Curfew not the solution to aircraft noise, says Brisbane Airport

Speaking about the report, its author, professor John Quiggin, said a curfew “would not ground the economy but it would finally let Brisbane residents sleep”.

“On conservative estimates, Brisbane residents are collectively losing up to $100 million per year in the form of sleep disruption, elevated health risks, reduced quality of life, and depressed land values,” he said.

“The imposition of a curfew would yield health benefits from reduced coronary attacks and other severe effects of around $100 million per year.

“Hedonic land valuations, which incorporate less severe effects such as annoyance, yield much higher values, ranging from $200 million to $350 million. A curfew would also yield benefits in the form of reduced public subsidies.”

The Quiggin report proposes a curfew between 10pm and 6am, slightly longer than Sydney’s, with freight able to be shifted to Toowoomba Wellcamp at “minimal cost”.

Professor Quiggin also labelled as “analytically unsound” the suggestion that aviation, as an essential service, should be “exempt from regulatory constraint”.

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“Industries that generate externalities – whether transport, manufacturing, or energy – are commonly subject to operating limits, particularly during sensitive night hours,” he said.

“It is time to bring Brisbane Airport into line with the rest of the country. A curfew is standard policy, not radical reform.”

The airport, however, has rubbished the BFPCA’s claims, and said the Quiggin report “understates the real-world harm that flight caps and a curfew would inflict on everyday Queenslanders”.

In a statement, Henry Tuttiett, the airport’s executive general manager for communications, said key claims in a previous version of the analysis had been “comprehensively refuted” at a 2024 Senate inquiry into aircraft noise.

“The report relies on assumptions that have already been academically analysed and disputed, particularly claims about property value impacts,” he said.

“Queensland University of Technology analysis of more than 180,000 residential sales over 36 years found no evidence of long-term price reductions or weaker capital growth in suburbs under flight paths.

“In many cases, these areas performed as well as, or better than comparable suburbs, with factors such as proximity to the CBD, access to key transport hubs including the airport, existing house prices, schools, amenities and socio-economic profile, impacting property values.”

According to Tuttiett, potential impacts of a curfew on Queenslanders could include higher airfares, reduced flight options, fewer international connections, and the loss of vital regional services.

“The report also fails to account for the fact that Brisbane Airport’s 24-hour operations are critical to industries that underpin the Queensland economy, particularly tourism and time-sensitive exports, the resources industry and crucial healthcare services.”

“Previous economic analysis has estimated the real reduction in activity at $2.3 billion by 2031-32; and $5.5 billion by 2041-42. The reduction in employment is estimated at 24,542 jobs by 2031-32; and 57,922 jobs by 2041-42.

“The BFPCA report assumes that caps and curfews are the only way to deliver relief to affected communities, while overlooking practical and less economically damaging alternatives, including improved flight path optimisation, maximisation of the proportion of aircraft operating over Moreton Bay, and the accelerated rollout of newer, quieter aircraft.”

Airservices in 2024 began a rollout of noise reduction plans at Brisbane Airport, including increased use of Parallel Runway Operations (SODPROPS), which allows more flights to take off and land over Moreton Bay rather than populated areas of the city.

“Brisbane Airport welcomed the outcomes of the Senate Inquiry into the mitigation of aircraft noise, and is committed to working closely with airlines, Airservices Australia and government to minimise aircraft noise for local communities,” Tuttiett said.

Noise issues have been a flashpoint at Brisbane Airport since the completion of its new parallel runway in July 2020, which allowed more flight paths to open up, but affected nearby communities in the process.