NAN rejects Liberal/Labor airport plans

By Janet Parker SYDNEY — The No Aircraft Noise Party (NAN) sprang into existence weeks before the NSW state election of March 1995. Its goal was to end the damage inflicted on the homes, health and quality of life of those affected by the opening of the third runway at Kingsford Smith Airport. It quickly became evident that the problem was the presence of a major airport in the heart of the densely populated inner city. NAN united around the demand that KSA be replaced and closed. In the state election, its lower house candidates won up to 25% of the vote in electorates under the flight path. In the federal election, NAN is contesting four lower house seats — Sydney, Grayndler, Lowe and Bennelong — and running a team of two in the Senate. Labor and Liberal have scratched around to come up with some "offering" on the eve of the election. The Liberals promised to reopen the east-west runway, thereby increasing the number of flight paths to share the noise around more "equitably". Labor's Laurie Brereton announced that a new environmental impact statement will be performed on the western suburbs site of Badgerys Creek in preparation for its development as Sydney's second airport. Wendy Bacon, NAN candidate for Sydney, says neither package holds any answers. The Liberal proposal will increase the numbers affected by noise and pollution. Labor policy involves the massive expansion of KSA, and the second airport will never be anything more than a small overflow airport. Furthermore, both parties are committed to the privatisation of KSA. The privatisation bill puts no limit on the growth of KSA and, as NAN points out, both the airlines and the operator will be working to maximise profits by increasing traffic. Bacon argues that NAN is more than just a single issue party. "While NAN was formed out of the outrage of people about the opening of the third runway", she says, "its platform is a broad one incorporating principles like no privatisation without proper community consultation, defence of the public sector, open government, community consultation and participation and a clause opposing discrimination in any form". Under the NAN constitution, branches have the power to further develop these policies. Bacon has done this in consultation with Sydney NAN activists, developing policies on freedom of expression and the media, local urban environment, women's, gay and lesbian rights, education and housing. While there is a good deal of common ground in NAN, Bacon also acknowledges that the politics of the membership is very diverse. However, the airport campaign, she believes, has forced many people to focus on the broader political and economic policies of the two major parties. "When people think about the Labor Party, they end up looking not just at the airport, but other issues like competition policy (and the Coalition agree with them on this) that will end up with the tendering out of health and welfare services. Those who are still apologists for the ALP have to face the harsh reality — it's leading us in the wrong direction. "Because more people are turning away from the major parties, there is an opportunity for people — some of whom are in NAN — to form new and broad alliances that can really provide some sort of ongoing alternative." Bacon cites the collaboration between independent MPs Phil Cleary and Ted Mack, despite their different political origins. Bacon hopes that NAN can work with the Greens but believes there are significant differences between them. "I think the difference is that NAN has brought into politics thousands of Sydney people who are getting a huge and very valuable experience in political organising and in developing their political ideas. "The Greens were never going to put the airport at centre stage of their policies. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but somebody had to do it: otherwise it wouldn't be on the electoral agenda now. "To me, green politics immediately leads you to questions of politics and economy. There are many different shades of green, though, and I think many greens don't sufficiently come to grips with the political and economic factors behind issues like pollution. For example, if you look at BHP and the shameful impact it's having on Ok Tedi and the Fly basin, you can't stop that just by feeling it's a bad thing — it has to do with global capital."