Plan to ease Brisbane Airport noise for northern suburbs

Plans to end the flight path noise nightmare for residents in parts of Brisbane will be revealed on Wednesday after more than 380 submissions. FIND OUT WHAT’S CHANGING

MORE planes will be diverted over Moreton Bay away from residential areas, aircraft will hit higher altitudes at departure and stricter flight path rules will have to be followed as part of a trial to cut air noise that has disturbed tens of thousands of Brisbane suburbanites.

It follows community anger over flight noises since the second runway began operation and the addition of new flight paths.

Brisbane Airport Corporation and Airservices Australia have agreed to a 12-month trial of the measures to start within the next six months.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce will make the announcement today as he releases the first quarterly report of the Brisbane Airport Post Implementation Review Forum on Wednesday.

A range of longer term options, including reviewing flight paths, are under continued consideration.

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce will release a report into Brisbane Airport noise complaints on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

There were calls for night curfews or movement caps for passenger flights, but the forum reserved its position until after the impact of the initial abatement measures were known.

“The Government acted decisively to ensure community concerns over aircraft noise issues since the new runway opened at Brisbane Airport are heard loud and clear,” Mr Joyce said.

More than 380 submissions were received by the forum since it was set up to investigate the noise complaints in September last year.

Brisbane MP Trevor Evans said the findings vindicated the concerns of residents around flight noise.

“The forum’s recommendations to review flight paths and compass runway operations are a significant breakthrough for the Brisbane community,” he said.

Noise complaints over the Brisbane Airport’s second runway are being addressed in a new report to be released on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Jono Searle

Under the trial, rules will be changed to allow aircraft to fly at a higher altitude on departure, extended operating hours on weeks on “simultaneous opposite direction parallel runway operations” which will allow more flights over Moreton Bay, while a noise abatement procedure will require aircraft to remain on an agreed flight path until they reach 10,000 feet.

Samford Valley, Brookfield and Upper Brookfield regions are the areas most impacted by the noise, but the forum received submissions from people in 47 suburbs, including Hendra, Hamilton and New Farm.

Complaints raised included lack of consultation around changes to flight paths as a result of the second runway, noise events experienced on any given day being more frequent than official reports indicate, the impact of the noise on health and children’s education, as well as environmental concerns.

The Brisbane Airport Post Implementation Review Forum was headed by Ross Musgrove and included former Premier Rob Borbidge and former Labor Senator Claire Moore in its membership.

Originally published as Plan to ease Brisbane Airport noise for northern suburbs