Melbourne airport third runway: Residents demand home soundproofing after government approves plan

Melburnians living under the flightpath of a new runway at Tullamarine airport have called for the government to compensate them for the ‘24/7 nightmares’ it will create for residents.

Residents in Melbourne’s north west are demanding the federal government sound proof their homes ahead of a third runway being added to the city’s major airport.

Melburnians living under the flightpath of a new runway at Tullamarine airport have called for the government to compensate them for the ‘24/7 nightmares’ it will create for residents.

Federal Transport Minister Catherine King this week signed off on a new 3000m runway to be built parallel and west of the Melbourne Airport’s existing north-south runway, which already creates noise pollution over suburbs like Keilor and Sunshine North.

One Keilor local said the federal government should pay for soundproofing insulation and double-glazed windows to be added to the homes in areas near the airport ahead of an expected increase in air traffic noise.

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It comes despite real estate experts revealing they believed there was no risk of homes losing value as a result of the new runway.

Another suburb resident said the addition of a third runway would only lead to significant harm to the health and wellbeing of Melbourne’s western suburbs’ communities.

“Increasing levels of noise from much expanded airfreight and passenger services will make 24/7 nightmares for residents, our schools, aged care facilities, sporting clubs and parks,” she said.

“The health impacts of regularly increasing levels of noise are well known yet no curfew to give communities a break has been introduced.”

A render of Melbourne Airport’s approved third runway, west of the existing north-south runway.

The local questioned how the “commercially-driven Melbourne Airport” could be trusted to monitor community health and wellbeing in an unbiased way.

“The conditions applying to this decision need serious upgrading,” she said.

“The community is going to come out in force to make sure the future of children and families and also our native wildlife is protected.”

But despite outrage from communities surrounding the airport, property experts and local real estate agents told The Herald Sun they believe increased air traffic from the third runway wouldn’t affect property prices.

What Melbourne Airport’s approved third runway would look like.

Barry Plant Keilor East partner Paul Filippone said Keilor, Avondale Heights and parts of Essendon, suburbs under the north-south flight path, already enjoyed airport noise and home prices hadn’t been impacted.

“I think people just start to realise it’s just progress; people make learned decisions either which way,” Mr Filippone said.

“I don’t believe it’s going to have any impact.”

Buyer’s advocate Cate Bakos said homeowners that lived in suburbs like Tullamarine or Keilor Park knew when they purchased property there that they’d be dealing with aircraft noise and the airport’s impact was already well-ingrained for residents.

She added that the third runway was a “big positive” for Melbourne.

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Originally published as Melbourne airport third runway: Residents demand home soundproofing after government approves plan