Record of meetings and decisions pertaining to changes to Runway30 flight path from 2016 through 2022
Dear Airservices Australia,
I want to obtain all records about the decision to move the Hobart Airport Runway 30 VIS flight path from Dunalley to Carlton Bluff.
Specifically, I am after information about the flight path planning process used to decide on the 2017 flight path over Dunalley and subsequent Carlton Bluff flight path, details about the level of community engagement, information on the litigation arising from the 2017 flight path that forced the switch to the 2019 flight path, internal discussions and memoranda stemming from the post-implementation review of the 2019 flight path, and who in Airservices Australia signed off the decision to move the flight path to cross over Carlton Bluff.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Andrew Terhorst
OFFICIAL
Good afternoon Andrew
Thank you for your request. We understand it to seek all records about the decision to move the Hobart Airport Runway 30 VIS flight path from Dunalley to Carlton Bluff including:
- the flight path planning process used to decide on the 2017 flight path over Dunalley and subsequent Carlton Bluff flight path
- details about the level of community engagement
- information on the litigation arising from the 2017 flight path that forced the switch to the 2019 flight path
- internal discussions and memoranda stemming from the post-implementation review of the 2019 flight path; and
- who in Airservices Australia signed off the decision to move the flight path to cross over Carlton Bluff.
As this request seeks "all records", it would also capture all email correspondence generated in connection with the project, likely spanning multiple years, correspondence with legal advisors related to the 2017 litigation referred above (where they were engaged), all updates to the executive board and correspondence of purely administrative purposes like meeting invites for internal discussions.
We haven't actioned initial searches for the documentation, but suspect that it is likely too large to process and may be refused on those grounds. We also think that you may not be intending to seek everything that the request as written captures.
To avoid this issue, would you like to refine your request to something along the following lines?
"The final approval brief (including any briefing and attachments) that gave effect to the move the Hobart Airport Runway 30 VIS flight path from Dunalley to Carlton Bluff"
The final approval brief (or similar approval document) should have the information that is relevant to the decision to move the runway, which we think is what you are interested in, while not capturing every record ever generated in connection with the project.
Regards
FOI and Privacy Officer
Legal Services
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Dear MBX FOI,
Thank you for responding to my FOI request and advising me to be more focused. As per your suggestion, I would like to reframe my request as follows:
Please provide me with the final approval brief (including any briefing and attachments) that affected the move of the Hobart Airport Runway 30 flight path from Dunalley to Carlton Bluff.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Dr Andrew Terhorst
OFFICIAL
Good afternoon Andrew
We acknowledge receipt of your request seeking "the final approval brief (including any briefing and attachments) that affected the move of the Hobart Airport Runway 30 flight path from Dunalley to Carlton Bluff".
As at the date of writing the statutory deadline for decision on this request is 17 May 2023. This date may be extended in certain circumstances, for example where we are required to consult with a third party. You will be informed if this occurs.
Regards
FOI and Privacy Officer
Legal Services
This email (including any attachments) is confidential and may be privileged. Any advice or information contained in this email (including any attachments) is provided only for the use of Airservices Australia or the intended recipient. You must not retransmit or distribute this email or any attachments unless you are specifically authorised to do so. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, immediately delete this email from your mailbox and destroy any hard copies.
Dear MBX FOI,
As I have not been advised of any anticipated delay to my FOI request, I assume my request for information will be satisfied by 17 May 2023.
It would be unethical for Airservices Australia to delay matters at the last minute.
Yours sincerely,
Andrew Terhorst
OFFICIAL
Good afternoon Mr Terhost
Please find attached the decision on the FOI request FOI 23-07.
Regards
FOI and Privacy Officer
This email (including any attachments) is confidential and may be privileged. Any advice or information contained in this email (including any attachments) is provided only for the use of Airservices Australia or the intended recipient. You must not retransmit or distribute this email or any attachments unless you are specifically authorised to do so. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender, immediately delete this email from your mailbox and destroy any hard copies.