By NOEL MURPHY
Helipad plans have Lara residents up in arms with noise concerns.
More than two dozen angry neighbours of Jamco’s Mills Rd premises have lodged 11th-hour objections to the choppers with City Hall.
They accused Jamco of at least two illegal flights already and called for infringement notices.
“This belongs at Avalon. It’s as loud as hell and people are as angry as can be,” protester Frank Chalifour told the Independent.
“From a safety standpoint, this flies right over trains, schools, homes, sporting grounds.”
Jamco’s operations involve building electrical panels that are transported to terminal stations around Victoria. The company stores equipment and machinery including shipping containers and trucks on the site.
Jamco proposes to use its helipad two or three times a week during daytime only.
But residents fear more flights and that City Hall lacks authority or resources to ensure Jamco conforms with its permit.
Mr Chalifour said misinformation circulating in Lara suggested emergency services such as the SES, CFA and air ambulances would use the helipad.
Jamco spokesperson Lorna Holland said the company never issued such advice and rejected safety fears.
“We have an air operators certificate that’s been issued to us by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and within any job you need to do a risk assessment. We do that, we’re not obliged to notify CASA every time we fly a helicopter,” Ms Holland said.
“We have to abide by CASA’s laws. We have a risk assessment for the property, we have a helicopter landing site assessment for the area, we only use qualified pilots, we’re the holder of an air operators certificate and we abide by that.
“With noise, we’ve just had a second assessment by an independent acoustic consultant and we’re awaiting the results.”
Ms Holland rejected Mr Chalifour’s claim of two unauthorised flights, saying authorities had approved them.
The helipad application is before the Geelong’s council.
