A SKYDIVING school that has attracted noise complaints has applied to extend its operating hours.
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Adrenalin Skydiving, based at Goulburn Airport, has lodged a modified development application to extend its hours from 7am to 6pm to 7am to 8pm.
Owner John Ferrara told the Post he wanted to make the most of daylight saving during summer, given the good light.
“During winter we have to finish at about 5.30pm because it’s the end of daylight,” he said.
In addition, the school was attracting more people every weekend, mostly from Sydney, Mr Ferrara said.
But the application may not be all plain sailing.
The council has received two public submissions, one raising concerns about noise from Adrenalin Skydive’s plane, operating activities and flight paths, planning director Chris Stewart confirmed. A third submission touching on noise was received midweek.
Mr Stewart said Council’s compliance services division had received four complaints relating to the parachute school, specifically about hours of operation and noise.
If issues raised in the submissions were not resolved, the DA would go to Council, rather than planning staff deciding.
Despite complaints to the contrary, Mr Ferrara denies that his plane flies and climbs over Goulburn.
“We don’t,” he said.
“That’s not right. We don’t come near Goulburn.”
He believed some people were confusing the skydiving plane with others. The school’s website promotes the Embraer Bandeirante Parachute aircraft that can accommodate up to 24 jumpers at a time.
“It is fast. With a cruise speed of 200 knots and not one, but two turbine engines, its (sic) a big step up on our current fleet of Cessna’s (sic),” the website states.
Supporting information tendered by the company to Council with the original DA in June, 2012 stated: “Selected flight path remains clear of Goulburn township and other properties who (sic) would otherwise be affected by noise of operation.
If any complaints arise from the operation, we will address the issues and seek solution to minimise the impact.”
Adrenalin Skydive chief instructor at the time, Bill Tuddenham reiterated this in a March, 2012 letter to planners.
“In regards to the hours of operation, the impact on the community would have little or no more impact than the usual general aviation of the airport,” he wrote.
“The concerns of ‘neighbourhood friendly fly zone’ are heeded.
However the general operations of the aircraft ascending and descending are selected to remain clear of the township and other suspected affected properties.”
In June, 2013 following complaints to council about noise, the Australian Parachute Federations’ (APA) Graeme Hill told the Post that Adrenalin Skydive operators had been instructed not to climb their planes over Goulburn.
Despite the company’s assurances, this aspect was not a consent condition in the DA, Mr Stewart confirmed.
It states generally that the school must operate in accordance with APA and Civil Aviation Safety Authority regulations.
“It is not a condition (of the DA) but we don’t do it (climb over Goulburn) because we respect people,” Mr Ferrara said.
“No one has complained to us but I’m sure people have put in a few to Council.”
Meantime, Mr Ferrara said the school was attracting up to 400 people every weekend from all over Australia. Instructors perform 50 to 60 tandems in six to seven flights, each taking nine-minutes.
“That’s 54 minutes or close to one hour a day making a bit of noise,” he said.
Mr Ferrara said people should consider the economic benefit to Goulburn with visitors staying in the city and the school employing 36 people.
Public exhibition of the DA closes on Thursday, September 25 and submissions are invited.