Re-elected Greens leader vows to help curb aircraft noise for East Melbourne

Re-elected Greens leader vows to help curb aircraft noise for East Melbourne
Brendan Rees

East Melbourne residents who have been lobbying for a decade against aircraft noise have welcomed a promise by re-elected Melbourne MP Adam Bandt to help provide a voice for their campaign.

The East Melbourne Group (EMG) has been particularly vocal about non-essential light fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, which can create noise levels up to 85 decibels – just short of the 90-decibel level at which hearing damage begins to occur over time.

The City of Melbourne introduced a Fly Neighbourly Agreement (FNA) in 2016 – which applies to helicopters to reduce the impact of aircraft noise with some general conditions applying to all aircraft operating in proximity to Melbourne – but residents say the issue was still “intolerable”.

EMG group president Greg Bisinella told Inner City News the issue of aircraft noise began some years ago, when the regulators changed the rules allowing light aircraft and helicopters to fly over the suburb without being required to follow flight paths designed to reduce noise impacts.

“On some days we have hundreds of small planes and helicopters transiting over our homes, including joy and training flights. Some of them do more than 30 circuits over our area,” he said.

“Then, to add to the problem, the flight path for large jets to and from Tullamarine was changed, resulting in a very concentrated path over our suburb, causing considerable noise disturbance day and night.”

“The Aircraft Noise Ombudsman has issued a scathing report about how this was done without any consultation with our community, and he also criticised failings in the environmental assessment.”

The issue was discussed at a forum held at the East Melbourne library on May 4 where seven federal election candidates made their pitches to voters. All candidates gave their support when residents requested that three key measures be addressed to help reduce aircraft noise pollution.

This included establishing an independent body to provide effective scrutiny of aviation decision-making and operations to replace the “ineffective” Aircraft Noise Ombudsman.

The second measure included providing an equal voice for affected communities in aviation policy making through a “mandated representative community-driven forum” to replace the current aviation sector-controlled community consultation process.

A third request involved making changes to the way the regulatory body, Airservices Australia operated to require it to “serve the interests of the community as well as the aviation industry”.

Re-elected Melbourne MP Adam Bandt told the audience he would not only support the measures but introduce legislation to “give effect” to residents’ requests.

The Australian Greens leader said there were ways to alleviate aircraft noise “that can be done now” including changing the flight paths of light aircraft that were performed by trainee pilots which “doesn’t actually require a change to the law.”

“I’ve had the Deputy Prime Minister and the head of Airservices Australia in a room, and put this all to them,” Mr Bandt told residents at the forum.

“The head of Airservices Australia just says, ‘Look, who are we to restrict the rights of planes to fly wherever they want?’ That’s what we’ve got to change.”

Mr Bisinella said he was “heartened by the understanding of the problem” shown by all sides of politics.

“The community looks forward to ongoing engagement with the political parties, to ameliorate the human impact,” he said.

City of Melbourne Cr Rohan Leppert said the FNA, which had recently been renewed, was “the best the council can do with our direct power.”

“We all know it’s Commonwealth reform that is going to be needed to get a better outcome for the community,” he said.

“The council will work with the incoming government to improve the situation for inner city communities because it’s not only a Melbourne issue, but also an issue in the vicinity of all our international airports, and all inner cities.”

An Airservices spokesperson said it had and would continue to engage with the East Melbourne Group directly on its proposal to reduce aircraft noise.

Unsuccessful One Nation candidate for the Melbourne electorate Walter Stragan told the forum he would have advocated for a Royal Commission to be established, saying residents “need answers.”

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City of Melbourne Cr Rohan Leppert said the FNA, which had recently been renewed, was “the best the council can do with our direct power.”

“We all know it’s Commonwealth reform that is going to be needed to get a better outcome for the community,” he said.

“The council will work with the incoming government to improve the situation for inner city communities because it’s not only a Melbourne issue, but also an issue in the vicinity of all our international airports, and all inner cities.”

An Airservices spokesperson said it had and would continue to engage with the East Melbourne Group directly on its proposal to reduce aircraft noise.

Unsuccessful One Nation candidate for the Melbourne electorate Walter Stragan told the forum he would advocate for a Royal Commission to be set-up and investigate the issue, saying residents “need answers.”

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