navigation equipment aircrews use to operate in the airspace; the desire to fly continuous descent approaches rather than ‘stepped descent’;

and an overview of approach procedures, missed approaches, noise abatement procedures,

Human – safety considerations also extend to understanding the human performance limitations of pilots and air traffic controllers in managing their workloads.

Aerodrome – each aerodrome is unique with its elevation and range of facilities, the needs for obstacle clearance, and the number and orientation of runways, including how runway selection is made based on wind direction.

Local Conditions - prevailing atmospheric conditions are also a factor in airspace design, to including temperature, wind speed and direction. Some local conditions have affect how noise is experienced including wind and the level of and height of cloud cover as they can change how aircraft noise dissipates.

A copy of the Airservices Management of Airspace presentation is in Attachment 5.


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Flight path design requirements and considerations

Airservices then outlined these under the following groupings:

Business objectives Dependencies and/or related

projects Regulatory and compliance

requirements Stakeholder considerations Community Airline operators General aviation Hobart Airport Air Traffic Control

o Airservices explained the many complex constraints on the design of flight paths. The key influences are:

- Airservices primary objectives, with the priority objective being safety

- Regulatory compliance through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)

- Change management to inform design and safe change into new operating modes

- Airspace Architecture, current and future

- Delivery of tangible benefits

- Aerodrome Services to improve safety, efficiency and operations through Performance Based Navigation

- Airspace Services through improved and increased surveillance networks and ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast).

o Stakeholder considerations, including:

- Community – Understanding the social and environmental impacts on the overflown communities; examining flight path designs that minimise noise from aircraft arriving and departing; and where possible, exploring flight path designs that manage the effect of aircraft noise on the overflown communities acknowledging the interplay of geography and topography and aircraft noise

- Airlines – Support safe, efficient and technically advanced approach procedures including SIDs, STARs, RNP-AR using satellite technology wherever possible; reducing miles flown to limit fuel burn, reducing aircraft emissions and the length of time in the air; and facilitating visual tracking procedures for final approach to the airport

- Airports – Support Hobart International Airport’s vision as a gateway for a globally connected Tasmania; to ensure the airport and surrounding airspace is safe and efficient, by using the latest in technology; and minimising the impact on the surrounding community wherever possible

- General Aviation – Support safe, efficient and technically advanced approach procedures including SIDs, STARs, RNP-AR using satellite technology wherever possible; reducing miles flown to limit fuel burn, aircraft emissions and the length of time in the air; and facilitating visual tracking


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procedures for final approach to the airport

- Air traffic control – designs that provide the safest possible arrivals and departures including SID/STAR crossovers; allowing for holding patterns and missed approaches.

Airservices developed a single page summary of the above considerations, titled Flight Path Design Considerations (refer Attachment 6).

Basic conceptual whiteboard drawings were used to facilitate discussions and demonstrate design constraints and considerations.

Airservices explained that flight path designs include approaches and departures, SIDs and STARs, height and speed requirements, waypoints, and overlying routes that form part of the integrated network.

They explained that everything needs to connect in a seamless way, keeping crossover points to a minimum for safety reasons, and the whole process can be very complex.

Discussion

Airservices confirmed that the design approach for proposed Hobart flight paths is starting from a ‘blank sheet’ and that future designs will take account of all design requirements and stakeholder considerations, as much as is possible within the design constraints.

Airservices operates under a National Operating Standard (NOS) to undertake all environmental impact assessments and stakeholder planning including proposed changes to aircraft operations, and where a new or amended flight path is contemplated.

Airservices was reminded by some Panel members not to forget noise impacts from SIDs as well as STARs approaches when designing flight paths. Primrose Sands, for example, was said to be impacted by noise from departures and arrivals.

There was discussion using a whiteboard to facilitate between stakeholder groups about the merits of different ways in which the flight paths could ‘thread’ between populated areas thereby minimising noise. It was acknowledged that the extent to which this could be achieved depends on Airservices safety parameters, aircraft capability and airline fuel considerations.

