Public Hearing: Senate Inquiry into impact and mitigation of aircraft noise

Representatives of western Sydney airport were subjected to boos and jeers during a trainwreck senate grilling into aircraft noise. Here’s the latest.

An all day public hearing into aircraft noise has seen some firy debates, as senators, stakeholders and community members went head-to-head over key issues surrounding western Sydney airport.

The marathon forum, held at Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre in Penrith, forms part of the senate inquiry into the impact and mitigation of aircraft noise, hosted by the rural and regional affairs and transport references committee.

Here’s what happened.

‘Tourists will stay away’

The hearing kicked off with submissions made on behalf of Wilderness Australia, Blue Mountains Conversation Inc and residents of the Blue Mountains.

Evidence was given that the airport operations would throw Blue Mountains tourism into peril, through visual intrusions and noise pollutants from overhead flights.

Keith Muir from Wilderness Australia told the hearing that the World Heritage Blue Mountains National Park would be less attractive place to come if there’s aeroplanes flying over.

Three Sisters at Echo Point in the Blue Mountains National Park, Katoomba, NSW.

“If people want wilderness and quiet they will go elsewhere, wilderness will be greatly affected,” he said

“Perception is everything when it comes to tourism, when the bushfires happened a lot of the sites weren’t affected yet the people still stayed away.”

Mr Muir also touched on the idea of fly-free zones being implemented over the national park, similar to the regulations in place over the Grand Canyon in Nevada, as one of the tools in “the pollution control tool kit”.

“Discriminatory, negligent”

Second on the bill was submissions from action group Residents Against Western Sydney, known as RAWSA and Luddenham Progress Society.

Carolyn Wong from Luddenham, a semi rural village located right next door to the Badgerys Creek airport site, received several rounds of audience applause for her evidence.

Ms Wong, who is the President of Luddenham Progress Society, lashed the Federal Government for what she described as “negligent and discriminatory” treatment toward western Sydney.

“The dissemination of knowledge has been very poor, many western Sydney residents have no idea of the noise pollution that’s coming to them,” she said.

“This is discriminatory, negligent and a failure of the government’s responsibility to minimise harm to its people.

Construction progress on the terminal at Western Sydney International (Nancy Bird Walton) Airport. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

“The flight path design for Badgerys Creek is based on Kingsford Smith’s operations, not humans or their need for respite.”

As part of her evidence, Ms Wong told the inquiry that despite Luddenham being slated to become one of the most noise-affected suburbs, there had been minimal community consultation along with no noise abatement measures planned for residents.

Trevor Neil from RAWSA told the room that the interests of the aviation industry was being prioritised over the interests of citizens, and called upon the government to provide “equitable treatment” for western Sydney residents.

“We call for quantified and enforceable standards and a new regulatory framework that prioritises people over commercial interest,” he said

“We call for equitable treatment for the government to implement a curfew a long-time regulatory plan with flight caps.”

Mr Neil made the damning point that findings of the 1999 Parliamentary Enquiry into aircraft noise following the opening of the third runway at Kingsford Smith, had been ignored in the planning of Western Sydney airport.

Airservices Australia “not fit for purpose”

After returning from morning tea break, the government-owned corporation Air Services Australia was put under the microscope.

Members from Sydney Airport Community Forum, appearing in a private capacity told the inquiry that Air Services Australia was plagued by cultural issues and needed an overhaul.

One participant said the corporation needed to be transparent with the public about their long-term operational plans, and the reasons behind their decision-making.

When asked by Senator Bridget McKenzie if Air Services Australia was “fit for purpose” he said bluntly: “nope”.

This prompted Senator Mckenzie to then ask “How do we fix it”.

“As shadow minister, I want to know aside from kicking the CEO out the door, how do we fix Air Services Australia it seems to be a long-term cultural problem in my view,” Senator Mckenzie said

“How do I fix a government agency that’s been underperforming for Australians for decades.”

Tony Williams, a former aviation community advocate said Air Services Australia needed to take greater accountability for their decision making.

Friday: Senator Bridget McKenzie fires off questions about Airservices Australia

“There clearly needs to be a cultural change program, that needs to be put in place, the other thing I would suggest is a community impact statement that would be produced for everything Air Services does that will impact the community.

“They need to be recording the reasons for why this decisions are made, that’s what people want to know.”

