Hobart Southern Beaches residents fighting back against Hobart Airport jet-engine noise

Seven years ago Hobart’s southern beaches residents say their decades-long serenity was shattered after a new flight plan was established. The community is now fighting back.

Guido Minnucci, Kim Crawford, Ken Boyles, Glen Ransley, Phil Aulich, Mark & Sally Batten, Sharon & Steve Nicholson, Sharon Fotheringham residents from the Southern Beaches area who are unhappy with flight paths over their homes. Picture: Supplied

Forcett resident Sharon Fotheringam had been enjoying the peace and quiet of Hobart’s southern beaches for 30 years when her decades-long serenity was shattered in 2017.

A new flight path into Hobart Airport, based on satellite-based systems which allow for more accurate aircraft navigation, had resulted in dozens of jet engines roaring over her idyllic semirural location every week

Ms Fotheringam claimed the move to establish a new approach to what is known as Runway 30 was made by federal body Airservices Australia without any consultation with residents of the region, which includes Primrose Sands, Carlton River, Connellys Marsh, and Dodges Ferry.

Now these townships have had enough, with residents forming a fighting group to force planes out of their quiet corner of Tasmania.

“This problem goes back seven years, when Airservices Australia put in a new system for flight paths, and how they got planes landing and taking off at Hobart Airport,” Ms Fotheringam said.

“After that, flights that had never come over our area started happening, and Airservices didn’t tell us anything about it. There was no public consultation, ever.

“Prior to 2017, the southern beach area had never been overflown.

“I doubt that there was ever a noise complaint before 2017.

“Occasionally we had a little Cessna fly over with some joy-riders but when these new flight paths went in, complaints increased one thousand per cent.”

An aircraft takes off from Hobart Airport.

Airservices Australia is a wholly owned Australian Government corporation, with responsibilities including air traffic management and aviation firefighting.

Ms Fotheringham said that when residents first complained to Airservices Australia, they were told that the southern beaches area would “noise share” with other regions, including Dunalley.

But that eventuality never happened, she said.

“Seven years ago, people in this area didn’t realise that this noise was going to become a permanent thing, and we just got stuck with it,” Ms Fotheringam said.

“We were told the decibels reading would only reach 45, but they’ve actually been as high as 90, which the World Health Organisation has determined is detrimental to human health.

“So we have now become very vocal and have been fighting against what’s happened.”

An aircraft flies over Hobart Airport. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

Ms Fotheringham said the Carlton River, Forcett, and Primrose Sands Flight Opponents Group had begun an online survey gauging public sentiment towards the flight path.

Preliminary results reveal a strong sentiment to change the current flight path, with many respondents suggesting it should be moved to less-populated regions, or over water to reduce the impact on residential areas.

Written feedback details the impact of the aircraft noise on work, life, and family.

“We moved here for the tranquillity and peacefulness, now we have planes flying directly over our home constantly daily so loudly and low that conversation is not audible when this occurs,” the survey respondent wrote.

“My partner has PTSD and my children have ADHD and I work in mental health, the impact of constant noise exacerbates their wellbeing and mine as a carer.”

Ms Fotheringam said she hoped that a current Senate Standing Committee inquiry into the impact and mitigation of aircraft noise across Australia’s airports can provide some answers.

She is concerned the situation for her local community will on get worse with an expected increase in air traffic from direct flights to and from Asia

A spokesman for Airservices Australia spokesman said that in April 2022, it had completed a post-implementation review for the Hobart flight path changes.

The review was conducted in consultation with the community and had considered environmental and community factors, noise monitoring, as well as forecast noise changes, according to Airservices Australia.

“The PIR identified an array of alternatives suggested by the community and industry, some of which were found to be viable for further investigation and detailed assessment,” the spokesman said.

“The PIR identified several suggested alternatives that are being progressed through our airspace change program, one of which is to move arrivals to the east coast over water and another to move the (approach) to Runway 30 to the land between Primrose Sands and Connollys Marsh.”