Fox Has Portsea In A Whirl Again. This Time It's His Helicopter
The Age
Tuesday December 19, 2000
Trucking magnate Lindsay Fox is in trouble with his Portsea neighbors again.
Last year he stirred them up with plans to build a large boatshed on a disputed section of beach in front of his clifftop mansion.
Now some neighbors are up in arms over claims that Mr Fox has been using the same section of bayside beach as a helipad.
Locals say his private helicopter has landed on the beach at least twice in the past month.
They say he has also landed helicopters at his clifftop property.
``It's particularly dangerous where he's landing it," one resident said. ``People can sit on his grassed area. There could be children sitting right in front there."
Another local said the helicopter had created turbulence when it landed. ``I don't know what the civil aviation requirements are for this, but I wouldn't have thought they were very conducive to holidaymakers on the beach because the first day it landed there were umbrellas going in the water and aluminium deckchairs going in the water.
``I don't like it personally, but I've had problems with him in the past with other issues so I just don't want to rock the boat at the moment."
Other residents, who also refused to be named, said Mr Fox had not told them that he would be using his helicopter.
``He certainly didn't do anything as far as we're concerned," one said.
``When I've been there he has on one occasion landed on the beach and on another occasion landed on his own property on the cliff-top."
A receptionist at Mr Fox's company, Linfox, said that a spokeswoman could not make a comment until today.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment said Mr Fox was allowed to land his helicopter at his home, but not on the beach. But until a complaint was lodged - and none had been so far - she said no action could be taken.
The controversy comes a week after reports that Mr Fox used the Sorrento Park helipad, owned by the Southern Peninsula Rescue Squad, twice in November to land his private helicopter.
© 2000 The Age