Big win for Bayside suburbs hit by aircraft noise

A community in Greater Brisbane which has been hit by plane noise should enjoy much-needed relief if proposed new flight paths come into effect. But a residents’ group says federal authorities are just “playing at the fringes’’.

Airservices has released proposed new flightpaths. Picture: AAP/Claudia Baxter

Airservices Australia today has released its preferred flight path designs which it promises will reduce aircraft noise over some affected Brisbane suburbs including Redland and suburbs near the airport.

The flight paths, announced on May 31, were developed after extensive engagement with the community and industry over the past 12 months, it said.

The changes, part of Airservices’ Noise Action Plan for Brisbane, included new flight paths off the “legacy’’ (old) runway over Moreton Bay to reduce the impacts on Redland residents.

A flight mode called SODPROPS, where planes took off and landed at the same time using the two runways, would become the “priority mode’’ 24 hours a day instead of only at night — weather permitting.

Planes would also travel at higher altitudes over Redland, further reducing noise.

They would now cross the coast above 11,000 feet (3350m) instead of 8000-10,000 feet.

Residents living close to Brisbane Airport would also benefit as fewer aircraft would fly over the city, Airservices promised.

Zoe Earl with Sunny, 4 and Billy, 2, at Colmslie Recreation Reserve. Airservices says plane noise should reduce over Redland and near the airport under new changes. Picture: Josh Woning

But residents’ action group Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance (BFPCA) labelled the changes as mere “window dressing’’ and accused Airservices of not being serious about making real reductions in noise.

“They’re just fiddling around at the fringes of the problem, including engagement sessions at places like Amity (on North Stradbroke Island) which have come after four years of public pressure,’’ BFPCA spokesman Professor Marcus Foth said.

“They’ve removed some of these options from phase 1 and phase 2 and just put them into phase 3.

“They’re starting all over again with things that were on the table long ago.’’

BFPCA also accused Airservices of releasing “misleading’’ tables on SODPROPS flights, saying they used minutes of flight time rather than the actual number of SODPROPS flights.

Marcus Foth rallying outside Brisbane Airport Corporation. Picture: Tara Croser

The latter measure showed there had been almost no SODPROPS flights in some scenarios in recent times, they claimed.

However, a Brisbane Airport Corporation spokesman said BAC supported the changes.

“These improvements which will reduce the impact of aircraft noise for Brisbane residents,’’ he said.

“They form part of the Noise Action Plan for Brisbane and we look forward to Airservices Australia delivering further improvements which are part of this plan.”

Airservices head of community engagement, Donna Marshall, said they were committed to reducing noise and listening to the community.

She said people were invited to have a say on the proposed new flight path options at the latest round of engagement sessions being held across the city from June 4-18. There were also online sessions.

“Community feedback on this and other flight path change options is open until July 14,’’ Ms Marshall said.

“Airservices wants to reach as many people as possible. We are dedicated to closely working with the community.

“We are listening to and proactively consulting with noise-impacted residents.

“We also want to ensure this is a transparent process, which demonstrates our commitment to improving noise outcomes for the Brisbane community, where safe and operationally feasible.’’

Prof Foth said the sessions were a smokescreen and claimed Airservices “continues to engage in what can only be described as engagement theatre”.

The first commercial flight leaves the city’s new runway in 2020. There have been ongoing complaints about noise since it opened, despite reassurances from authorities that it would reduce noise. Picture: Peter Wallis

“They have scheduled five new community sessions for June in Algester, Redland Bay, Morningside, Springfield and Amity Point,’’ he said.

“These locations cover a limited area considering Brisbane Airport’s noise ‘sewer’ stretches across 227 suburbs.’’

He said that during the latest Senate Estimates hearings into the noise issue, on May 29, Airservices officials admitted the Noise Action Plan would “likely have no impact on reducing aircraft noise pollution for the vast majority of us in the short term’’.

“The frustration grows deeper when we consider that night flights by airlines such as Emirates, Qatar and Cathay Pacific, which disturb families at all hours, are subsidised by the Queensland State Government.

“This is same government, through the Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC), which recently increased its ownership share in Brisbane Airport to 30 per cent, making it the largest shareholder.’’

Originally published as Big win for Bayside suburbs hit by aircraft noise