On Wednesday 27 November 2024, I asked why the Prime Minister refuses to implement a curfew at Brisbane Airport.
Transcript:
Ms WATSON-BROWN (Ryan) (14:49): My question is to the Prime Minister. The Senate inquiry report on aircraft noise is to be released today. At the hearings we heard from communities nationwide how aircraft noise is wrecking their sleep, health and wellbeing. A curfew could help. Why does Sydney have a curfew but residents in Brisbane are left to suffer?
Ms CATHERINE KING (Ballarat—Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) (14:49): I recognise the member's question in the spirit in which it's asked. We of course do understand that community concerns in relation to the noise impact of aircraft movements on residents in the vicinity of airports, particularly in Sydney airport and Brisbane and across the country. It's an issue we do take seriously. The new runway at Brisbane Airport opened in 2020 following approval by the former coalition government, who did not undertake—frankly—sufficient community consultation in the process, particularly in relation to aircraft noise.
At the last election Labor committed to establish a community advisory board to hear directly from locals and to support development of possible mitigations. Since coming to office, in addition to formally establishing the advisory board, we have implemented a number of measures to reduce the impact of noise including changes to the timing of flights and flight paths to minimise impact on residential areas and we continue to work on additional solutions. I have made very clear my expectation to Airservices that further measures be implemented to mitigate the impact of aircraft noise at Brisbane Airport.
In response to this and to community concerns Airservices has implemented a noise action plan, which is delivering real improvements at that airport. Airservices have limited the ability of some aircraft to take off over land and during the early morning in Brisbane so that propellor planes and turbo props do not operate from the new runway before 6 am. Airservices has also boosted the number of flights that take off and land over water, known as SODPROPS, during the night and early mornings on weekends. Each time SODPROPS is used, 290,000 to 500,000 fewer residents are directly overflown. We have increased the use of SODPROPS and plan to use that mode much more. That is what this government has been doing. We have reinstated the previous flight path over the overwater departures. We have been working with communities in order to do that.
But I'm asked particularly about the Greens' proposal of a curfew at Brisbane Airport. Let's compare what happens at Sydney airport, where movements are capped at 80 movements per hour. It is the busiest airport in the country. What the Greens want is a cap at 46 movements per hour. In Sydney, what that has meant, the 80 movements per hour, is we are now building a second airport because that airport is at capacity. If you are saying that Brisbane Airport is at capacity at 40, you are dreaming.