'Restricted' Photography Areas at YSSY

[damian f]

Hello all,

I don't get much chance to come from country Qld to Sydney any more to take plane photos, but after a recent 'run-in' at Cairns, I decided to write a nice letter to SACL about where I could take pictures and to let them know of my intentions etc. Got an interesting reply...

It seems that there are now only two 'officially unrestricted' areas from which spotters can take photos. According to SACL, these are from 'Shep's mound' and the International Terminal Observation Deck.

From correspondence received from SACL, if you wish to take photos from any other area around the airport - Qantas Drive, Ross Smith Avenue (GA Apron), Beach, Domestic Terminals 2 and 3 (Virgin/Qantas) - you have to pay a fees of $300+GST per hour and receive permission from SACL to do so. If this isn't done and you take a risk, you will be asked to cease taking photos and asked to move on.

Interested to hear members' thoughts!

You may also like to read my other thread Re: Bankstown Airport.

Damian

[Montague S]

love to see how they'd enforce it...

[Nigel C]

You could always go through the official channels and do some airside photography...

From www.sydneyairport.com.au

Filming and photography – fees
A fee is levied in advance for filming and photography activity undertaken for commercial gain. The full amount of the fee will be notified by SACL after an application is received and before the activity commences. No filming or photography will be permitted until the applicable fee is paid, unless prior arrangements have been made with the Community Affairs Officer. Fees are as follows:
Photography (still) terminal: $300 per hour + gst
Photography (still) airside: $650 + gst first hour, $600 + gst per hour thereafter
Filming terminal: $500 + gst first hour, $450 + gst per hour thereafter
Filming airside: $650 + gst first hour, $600 + gst per hour thereafter
Should specific SACL personnel or services be required to undertake the activity, a further fee may be levied. Depending on location and duration of the activity, an additional fee may also be imposed to cover the additional deployment of security or safety personnel.

Or perhaps you might want to try Newcastle Airport...

From www.newcastleairport.com.au

Filming and photography – fees
A fee is levied in advance for filming and photography activity undertaken for commercial gain. The full
amount of the fee will be notified by Newcastle Airport after an application is received and before the activity
commences. No filming or photography will be permitted until the applicable fee is paid, unless piror
arrangements have been made with the Marketing Communications Officer. Fees are as follows:
Photography (still) terminal: $200 each hour (plus GST)
Photography (still) airside: $600 first hour (plus GST), $350 (plus GST) each hour thereafter
Filming terminal: $500 first hour (plus GST), $200 (plus GST) each hour thereafter
Filming airside: $600 first hour (plus GST), $350 (plus GST) each hour thereafter
Should specific Newcastle Airport personal or services be required to undertake the activity, a further fee
may be levied. Depending on location and duration of the activity, an additional fee may also be imposed to
cover the additional deployment of security or safety personnel.

You'll probably get the shots you want, and if they're good enough you can sell them to cover the cost of the airside access!

[David Knudsen]

Originally Posted by Nigel C

You could always go through the official channels and do some airside photography...
Photography (still) airside: $650 + gst first hour, $600 + gst per hour thereafter

That's not too bad, there are 279 members here at the moment, so if we can all go at once that's only $2.56 each for the first hour, and $2.37 for each hour after that, thats cheaper than seeing a movie! Nigel, see what you can arrange?

[Nigel C]

Originally Posted by David Knudsen

That's not too bad, there are 279 members here at the moment, so if we can all go at once that's only $2.56 each for the first hour, and $2.37 for each hour after that, thats cheaper than seeing a movie! Nigel, see what you can arrange?

I think I'll need the shot gun for crowd control!

And er, I'll let you make the phone call...

[damian f]

Good to see some healthly debate... again about an age-old subject!!

Maybe SACL have mis-understood me... I take 'catalogue' photos for my own personal collection. I have no commercial interest at all, or even gained commercially in the last 13 or so years of enjoying my hobby. I consider the fees ridiculous and would rather risk 10 mins at the GA to get a few Biz-jets than pay $XXX for the time.

Hi Morris, I made it quite clear that by 'terminal', I meant inside from the 'public areas' - behind the glass - definitley not airside. I also made it quite clear that at no stage do I wish to go airside at all... as far as I am concerned, SACL have provided sufficient landside areas for me to get the photos that I want.

My original letter to SACL was as a result of an incident at Cairns Airport where the 'current security climate' excuse was used to suggest that for future visits to ANY airport, I seek written approval from the relevant Authority to take photos at that airport... This is the first time I have done this and look what happens...

Damian