Julia Irwin (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Saturday another serious incident occurred near Hoxton Park Airport, when a light aircraft crashed into a paddock on Cowpasture Road, in an area planned for residential development. The pilot and passenger escaped injury on this occasion, but this is just one more in a string of incidents at Hoxton Park which threaten the lives and property of residents living around the airport.

I was surprised to learn that the following day a new political party was launched at Hoxton Park Airport by Sydney bookmaker Martin Waterhouse. According to press reports, the Provident Party will contest the next election on a platform which includes opposition to the closure of Hoxton Park Airport. Hoxton Park Airport was sold to a private operator in 2003. The owner has the option to close the airport after September 2008 and apply to use the land for other purposes. Liverpool City Council and the local community, with support from the member for Prospect, strongly support the redevelopment of the site to improve the safety of residents and provide greater local employment opportunities. If I were a punter, I would be saying that Mr Waterhouse’s party is at long odds to win any support in the electorates of Fowler, Prospect, Lindsay or wherever.