Community consultation has just begun on how to distribute aircraft noise across Melbourne’s west and north from the planned third runway at Melbourne’s Tullamarine airport.
The new runway is predicted to bring an additional 136,500 airport arrivals and departures – that is a 50-plus per cent increase on the current 217,041 annual aircraft movements
Brimbank City Council claims that planes will fly over Melbourne’s west 24 hours a day, seven days a week with more than 200 flights per day over Brimbank.
The council commissioned research which found that with the new runway about 6,000 homes will be subjected to noise above the World Health Organisation guidelines – along with nine early childhood centres, four community hubs and 13 educational facilities.
This independent assessment also concluded that this noise could cause sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression and heart disease, and children may experience cognitive delays of up to six months.
As part of the federal approval conditions for the $3 billion north-south runway, Melbourne Airport must develop a Noise Sharing Plan to guide the distribution of noise across communities.
Melbourne Airport will use its two north-south runways (including the new third runway) for as many flights as possible – Brimbank council believe 95 per cent of all planes will use the north-south runways. The suburbs of Keilor, Sunshine, Braybrook, West Footscray, St Albans, Derrimut and Williamstown will hear more aircraft noise.
Yes, there will still be an east-west runway that directs flights over Broadmeadows, Thomastown and Greensborough but the east-west runway will only be used outside peak flight periods to give western and northern suburbs residents respite.
Melbourne Airport’s head of master planning has already told The Age: “Noise-sharing doesn’t mean equal distribution of flights over suburbs. What it means is managing aircraft noise, so communities affected get periods of respite.”
The community group, No Third Tulla Runway, claims to represent 10,000 residents and is campaigning against the new runway. Meanwhile, Brimbank council applied to the Federal Administrative Review Tribunal for a merits-based review of the project in January.
It is impossible to say how many more planes will be directed over Melbourne’s west and north – I’ve heard figures of one every seven minutes, but don’t quote me!
Melbourne Airport have argued the new 3km runway is needed because passenger numbers are forecast to grow from 36 million to around 76 million by 2042. They are working on a five- to six-year build completion plan.
The new runway is predicted to support 37,000 new jobs by 2046 and inject $5.9 billion into the state’s economy.
As part of the consultation, the public will have input into the operations of the three runways and flight paths.
The logistics company Trax Asia Pacific and global engineering firm GHD are leading the Noise Sharing Plan design and public consultation. The first consultation stage, which opened on September 9, asks for feedback on how the public wants to communicate with the consultants, then from October Trax and GHD will gather community input ‘to inform’ the Noise Sharing Plan.
A first feedback survey asks if people want emails, newsletters, information on social media, and in the media, as well as pop-up drop-in sessions, and how often they want updates. And there is a question about key interests with the options including noise impact, project timelines, flight path design, and regulatory and safety requirements.
I urge people to take part in this community consultation. Please, make sure your voice is heard … before it’s drowned by the sound of passing aeroplanes!
You’ll find the first survey here: melbourneairportprojectshub.com.au/
noise-sharing-plan
By David Ettershank, member for Western Metropolitan Region in the Victorian Parliament. For more information, visit davidettershank.com.au or call his office on (03) 9317 5900.
