ANGRY members of the community gathered at the Nelson Bay Bowling Club on Sunday to find out how the proposal for a Helipad facility at Anna Bay will be fought in the Land and Environment Court.

Young and old attended the meeting, with everyone in attendance appearing to be seeking the same outcome – that the helipad proposal would not proceed.

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Port Stephens Council was represented by Councillor Leah Anderson and Group Manager of Development Services, Steve Peart.

Mr Peart was keen to recognise and support residents’ concerns and reaffirm Council’s position on the matter – that Council has already rejected the proposal.

While Council does not support the helipad development, Mr Peart stressed that the future of the proposed development now sits in the hands of the Land and Environment Court.

Debate remains whether the proposed development more closely resembles a helipad or a heliport, an argument which the Land and Environment Court will have to get to the bottom of.

The proposed development site is located immediately behind the Caltex Service Station at Anna Bay.

The facility would enable 70 helicopter movements at the site per day – one every eleven minutes – and would involve the building of several buildings, including an onsite office.

Meeting attendees questioned the servicing of the aircraft at the site, which can involve the revving of engines at high noise levels to ensure that aircraft are safe to fly.

Concerns have also been raised about the impacts on the adjacent cemetery, a space for solace and reflection that locals believe will lose its peace and quiet if the maximum aircraft movements are conducted at the facility.

Residents at nearby homes and villages are also concerned that the facility will create noise pollution, destroying the quality of life they expected when they purchased their dream retirement homes.

Also highlighted during the questions from the floor is the fact that NSW National Parks are planning a helipad at their new depot to assist in servicing the new Tomaree Coastal Walk and surrounding bushland potentially in extreme bushfire events.

This will add additional aircraft movements in an airspace which already manages the RAAF and commercial flights by airlines including Bonza, Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin from Williamtown Airport.

“The noise experts that we have to support the process have already undertaken a review of the flight path that was modelled and they have some concerns about the prevailing winds and the reality of what flight paths will look like and there’s potential inconsistency between what reality will look like and what was modelled,” Mr Peart said.

Worimi woman Carol Ridgeway addressed the meeting to express her concerns.

“I am here on behalf of my family,” said Carol.

“We are the traditional owners in Port Stephens.

“We are tired of our landscapes being cleared and our heritage destroyed.

“We do not want what’s proposed for that site out there and I believe that the community that lives around that area deserve to have a quiet life, not so many flights a day going past there.

“Some of my family as well as community people are actually buried there in that cemetery.

“That is part of the Stockton Bight Sand Dunes.

“We have had (the remains of) people out there (scientifically dated at) 2,000 to 6,000 years old found on Stockton Bight – there’s more that could be found there and even (more) artefacts.

“There should be no more development on those dunes,” she said.

Carol’s comments were applauded by those in attendance.

While Mr Peart repeatedly noted that the decision was now in the hands of the Land and Environment Court, Irene Jones, one of the community members involved in opposing the extension of Soldiers Point Marina, outlined a case in Sutherland Shire where the High Court overruled a determination by the Land and Environment Court.

Keep reading News Of The Area for updates on the development proposal, with information also provided on Council’s Facebook page and website.

By Marian SAMPSON