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Shadow minister for transport and infrastructure Catherine King has revealed Labor’s plans to instate a permanent forum to monitor aircraft noise levels over Brisbane and launch a new white paper into Australia’s national aviation policy.
The white paper would have a particular focus on general aviation and training, to ensure the sector is prepared for post-pandemic recovery and growth.
It comes as the federal government revealed its proposed 2022-23 budget overnight, which introduced no new assistance for Australia’s aviation industry, amid an improving operating environment.
In an opinion piece published in the Courier Mail, King stated Labor’s commitment to ensuring Brisbane residents are satisfied with what is being done in response to ongoing outrage over increasing aircraft noise pollution over inner-city suburbs.
“Aviation is essential to Australia and to Brisbane,” King wrote.
“Labor has long argued that the Morrison-Joyce government needs to take seriously the concerns of residents affected by aircraft noise,” she added.
It comes after residents of inner-city Brisbane suburbs have spent months lobbying and protesting against excessive aircraft noise pollution over their homes following the introduction of Brisbane’s second parallel runway.
The airport opened its new parallel runway in July 2020, and simultaneously implemented a slew of new flight paths that residents have since stated do not meet the expectations set in consultation with the community prior to the runway’s approval.
In September, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce set up a Post Implementation Review Advisory Forum for Brisbane Airport’s new flight paths, which released its first quarterly report in January.
As a result, Brisbane Airport Corporation and Airservices have together agreed to begin a new trial to send more flights over Moreton Bay, reducing the number flying over inner-city homes.
“Yes, we were pleased to see the government follow Labor’s lead last September by establishing an independent airport forum for Brisbane residents,” King said.
“But why isn’t it permanent like the similar model in Sydney?”
According to King, should the Labor party win the upcoming federal election, it will “take the next step” to make the independent forum investigating aircraft noise in Brisbane “permanent and independent”.
“Through this body, Labor will be keen to explore other ideas to better manage aircraft noise for Brisbane residents,” she said.
The shadow transport minister also said Labor will “ensure Airservices actually measures the noise that locals have to put up with, whether from the new runway or the legacy runway”.
In the piece, King also pledged to commission a new white paper “to take a detailed and coordinated look at our national aviation policy framework”.
“It will address aircraft noise and airport planning, but also the future of general and training aviation and help set the sector up for a new era of competition and prosperity,” King said.
“In the absence of leadership from the current government, an Albanese Labor government will step up to work with the local community, enable their voices to be heard and chart a better future for Australian aviation,” she concluded.
Ben
says:Brisbane Airport needs a curfew, and same restrictions as Sydney Airport.
John Phillips
says:As in Sydney, a noise forum for BNE a complete waste of time and money, another ALP “feel good” policy.
Yogi
says:No curfew needed in either city. If you are not happy with the noise then you can add some sound insulation to your house or move as the airports were there long before you were. Labor is just playing politics with BNE just the same way they did in SYD.
I remember Kevin Rudd working up the community about airport noise but when he became prime minister, he did nothing about it.
Also, if Labor was serious about aviation, they would actually have an updated policy rather than talking about a new white paper somewhere down the track. As it is, we have no idea of the direction they would like to take in that white paper but for the fact they are still hanging on to their last white paper that was useless.
Michael Howson
says:I cannot decide whether this oft repeated line of” serves you right for building close to the airport ” is due to nativity or cognitive bias.
In 2003 Mt Macedon already had Melbourne Airport related aviation noise levels 5 db.above WHO’s 2018 maximum safe aviation environmental noise levels.
N70 noise levels reach down to the bay in the south
Yes we all carefully did our due diligence when buying in the region and took ULTIMATE airport capacity to mean what the dictionary’ said it meant.
To our utter amazement we saw “Ultimate” airport capacity changing every 5 years initially from 40-50 million passengers per year to 80-100 million passengers p.a. in 2022
Our only true naivety came from trusting the Commonweal of Australia to stand by its own airport planning commitments and protect its citizens from noise harm.
These airports were originally designed with ultimate airport capacities at levels which kept noise harm to their neighbours at an “acceptable” level.
(Although extensive research now shows that these 1990’s “Acceptable levels” were already 5-10 decibels too high.)
I can’t speak for Brisbane but the latest Melbourne’s latest planned ANEF 20 contour map south of the airport is now 7 times the ANEF20 area planned in 1990’s contour map for “ULTIMATE airport flight capacity”
The 2022 airport plan intends to send 5 times as many planes over Melbourne than planned by the Federal Government in 1990
It also intends virtually moth ball a planned noise corridor in the east and now send half of all planes using the airport over homes and schools in the second most socially disadvantaged LGA in Melbourne. Something that the Federal Government said would not happen.
Yes we all carefully did our due diligence when buying in the region and took ULTIMATE airport capacity to mean what the dictionary’ said it meant.
To our utter amazement we saw “Ultimate” airport capacity changing every 5 years initially from 40-50 million passengers per year to 80-100 million passengers p.a. in 2022
Our only true naivety came from trusting the Commonweal of Australia to stand by its own airport planning commitments and protect its citizens from noise harm.
As for just wacking in a bit of insulation; the average personal income under this new flight path is $25,000 pa so adequately insulating their homes is an impossibility.
Most of old Keilor Village was built before the radical idea of the new runway site even considered, directly north of the village). These projected noise levels suggest a cost of $50-100,000 per house not including adequate ventilation needed for a fully closed and sealed house .
Most homes in and Keilor were built before 1985 when asbestos sheeting was the norm under house eaves. Those houses need to be made safe from repeated vibration of fibres from old asbestos being released into roof spaces and wall cavities. Most of those owners are now retirees with lowish income streams.
As for individual aircraft noise levels dropping, the increasing noise levels created by ongoing growth in aviation continues to overwhelm those noise reductions around airports .
But by
Increasing airport size by 2.5X
Removing the possibility of 50-70% of all planes using Melbourne airport only flying in and out over farmland; (again another major commitment by the Federal Government in 1990.) in increase aircraft capacity.
Almost completely discarding a planned flight path over parks and factories and replacing it with unplanned one over homes and schools.
They have deliberately increased, by a factor of 5, the number of flight numbers over disadvantaged areas of Melbourne and
Geoff
says:No airports should need curfews Ben. Inefficient! Local govt’s need to stop pushing real estate “development” up to OLS boundaries.
Also aircraft are getting quieter all the time.
Warwick
says:Yes, Geoff, & people need to stop buying within coo-ee of an already constructed airport, & then whinge about the noise.
Your point about real estate development, & local councils’ is a valid one.
Karen
says:As a resident of keilor I am tired of being told ” you knew the airport was there when you brought” I haven’t changed the direction, length, position continually. I did my due diligence. I read the master plan. I didn’t change the ownership of airport to a private company whose first interest will be profit over people.
People shouldn’t be punished for living in an area that was approved for development by various department, including councils, state, planning victoria, etc.
Where was the airport tenant when these approvals were given???