Perth Voice Interactive

A catalina test flight on the Swan River is expected to pave the way for the first passenger trips this summer.

Catalina Airlines says the Swan River Trust caved into pressure and gave the company permission to conduct the noise test yesterday. Catalina boss Mack McCormack told the Voice he had been summoned to the trust last Thursday to find a way forward in his application to operate seaplanes on the Swan.

“They had a bit of a whinge about what was happening and said they preferred to work together in a professional manner. That’s what we’ve been trying to do.”

The trust’s backflip follows Mr McCormack’s criticism in the Voice about the time it’s taken to process the proposal he first raised last year.

Illustrative of his frustration is what occurred when he agreed to shift his preferred landing site from between the bridges near South Perth to the west side of the Narrows, in order to placate concerns from a government MP about the impact on young yachties.

Agreeing to the site shift was in the trust’s eyes “a considerable amendment to the initial application”, so it told the company to reapply all over again.

Mr McCormack is confident the proposal will be approved when referred to the board of the trust next month.

by CARMELO AMALFI