There was some discussion as to a concept routing east of the coast and the possible flight path options and potential impacts to various communities from approximately south of Maria Island to and from Hobart. There was a mix of reactions to this over the water suggestion from positive through to concerns regarding potentially impacted communities.

There are large volumes of airspace to the east of the Tasmanian coast which are not designated as controlled airspace. The establishment of additional controlled airspace requires CASA approval and this can take significant time. There was discussion as to the range of possible flight paths east of the Tasmanian coast, and it was noted that at some point aircraft must cross the coast to and from Hobart.

A Panel member reported that noise from aircraft can sound like noise from an approaching bushfire, and secondly


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that there is an issue with A320 aircraft, where a ‘whistling’ engine noise (likened to bushfire noise) is ahead of the aircraft. It was reported that additional hardware to the wings can be fitted that may assist in alleviating some noise.

A Panel member advised that decibel (dB) testing undertaken previously to inform designs had not in their opinion been accurate.

It was noted that there can be a difference between sound emitted and sound experienced from aircraft operations.

Panel members restated that it is important to ensure that local communities are not positioned against one another with the aim of a good design to distribute aircraft noise.

Panel members reiterated that the new designs must not fly over the Coal Mines Historic Site (Little Norfolk Bay) and that designs needed to be considerate of the interplay between the topography, hills and open and closed bays.

Airservices advised that aircraft do deviate from nominated flight paths for a range of reasons including safety, weather and operational air traffic management. Holding patterns and turnaround routes are a requirement of airspace management and are located in specific locations and altitudes.

Airservices advised that the surveillance of aircraft has been further developed through increased ADS coverage (Automatic Dependent Surveillance), where an aircraft determines its position via satellite navigation and periodically

broadcasts it, enabling an aircraft to be tracked.

A major aim of the proposed designs is for pilots to minimise the use of ‘visual approaches’ (noting that these are required on occasions) rather than non-visual methods.

Maps will be developed by Airservices as part of the future October and November 2018 discussions and consultation package. Airservices advised that they will explain why design variations are not acceptable.

It was agreed that open and transparent consultation on proposed flight paths was an appropriate basis for moving forward on flight path changes with the assessment of updated flight path designs. The Panel confirmed that the information provided to the Panel (verbal, presented and printed) evidenced transparency to the current process and was welcomed.

The Panel agreed that the Flight Path Design Considerations infographic was an excellent document and should be shared widely as part of the consultation activities.

Airservices sought the opinion of Panel members regarding whether, as part of the consultation activities, it was constructive to present flight path designs that had been considered but discounted as they did not meet the range of safety, international and domestic regulatory requirements, and/or operational constraints.

The majority of the Panel agreed that only flight path designs that would be feasible for implementation should be taken to all

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_navigation


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stakeholders, including community, for consultation from 31 October 2018, to ensure effective consultation on the proposed flight path designs. At the Panel Airservices agreed that it would explain how other designs were considered and why they had not been progressed.

Airservices confirmed that they are seeking a considered solution wherever possible where there may need to be trade-offs across stakeholder groups.

While industry and community stakeholders can review and consider, comment and provide feedback on options, Airservices will make the decision.

The consultations commencing 31 October – 27 November 2018 will be a genuine opportunity for all stakeholders to have their say on the proposed flight paths and to comment on the explanations for why the other flight paths examined were discounted.

During the on-site community consultations from 15-21 November 2018, Airservices will present similar information to what was presented at the Panel meeting explaining the international and domestic regulatory constraints and aircraft operational requirements as well as the various stakeholder constraints identified. As per the timeline on the Airservices website, the final decision on the Hobart Airspace Designs will occur in January 2019.

The Panel understood that information provided and discussed at the Panel meeting was not to be considered as confidential and could be transparently discussed by stakeholder groups.


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Attachment 1: Terms of Reference


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Attachment 2: Invitation to attend panel meeting


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Attachment 3: Panel Agenda


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Attachment 4: Hobart Airspace Design Review Timeline


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Attachment 5: Airservices Management of Airspace presentation


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Attachment 6: Flight Path Design Considerations summary

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