Tyabb Airshow cancelled by Peninsula Aero Club amid permit stoush
A long-running dogfight over curfews and noisy planes has brought down one of Australia’s biggest airshows. The show, held on Melbourne’s fringe, had been an annual tourism drawcard.
South East
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The Tyabb Airshow has been cancelled for 2020, with the Peninsula Aero Club blaming an ongoing battle over permits with Mornington Peninsula Shire.
Club president Jack Vevers broke the news to members via a Facebook post this afternoon.
“Regrettably after many weeks of trying to come to a workable solution with the Council to run the 2020 Airshow we have not been able to agree on a pathway forward,” Mr Vevers wrote
“As such the committee has resolved to cancel the 2020 Tyabb Airshow.”
The Club has been arguing with Mornington Peninsula Shire since Juneover stop-work orders
on some airport operations and the enforcement of an obsolete curfew on Sunday mornings.
The council had abruptly imposed the stop work, telling landlords permits enabling businesses to operate at the airfield could not be found. The order was later lifted.
There has been long-running tension between the council and the PAC over issues including noise and compliance with regulations at the airfield.
Some residents have repeatedly accused the PAC of flouting guidelines on when aircraft can fly and allowing excessively noisy planes to use the airfield.
Mr Vevers said while the club was willing to continue discussions it had “simply run out of the lead-time required” to plan and stage the event.
“We know many of you will be disappointed to hear this news and we feel terribly sorry for all of the charities, and for all the businesses and sponsors who have helped us,” the post says
“Unfortunately we have reached a point of no return and have done all we could to stretch the timeline to give the Shire space to fix the situation to no avail.”
Mornington Peninsula Mayor David Gill branded the move to cancel the event “childish”
“They are just point scoring and making the public suffer by cancelling their iconic event,” Cr Gill said.
He said the council had been working hard to find a solution.
“We’ve offered to fast track the permits and show them a draft version of the permit to make sure it’s easy to follow and fill out,” Cr Gill said.
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He said the council had to take into account “amenity issues” for people living near the airfield.
“They want to do what they have always done in the past … we just can’t accept that in this day and age.”
The internationally significant event is usually held every two years in March.
It began in 1986 and has gone on to raise more than $1 million for charities and volunteer organisations such as the CFA, Headspace, Riding for the Disabled, the Bays and Rosebud hospitals, Lions Club and Tyabb Footy and Cricket Clubs.
Mr Vevers said the club was hopeful the event would be back in 2022.