“In direct response to feedback from the community, the department has declined the application by FlyBlue to lease Katoomba Airfield at Medlow Bath to use as a recreational aviation hub,” said the department’s deputy secretary of Crown Lands, Anne Skewes.
“Among concerns raised were noise pollution, preserving the appeal of the Blue Mountains as a peaceful environment, potential pollution of water supplies, and protecting Aboriginal heritage interests.
“We’ve heard loud and clear that proposal shouldn’t go ahead and we are working with FlyBlue to determine the future use of the site.”
The publicly exhibited lease attracted 1582 submissions, with more than 85 per cent opposing the application and only 13 per cent in support or offering conditional support.
SkyBlue’s current interim licence, granted to Derek and Floyd Larsen, Poll Hereford cattle breeders, from the Capertee Valley, north of Lithgow, will cease on 28 February 2020 and a new interim licence will be issued that prohibits helicopter flights.
The airfield will remain open to emergency services and Skycrane helicopters for bushfire-fighting duties.
The 36-hectare Katoomba Airfield is located on Crown land on Grand Canyon Road, 4 kilometres east of Medlow Bath and 5 kilometres north of Katoomba.