The level of community consultation carried out by Airservices Australia was also heavily criticised by several members of local government.

Wollondilly Mayor Matt Gould told Senator McKenzie the consultation within his community from both the Department and Airservices Australia was “ a tick a box exercise”.

Wollondilly Shire Mayor Matt Gould.

“There wasn’t any planned consultation or substantive discussion in Wollondilly,” Cr Gould said

“We feel it was a tick a box exercise because the runway was being built before the environmental impact statement was even released.

“It’s hard to get the community to engage when they really think it's a done deal.”

Cr Gould was backed up by his mayoral colleague from the Blue Mountains, Mark Greenhill, who described the community engagement as “token consultation”.

“We said from day one, the consultation hasn’t been consultation, Cr Greenhill said

“Since the beginning of the process, the agency has spoken about the airport being inevitable, its about propagating a view that we should accept rather than a two-way conversation.”

Airport executives met with boos

Representatives of western Sydney airport were subjected to boos and jeers during a trainwreck senate grilling into aircraft noise.

General managers of WSI’s Commercial and Strategy Alison Webster and of Community Engagement and Impact Catherine Payne fronted a public senate hearing into aircraft noise on Friday afternoon.

Notably absent was CEO Simon Hickey, who the inquiry heard “was interstate for long standing personal commitments”.

Catherine Payne and Allison Webster at the Senate Enquiry. Picture: Madeleine Damo

Things were off to a bumpy staff for Ms Webster and Ms Payne when Senator Canavan began by noting the inquiry had not received a submission from WSI, which was “a surprise” considering “almost every other major airport in Australia had made one”.

“Is there a reason why you haven’t made a detailed submission to the committee?” Senator Canavan asked.

“You’re the only situation where we can actually do something about aircraft noise before rather than after the events.”

In response Ms Webster said the airport had submitted a letter to the hearing which detailed their approach to community engagement, noting they were also “recipients” of the flight paths being led by the department of infrastructure.

When giving her opening statements Ms Webster was met with scoffs and jeers from the audience when she said that the western Sydney community “had been at the forefront of our decision making” around the airport.

“Our aim was to safeguard local communities and the airport from potentially incompatible developments. It’s one of the many ways WSI has been built with the future and its communities in mind,” she said

Following Ms Webster’s address, Senator McKenzie then asked if the ladies felt the community consultation led by WSI had been adequate.

Allison Webster and Catherine Payne leaving the inquiry.

When Ms Webster answered “yes”, Senator McKenzie referred to the substantial evidence raised earlier that day which pointed to the opposite.

“There’s been evidence that some of that community consultation has been a 2 hour pop up outside of an IGA,” she said.

“I find it strange and passing concerning that you think it is adequate, given the length of time your organisation is going to be embedded in and working with western Sydney.”

Ms Webster responded they “were proud of the amount of visitations made at the airport’s experience centre” before she was cut off by Senator Mckenzie who doubled down on her line of questioning.

“Your CEO isn’t here for whatever reason, so you need to answer the questions instead of talking about your community days which are very well attended,” she said

Western Sydney International CEO, Simon Hickey

In response Ms Webster told the inquiry that the Department of Infrastructure “had the lead” while the airport corporation “were contributors” whose role “was listening to the community”.

The inquiry also heard the corporation had not undertaken any modelling into the health and economic impacts of night time aircraft noise.

Tensions reached a crescendo when Senator Canavan asked the representatives what they were doing to ameliorate the aircraft noise for residents in Luddenham Village.

Liberal Senator Matt Canavan.

“What are you doing to ameliorate the impact of your project on people who live just a kilometre away, I want to hear about what you’re doing in the design and construction,” Senator Canavan said

“I’m surprised you do not have a list of things you have integrated into your project for the people living a kilometre away, that is shocking.

“I don’t want to hear about meetings and consultation, it’s important but if that’s all you’re doing then that confirms what we’ve been hearing all morning: that this is a tick-a-box exercise rather than meaningful problem-solving.”

Ms Payne was then able to answer that the corporation had mitigation strategies in place for dust control and for periods of heavy rain but stated mitigation strategies were taken in response to specific concerns as they were raised.

Senator Canavan finished by saying he was “really concerned”.

“You need to be a champion of the local community,” he said.

The appearance ended when the representatives were unable to answer when and if they had been advised about the revised flight paths, prompting boos from the audience.