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Australia’s Aircraft Noise Ombudsman Ron Brent has been given an expanded role to handle and review complaints about military aircraft noise.
The addition of military aircraft to the ombudsman’s current responsibility for civil aircraft is part of a new memorandum of understanding signed by Brent’s office, Airservices Australia and the Department of Defence.
In a joint statement, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss and Defence Minister Kevin Andrews said the ombudsman would “monitor and report on the effectiveness of community consultation processes relating to civil and Defence aircraft noise, and on the effectiveness of information to the community”.
“The Ombudsman can make recommendations to the Board of Airservices or the Chief of the Air Force for improvements to the handling of aircraft noise matters.
“In improving civil and Defence aircraft noise inquiry outcomes, lessons learnt from one agency could potentially be transferable to the other.”
The statement said the new memorandum of understanding, which was signed on January 19, was in line with the “evolving partnership” between Defence and Airservices as the nation’s air navigation service providers.
It would also “foster a consistent, whole-of-government approach” to managing aircraft noise issues in Australia.
