No Aircraft Noise launches campaign

By Nick Fredman SYDNEY — Up to 1000 people attended the No Aircraft Noise party (NAN) campaign launch at Marrickville Town Hall on February 14. Well-known figures and most of the NAN candidates addressed the enthusiastic meeting. MCs Roy Slaven and H.G. Nelson and comedian Keith Scott caricatured the stand of Labor and Liberal on aircraft noise, and actor Judy Davis passionately expressed the disillusionment on life-long Labor supporters who have been "cynically betrayed and sacrificed in the interests of big business". NAN candidate for Grayndler Kevin Butler condemned the hypocrisy of the ALP, which, he said, professes support for multiculturalism but attacks the largely working-class and migrant communities affected by the noise. Michelle Calvert, candidate for Lowe, stated that the privatisation of Kingsford Smith Airport (KSA) would lead to the erosion of curfews and regulations and to further public subsidies for big business. Robert Shaw, a former long-term member of the Liberal Party, who is contesting John Howard's seat of Bennelong, described how airlines are moving to larger planes to cope with increased passenger demand, leading to greater noise. At a media conference following the meeting, NAN candidates were asked about replacements for KSA. They said that NAN only supports the Badgerys Creek option in the event of a "fully independent" environmental impact statement (EIS) with real "community consultation". Asked by Green Left Weekly whether this is likely to happen, given that the Environmental Protection Agency recently stated that an airport was going ahead at Badgerys whatever the EIS concludes, Kevin Butler replied it was NAN's intention to reform the EIS laws when elected.

From GLW issue 220