New call to reduce number of planes flying out of Sydney

Sydney Airport Community Forum chair John Alexander has called on the federal government to reduce the number of flights landing and taking off from our main airport.

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Thousands of Sydney residents driven mad by aircraft noise will get a better night’s sleep if one federal Liberal MP gets his way.

Sydney Airport Community Forum chair John Alexander has called on the federal government to reduce the number of flights landing and taking off from our main airport.

The move is at odds with conservative business groups, Sydney Airport and the state government, who all want to increase the number of flights into and out of the country’s busiest airport.

The Bennelong MP, whose northern Sydney electorate is adversely affected by aircraft noise, said while we need the airport to continue to fuel Sydney’s booming economy, “we cannot allow this to be at the cost of the liveability of our suburbs”.

Liberal MP John Alexander, said: “I made it clear to the Commission the community’s opposition to any relaxing of the cap or curfew at Sydney Airport.” Picture: John Feder

“Sydney airport is in the middle of our suburbs, so thousands of us are affected by aircraft noise every day,” he said.

“SACF is committed to ensuring the protections for the community remain. This means we must maintain the curfew and the cap.

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“There is also a strong case for the movement cap to be reduced, at least during non-peak periods to allow noise sharing objectives to be met.

“Reducing the curfew would ruin the sleep of thousands of people and significantly reduce their health and wellbeing, which would be a clear drag on productivity.”

Mr Alexander fronted the Productivity Commission’s inquiry this week into the economic regulation of airports.

One of the ideas floated in the draft report, due to be finalised in July, was to reduce the current curfew that is in place.

Apart from a select group of low-noise aircraft which can only operate over Botany Bay, no planes are allowed to land at Sydney Airport between 11pm and 6am.

The current cap allows for 80 movements per hour or about one plane every 90 seconds, resulting in almost constant aircraft noise for some suburbs.

Flights in an out of Sydney Airport are currently restricted between 11pm and 6am. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty

The arrangement also shares the load of aircraft noise between suburbs.

“Aircraft noise affects suburbs from Kurnell in the south to Epping in the north, so any change to these measures would affect tens of thousands of residents,” Mr Alexander said.

“The current system is not perfect, but it is largely protecting our suburbs from undue effects from aircraft noise.”

If the Productivity Commission recommends lifting some restrictions, it would put pressure on a newly-elected federal government to follow suit.

Mr Alexander’s opinion is the polar opposite of Sydney Business Chamber director Patricia Forsythe.

“SBC contends that the regulations that restrict Sydney Airport operations, in a manner not experienced by any other Australian airport, has ramifications that impact the efficiency of the whole Australian economy,” she said in a submission to the inquiry.

“SBC believes that the case is strong for a review of the operating restrictions on Sydney Airport and at the very least the Commission should convene a separate inquiry into the economic impact of the specific operating conditions of Sydney Airport.”

The state government also supports updating the current regulatory restrictions to “facilitate the growth in visitor arrivals, allow greater access to regional NSW, and reduce disruptions to the national aviation network”.