The controversial Sydney Harbour floating heliport has been put on hold following a storm of criticism over the state government's mishandling of the project.
"Effective immediately, Newcastle Helicopters has put the project of the Sydney Harbour Floating Heliport on hold until further notice, in order to consider the feasibility of the operation going forward," the company in charge of the heliport said through its PR agency on Saturday afternoon.
"It is Newcastle Helicopter's intention to address the relevant concerns and queries with thoroughly considered and accurate information, and is taking the appropriate steps to do so".
Public anger has been rising for a month since the O'Farrell Government granted Newcastle Helicopters a licence to run unlimited flights from a barge on Sydney Harbour. It came to a head this week when federal opposition frontbencher Malcolm Turnbull labelled the project a "reckless" and "undemocratic" disgrace.
The Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner announced the projecton November 20, but it soon attracted criticism.
The agency responsible for approving the heliport, Roads and Maritime Services, granted the licence without consulting the community, doing an environmental impact statement, testing for noise or putting the plan out to tender. After an angry community meeting in North Sydney on Monday night, Newcastle Helicopters hastily arranged a noise test on Sydney Harbour to prove that the helicopters were as quiet as they said they would be.
But embarrassingly for the company and for the government, Fairfax Media revealed that the "expert" employed to do the sound tests, Carl Holden of Airport Friendly Solutions, had never previously produced a noise report for helicopters. He also conceded that he had been wrong to describe himself as a member of the Australian Acoustics [sic] Society. The peak body, which is actually called the Australian Acoustical Society, told Fairfax Media Mr Holden has never been a member, although he used to subscribe to its magazine.
The first "noise assessment" report Mr Holden wrote for Newcastle Helicopters, the company planning to operate the heliport, has since been ridiculed by industry leaders and removed from the project's website. That report was produced in October. Mr Holden was also involved in acoustic tests from residences around the harbour hastily commissioned by Newcastle Helicopters this week as opposition to the project mounted.
Then, earlier on Saturday, Fairfax Media revealed that the government only thought to question the safety of the helicopter service two weeks after it had approved the licence. This was the final straw.
The Premier, Barry O'Farrell, has so far avoided responsibility for the mismanagement, deflecting all questions to his deputy.
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