Airport review shows no cuts to flights as noise sharing plan raises anger

An inquiry into new Brisbane flight paths and aircraft noise has shown airport authorities are not willing to budge on reducing the number of flights into and out of Brisbane.

Google Map showing Brisbane Airport and a possible flight path out of Brisbane between Moreton and North Stradbroke islands to an ocean flight path.

An inquiry into new Brisbane flight paths and aircraft noise has shown airport authorities are not willing to budge on reducing the number of flights into and out of Brisbane.

The Brisbane New Parallel Runway Flight Paths Post Implementation Review Draft Report was released last week, recommending maximising flights over bayside suburbs on weekday evenings, Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings.

The Airservices Australia report, which focuses on cutting noise for Brisbane residents by increasing flights over bayside suburbs, has been described by a resident action group as divisive.

Along with maximising flights over Redland city suburbs on weekends, the 61-page report also recommended considering increasing speed and height of aircraft departing Brisbane to ensure they were at greater altitude before flying over bayside suburbs.

Brisbane Airport Corporation said the recommendations were the best opportunity for improvements for nearby communities.

Brisbane Airport Corporation’s CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said it would take time for some aspects of the report to be implemented due to the complex nature of air traffic design, management and passenger safety.

“Brisbane Airport Corporation will continue engaging with residents, Airservices Australia, CASA and our airline partners to explore additional opportunities to minimise the impact of flights on Brisbane suburbs,” he said.

The draft report also said redesigning flight paths should be accelerated and that advanced navigation approach procedures could be used for non-jet planes such as turboprops, which residents complained were often far noisier than jets.

Among the large number of recommendations made in the report was a proposal to work with Amberley Air Base, near Ipswich, allowing an increase in the number of domestic planes which could take off and land in opposite directions

A review into ways to reduce noise over Brisbane suburbs from aircraft has not included reducing the number of flights over the city and instead recommends bayside suburbs ‘share’ the noise load.

Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance acting chair Dr Marcus Foth said the report revealed there were no plans to reduce aircraft noise by reducing the number of flights.

Dr Foth said the report’s threat to “noise share” flights over more suburbs, was an excuse for Brisbane Airport Corporation and Airservices Australia not to curtail growth plans.

“We want actual net reductions but it’s been more than two years since Brisbane’s flight paths have changed, and neither Brisbane Airport nor Airservices have moved an inch towards proposing real solutions,” he said.

“They have not made any compromises or sacrifices and insist on maintaining their 110 flights an hour capacity.

“The proposed changes are either marginal or simply shift the problem to other communities.”

Wellington Point resident Steve Muller said the review showed a ‘divide and conquer’ mentality and flights should be over the ocean and not the bay.

Bayside resident Steve Muller, who has campaigned to stop flights over bayside suburbs, claimed the recommendations to share the noise burden were a ploy to open up more suburbs to flights and ultimately, add more flights.

Mr Muller, who moved from Tingalpa in 2017 away from the current flight path, said a “divide and conquer” mentality would ensure all communities would suffer.

He said a solution for everyone would be to send southbound flights east of North Stradbroke Island before they headed south in an effort to stop them carrying out a low-level 180 degree turn over Redland.

“Now they are changing the goalposts to solve the problem for those who live right next to the airport and have known about the noise issues for many years,” he said.

“The implementation review is just shifting the problem from one group to another and, in the case of Redland, we did not even know about the plans until the report in August so no complaints were lodged until recently.

“There is a better way with all flights out to the east of Stradbroke Island, instead of across the bay and bayside suburbs.”

Mr Muller said longer-term investigations would take place on all noise-sharing options with new flight path designs.

Public submissions on the Draft Report are due by Sunday 20 November 2022.

Bowman MP Henry Pike will meet Airservices Australia representatives this week to outline concerns with the draft recommendations.

He said the process to alter flightpaths may take several years to be finalised.