{"id":"F2009B00156","name":"Air Services Act 1995 - Direction pursuant to section 16 concerning environmental responsibilities of Airservices Australia","slug":"air-services-act-1995-direction-pursuant-to-section-16-concerning-environmental-responsibilities-of-","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":121529,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2009B00156-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Air Services Act 1995 - Direction pursuant to section 16 concerning environmental responsibilities of Airservices Australia","content":"COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA\n\nAIR SERVICES ACT 1995\n\nDIRECTION PURSUANT TO SECTION 16 CONCERNING\n\nENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF AIRSERVICES AUSTRALIA\n\nI, JOHN RANDALL SHARP, Minister of State for Transport and Regional\n\nDevelopment, acting pursuant to subsection 16(1) of the Air Services Act\n\n1995 (the Act), HEREBY DIRECT Airservices Australia, for the purposes of\n\nparagraph 8(1)(d) of the Act, to:\n\n(a) assume responsibility for the operation of the aircraft noise complaints handling centre at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport to take effect as soon as possible; and\n\n(b) assume responsibility for the operation of the aircraft noise complaints handling centres at Federal airports, other than Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport, with effect from such date or dates agreed between Airservices Australia and the Federal Airports Corporation.\n\nDated this TWENTY NINTH day of MAY 1996\n\nJOHN SHARP","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete ministerial direction with a narrow, specific purpose. It has not expanded beyond its original intent of transferring noise complaint handling responsibilities from the Federal Airports Corporation to Airservices Australia."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document (under 200 words)","Only 2 operative provisions (paragraphs (a) and (b))","No defined terms section","Minimal cross-referencing (only references to sections 16(1) and 8(1)(d) of the parent Act)","Simple conditional logic (immediate effect vs. agreed future dates)","Single purpose instrument with clear directive language"],"plain_english_summary":"This is a **ministerial direction** issued under the Air Services Act 1995 by the then-Minister for Transport and Regional Development, John Sharp.\n\n**What it does:**\nThe direction tells Airservices Australia (the government body that manages Australia's airspace and aviation services) to take over running aircraft noise complaint centres at airports.\n\n**Specifically:**\n- **Immediately:** Airservices Australia must start operating the noise complaints centre at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport as soon as possible.\n- **Later:** It must also take over noise complaints centres at all other federal airports, but only from dates agreed between Airservices Australia and the Federal Airports Corporation (the body that used to run federal airports).\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- **Airservices Australia** – now responsible for handling public complaints about aircraft noise\n- **Federal Airports Corporation** – transfers responsibility for these centres to Airservices Australia\n- **Residents near airports** – their noise complaints will now be handled by Airservices Australia rather than the airports corporation\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis consolidates aircraft noise complaint handling under one national aviation body (Airservices Australia) rather than having it fragmented across different airport operators. It aims to create a more consistent, expert approach to managing community concerns about aircraft noise."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"The direction changes the operational scope of Airservices Australia under the Act by assigning it responsibility to operate aircraft noise complaints handling centres at Federal airports. The change is immediate for Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport and deferred to agreed dates for other Federal airports (direction text dated 29 May 1996; made pursuant to subsection 16(1) for the purposes of paragraph 8(1)(d))."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow, single-purpose directive: instructs one agency to assume operation of complaint centres.","Two-tier timing: immediate effect for Sydney but negotiated dates for other Federal airports introduces conditional implementation.","Legal cross-references: relies on subsection 16(1) and paragraph 8(1)(d) as statutory basis.","Absence of operational detail: no funding, staffing, or transitional arrangements specified in the text, requiring follow-on administrative arrangements.","Multiple parties involved in implementation (Airservices Australia and the Federal Airports Corporation) which requires coordination."],"plain_english_summary":"The Minister, using subsection 16(1) of the Air Services Act 1995 (for paragraph 8(1)(d)), directed Airservices Australia to assume operation of aircraft noise‑complaints centres: Sydney (Kingsford Smith) immediately, and other Federal airports on dates to be agreed between Airservices and the Federal Airports Corporation. The direction transfers operator responsibility but leaves timing (non‑Sydney), staffing, funding and detailed procedures to be resolved by the agencies."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/air-services-act-1995-direction-pursuant-to-section-16-concerning-environmental-responsibilities-of-","history":"/api/acts/air-services-act-1995-direction-pursuant-to-section-16-concerning-environmental-responsibilities-of-/history","analysis":"/api/acts/air-services-act-1995-direction-pursuant-to-section-16-concerning-environmental-responsibilities-of-/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/air-services-act-1995-direction-pursuant-to-section-16-concerning-environmental-responsibilities-of-/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/air-services-act-1995-direction-pursuant-to-section-16-concerning-environmental-responsibilities-of-/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/air-services-act-1995-direction-pursuant-to-section-16-concerning-environmental-responsibilities-of-/documents"}}