National Capital Authority approves seaplanes on Lake Burley Griffin trial

The trial will run from March 14 to March 19, and flights will take off from and land in both basins. It comes in response to concerns raised by some lake users after the National Capital Authority approved the tourist flights in November last year.

The Canberra Yacht Club and other lake users were concerned about where the planes were taking off and landing, saying the proposed locations would impact sailors, rowers, kayakers and others.

The trial will also evaluate the safety, environmental and heritage risks of permanent flights between Canberra and Sydney, as well as Canberra and the South Coast.

Environmental and heritage experts will assess the impact of the seaplane operations during the trial flights, proposed to be conducted between 9am and 4pm, subject to weather and wind conditions.

It will include putting in a pontoon, near the National Museum, for boarding and disembarking. The authority has previously said it would be built where the Paddle Steamer Enterprise is currently docked.

The seaplane operators are expected to fly within Canberra during the trials, providing the public an opportunity to view from the shores rather than take part.

Authority chief executive Sally Barnes said the trial flights were to fine-tune the guidelines around seaplane operations and ensure safety and minimal disruption, especially to those who extensively used the lake for sporting and recreational activities.

Ms Barnes said that since the first demonstration flight in December 2020, the authority had met lake users to investigate the implications of seaplanes on Lake Burley Griffin.

"While the NCA supports the introduction of seaplanes to diversify the activities that people can enjoy on the lake, we will be guided foremost by the principles of safety and least disruption to lake users," she said.

"Seaplanes will only commence operations once we have sufficiently considered the input of the community and stakeholders as well as the environment and heritage consultants."

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Ms Barnes said the authority would regularly review the regulations once operations began, and fine-tune details in consultation with lake users if necessary.

Canberra Yacht Club general manager Steve Hart had previously opposed the plan, saying he was yet to speak to a lake user who supported seaplanes on the lake.

"The landing and takeoff zones for this plan are straight through the middle of the only place on the lake you can sail," Mr Hart said in November.

"We just can't see the case for how you can put out up to five local community groups and thousands of volunteers, members, sailors, rowers and kayakers for the sake of a Sydney business for a few dollars."

At the time, he said he had proposed "viable alternatives for other locations" and would support the plan if they were accepted.

On Friday, Mr Hart said the "game changer" for the club was these trials were going to include Central Basin, which is what they'd been pushing for.

"The other thing that's changed is that they are listening to the operators and the operators are saying 'we want to land in the safest, less disruptive place we can, not some arbitrary line down the middle'," he said.

Mr Hart said, best-case scenario for the club, would see pilots given the flexibility to make a judgement call based on lake use when they went into land.

He said the Sydney plane operator had indicated taking off from Central Basin might be technically difficult in some weather conditions, however, operators indicated delaying takeoff until a West Basin path appeared was an easy option.

Mr Hart said, while it was great concerns had been heard, the Central Basin could still be scrapped when flights were made permanent.

"If for some reason it is ruled out from a heritage perspective that puts us back to square one," he said.

"Where we don't believe they can viably operate just landing in and out of West Lake," he said.

Under the proposal, a seaplane carrying up to 14 passengers would leave Sydney at 9am and 2.30pm and depart Canberra at 10.30am and 4pm for the one-hour journey.

South Coast trips would take four passengers on a joy ride, with times and flight paths still to be decided.

Flights leaving before 10am and landing after 3.30pm would land at the airports, rather than on the water.

The authority has allowed Sydney Seaplanes and South Coast Seaplanes to operate the services for up to seven days a week.

The price of a flight between Canberra and Sydney is expected to be $300 each way.

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