Community group Flight Path Forum says solutions need to be found urgently as aviation noise impacts on communities escalate.
While community feedback on the second draft of the Community Engagement Plan (CEP) closes soon on 30 April, ASA has pushed the timeframe for completion of Phase 1 of the review out to March 2022, with the number of noise monitors available for the review falling well short at only three.
“It seems the urgency to progress the Sunshine Coast review has evaporated, after the community was placed under extreme pressure to comment on the third draft of the Terms of Reference and the first draft of the CEP over the busy Christmas holiday period,” Flight Path Forum (FPF) President, Marian Kroon said.
“We are grateful ASA has reduced pressure on the community by conducting review activities for noise abatement procedures and community-suggested flight-path alternatives separately, as FPF requested. However, we will be asking ASA to reconsider the timetable to shorten the overall review timeframe, as aviation noise impacts on communities have escalated with flight numbers now exceeding pre-Covid levels. Solutions need to be found urgently.“
Airservices Australia is currently undertaking a feasibility study to identify ‘zones’ for the placement of the very limited three noise monitors to measure impacts on communities affected by the new flight paths implemented when the new $334 million runway opened in June 2020.
“Flight Path Forum is pleased ASA will undertake real time ‘noise monitoring’ as suggested by our group, rather than their proposed ‘noise modelling’, but is shocked ASA has only allocated three monitors to the study,” Ms Kroon said.
“This is completely inadequate given the significant number of communities affected over a large geographical area. The noise monitoring done as part of the Environmental Impact Study in 2014 used 12 monitors. We will request ASA allocate additional monitors.
“We are also disappointed no community consultation will occur in relation to the identification of these ‘zones’ for the placement of noise monitors. FPF has requested information on the criteria being applied by ASA to identify the ‘zones’ and an opportunity to provide input into the feasibility study.“
ASA has stated it will engage with the community in relation to placement of the “three” monitors within the ‘zones’ it identifies.
