Scott Morrison (Cook, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Housing and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Since late 2008 in my electorate of Cook I have received a considerable number of complaints about aircraft noise from the residents of Sylvania, Kareela, Miranda and Gymea Bay. In July this year I noticed that those complaints had reached a considerable level and referred them to Airservices Australia. Airservices Australia reported back to me in August 2009 that the aircraft movements were the result of normal operations of the airport and that they all complied with the long-term operating plan. They also indicated in that letter that aircraft positioning at higher levels to enter the approach for landing at the airport were not covered by the long-term operating plan. Subsequently, Airservices Australia, in meetings held with the Sydney Airport Community Forum, have said that that is not the case and all of these movements are covered by the long-term operating plan.

I was also concerned in their response to see a map which had a very heavy dark line running right across the electorates of Lowe and Cook. That line showed a heavy concentration of flights. The aviation community advocate, who has since been dismissed or not had his contract renewed by the government, alerted me to a standard terminal arrival route called Boree Four, which has also been programmed into the computers of aircraft arriving at Sydney airport which concentrated these movements along a very specific and defined path, increasing significantly some four or five times the number of flights over this area and these homes.

I come here this morning to table a petition from residents in my electorate. There have been earlier petitions by residents from Kareela tabled, but on this occasion I table petitions from the adjacent suburbs of Sylvania, Miranda, Gymea, Gymea Bay and Grays Point.

At the last meeting of the Sydney Airport Community Forum I received an undertaking from Airservices Australia to look not only into these matters but into changes in procedures which would ensure the dispersal of aircraft over the suburbs in my electorate. One of the most important things we need to do in managing aircraft noise, whether it be at Sydney airport or Perth, where I know there are increasing concerns about aircraft noise, is ensure that the community is engaged and the community is not fobbed off. The community deserves straight answers from the government, particularly from Airservices Australia, about the complaints.

I had concerns in the early phases of my discussions with Airservices Australia. I do not believe we were given the full facts. Those full facts have now emerged. They have emerged as a result of having the Sydney Airport Community Forum, which is an excellent forum and needs to be supported. Those concerns now need to go to the next level, where we get action. I am looking forward to the meeting on Friday week where I will hear, I hope, a report from Airservices Australia on what changes they are going to make to ensure that these planes are spread further and fly higher and to ensure the residents can have confidence in how the long-term operating plan operating at Sydney airport is implemented.

The petition read as follows—

To the Honourable The Speaker and Members of the House of Representatives

This petition of citizens of the Federal electorate of Cook draws attention of the House:

1.

To the increased concentration of aircraft movements along a corridor from Sylvania to Gymea Bay;

2.

To the increase in aircraft using this flight path from 2.8% of all arrivals to 7.8% within a 12 month period;

3.

To Air Service Australia’s failure to adequately assess the environmental impacts of the introduction of the Standard Arrivals Routes for Runway 34L at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport, particularly the impacts of using of Boree Four STAR; and

4.

To the significant increase in noise impact that has been associated with the above aircraft movements and has a detrimental impact upon the residents of the Cook electorate.

We therefore ask the House to:

1.

Call for Minister Albanese to reaffirm the Ministerial Direction requiring Air Services Australia to fully implement the flight paths and noise sharing principles contained within the Long Term Operating Plan for Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport;

2.

Call for Air Services Australia to immediately review the cause of the aircraft noise affecting residents of the Cook electorate; and

3.

Call for Air Services Australia to implement a solution involving but not limited to a less concentrated flight path, aircraft movements at an increased altitude over residential suburbs and an increased proportion of aircraft movements being made over water.

from 132 citizens

Petition received.