Our commitment - then and now

Stop Flight Path Impacts – formerly known as Stop the ILS Flight Path – remains committed to what we’ve always stood for; keeping the natural beauty of the Gold Coast, and the lifestyle it offers, protected from unnecessary noise and airborne pollution associated with Gold Coast Airport.

Our broad-based community support grew from a single issue back in 2015 when thousands were strongly opposed to the introduction of a new Instrument Landing System (ILS) flight path over areas never before impacted by flight paths. The Federal Coalition Government subsequently approved the ILS and it became operational on February 28 2019. Gold Coast Airport and Airservices Australia argued that an ILS is needed to reduce diversions, citing approximately 50 diversions a year even though there were only 13 in 2014. It may be fewer in recent years but we can only guess as Gold Coast Airport and Airservices Australia have steadfastly refused to provide data despite numerous requests. In fact, the privately-owned airport is operating at 99.9% reliability yet it has installed a flight path over the homes of more than 200,000 people to improve reliability. Learn more about the flight path.

Due to our group’s challenge through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) of the Government’s ILS approval, the subsequent AAT-imposed conditions now restrict the ILS flight path usage. These restrictions mean that aircraft landing at Gold Coast Airport must use all other flight paths ahead of the ILS, unless the flight meets certain bad weather conditions, is operationally required or for emergencies.

Without this challenge, any plane could have been using the ILS flight path - and this huge win is due solely to the efforts of the community represented by our group.

Representation

We represent all those who recognised the significant negative impact of the new over-land flight path over the most populated residential and tourist areas between Surfers Paradise and Palm Beach. Learn more about the reasons for our opposition to the the ILS.

We secured a major win for the community

Our group - legally known as Gold Coast Lifestyle Association Inc - fought a David and Goliath battle against the Federal Government and Gold Coast Airport to achieve restrictions on Gold Coast Airport’s ILS flight path usage. We achieved this by launching a major legal challenge through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) which imposed conditions on future ILS usage. Learn more about the review by the AAT.

Broadly, the conditions restrict the flight path’s use to the reason cited by the Airport in its Major Development Plan, which is to improve reliability in bad weather and reduce diversions. However, it can be used for emergencies and when “operationally required”. The number of days that extreme weather/diversions occur on the Gold Coast are so limited that the ILS flight path should rarely be used.

The detailed orders from the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal are available here

and a flowchart showing how the ILS will be used is available here.

While flight path usage was substantially restricted rather than refused, we did stop unfettered access over our homes, businesses and internationally acclaimed beaches. This was a significant win for the community.

in some respects our work has just begun

The flight path usage conditions provide residents the tool to ensure that the Airport and Airservices Australia do not abuse use of the ILS to the detriment of the community, and we call upon residents to join us in the ongoing and vigilant monitoring of the ILS.

While the ILS issue instigated our formation, a range of other Airport issues such as adherence to other flight paths, noise abatement and curfews plus environmental issues and management of forecast Airport growth, are now on our radar. Learn more about our continued focus.

We want a prosperous yet unspoilt Gold Coast

Stop Flight Path Impacts is not anti-business, anti-development or anti-airport. We are pro-sustainable development. This means that we expect large corporations such as the Gold Coast Airport Pty Ltd and Airservices Australia to “walk the talk” in relation to the triple bottom-line for sustainability i.e. development and operational management that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.

IMPACT OF THE ILS

This video was taken at Broadbeach which is near the start of the ILS flight path. The impact in this suburb is therefore not as bad as in the suburbs to the south between Broadbeach and the Airport, yet it provides an insight into the level of disturbance at one of its “better” points. The closer to the airport, the louder it would of course have become.

It provides some insight into why we’ve fought so rigorously to minimise aircraft noise over our homes and beaches, especially when there are viable alternatives to increasing over-land air traffic.