Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes the recent decision of the Western Australia Government to grant approval for a third runway at Perth Airport;

(2) notes that:

(a) this decision will trigger a flight path review in metropolitan Perth;

(b) the last time flight paths were altered in Western Australia was 2008 by the then Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government as part of the Western Australian Route Review Project; and

(c) in 2010 a Senate inquiry into the effectiveness of Airservices Australia's management of aircraft noise found that community consultation was inadequate; and

(3) calls on the current Minister for Infrastructure and Transport to instruct Airservices Australia to commence a review as soon as possible, which includes adequate community consultation.

I rise to talk on the motion that I have put to the House, which is an important motion for my electorate of Swan and Tangney and many other areas—I see the member for Burt here—and indeed the many communities in Perth that are affected by aircraft noise. I wish to advise on further clarifications on this motion to bring it to the attention of the House. One is that the WA Labor government has recently granted Indigenous heritage approval. Two is that this new runway, known as the third runway or parallel runway, will be located at the extreme eastern end of the Perth Airport estate, parallel to the current main runway which runs north-south. Three, Perth Airport released its draft master development plan for the new runway on 31 May 2018, and public comments close on 24 August 2018. Four, the plan includes a draft airspace management plan and proposed flight corridors and the impacts of these on the community in terms of runway usage and aircraft noise. Five, Perth Airport must take into account all the submissions received and advise the federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport on how it proposes to address any issues raised during the consultation process. Any changes will require final approval by CASA to ensure that they meet safety requirements.

Perth Airport, as part of the consultation process, has already written to 300,000 residents, briefed local government and is doing a number of community expos and shopping centre visits. My constituents can attend a community expo on Wednesday and Thursday this week at the Canning Exhibition Centre and Showgrounds between 3.30 and 7.30 pm, and there is another one in Rivervale on 4 July. They have also created a dedicated web page and have opened their Airport Experience Centre with out-of-hours access for workers who can't get in between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm. They have also advertised in TheWest Australian and the community newspapers and on social media. So I would strongly encourage my constituents in Swan and the wider Perth metropolitan population to get onboard and have your say in the process. You can go to www.newrunway.com.au, which provides directions on how to make a submission.

This motion recognises that there is a history of Labor not doing anything for the people of Perth on airport noise. I would like to use this opportunity to jog the memory of those opposite. I'm glad the member for Grayndler is here. He is long known as a champion of fighting aircraft noise, particularly in his own electorate when it came to Sydney Airport. The previous, Labor government, with the member for Grayndler responsible as the minister for transport, had many opportunities for consultation with the people of Perth for reviews on aircraft noise. In 2008, the then minister signed off on flight path changes for Perth under the Western Australia Route Review Project. These changes were made without adequate community consultation and caused great concern in the community, about which I've spoken many times, and I know the former minister is acutely aware of the complaints about the lack of consultation.

The review process was handled so poorly that a Senate inquiry was conducted which confirmed the poor consultation by Airservices Australia. But, having let down the people of WA in signing off on the flight path changes in Perth, the Labor government failed the local people again by not listening to the report's recommendations. Of the 10 recommendations by the Senate committee, the then Minister for Infrastructure and Transport only accepted three. Labor failed to support reasonable recommendations such as reviewing noise levels with a view to offering a noise amelioration scheme; compensating residents affected by aircraft noise, consistent with other Australian capital city airports; and the recommendations of the WARRP of flight paths under the EPBC Act.

In 2012, we tried to rectify this from another angle, with a private member's bill. Along with my former colleague Judi Moylan, the then member for Pearce, we put forward the Air Services (Aircraft Noise) Amendment Bill 2011 to try and improve Airservices Australia's consultation processes and to reopen the planning process for Perth's flight paths. The proposed legislation was well received, with support indicated from the coalition, the Greens and many of the Independents at the time. But again our endeavours were thwarted. The bill was lost by one vote, 68 to 67, with Rob Oakeshott supporting the Labor government at the time.

Despite this, I'm pleased to see that Airservices Australia are actively engaging with the community and have two staff attending each of the community expos in my electorate. I note the member for Grayndler is next to speak on this motion, so I invite him to explain today to the people of the Swan electorate, and Perth, why he was so adamant about stopping the private member's bill that was put forward.

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