Whitsunday and Mackay Islands Visitor Management Strategy ...

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Whitsunday and Mackay Islands Visitor Management Strategy
6.7 aircraft
Aircraft are used in protected areas for emergencies, park
management, enforcement and compliance, scenic and
recreational overflights, transport of visitors and
commercial filming. Aircraft noise in national parks is a
significant environmental management issue that is
becoming increasingly important as tourism to natural
areas grows. In recent years, the number of small fixedwing
aircraft providing scenic fights in the Whitsunday
area has decreased while helicopter numbers have
increased. The table below shows some of the commonly
used aircraft in the Whitsundays, the level of noise they
make (decibel rating, where sound level roughly doubles
with an increase of 10 decibels) and the number of
visitors they can carry (passenger capacity).
The management of aircraft landing within the
Whitsunday area of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is
addressed in the GBRMPA Whitsunday Plan of
Management 1998. Aircraft landing or taking off from
waters more than twice per week are restricted to
designated aircraft landing areas. It also limits scenic
flights below 1000 feet. QPWS applies this policy to
beaches and waters adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park in the Whitsunday area.
Desired outcome
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An appropriate balance exists between flexible access
arrangements and minimising impacts of aircraft on
wildlife, dune vegetation and visitor experiences.
Whitehaven Beach
Table 6.7.1 Aircraft commonly used in the
Whitsunday area
Aircraft type
Decibel
rating
Passenger
capacity
DHC2 Beaver airplane 95 7
C208 Cessna Caravan airplane 82.7 12
Bell 206 helicopter 88.4 4
Robinson 44 helicopter 81 3
Policies, guidelines and actions
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Permit landing of aircraft for tourism purposes on
existing leases at Lindeman and Brampton islands and
designated helipad sites. Other aircraft landings for
tourism purposes will not be permitted within national
parks (does not apply to adjacent beaches). There is no
intention to provide any new designated landing areas
on national park islands, although QPWS may declare
a temporary helipad site on a national park for
emergency or management purposes.
Form a working group of QPWS, GBRMPA, aircraft
operator representatives and other park users to develop
policies and procedures for aircraft management,
particularly helicopter beach landings and overflight
impacts on park visitors. This may include an analysis of
appropriate flight levels over key visitor sites and
developing Fly Neighbourly Agreements, an agreement
between aircraft operators and authorities to reduce
aircraft disturbance.
Until such time as the working group outcomes are
adopted, apply the following interim policy when
undertaking aircraft permit assessments:
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Aircraft undertaking scenic flights are not permitted
to fly below 1000 feet above any island national
park, unless for the purpose of taking off and
landing, management purposes, emergencies,
or visual flight rules and safe flying.
QPWS and GBRMPA develop Fly Neighbourly
Agreements with aircraft operators at key sites.
Opportunity