Progress on Aircraft Noise Ombuds Scheme

Following the Aviation White Paper, the Australian Government is consulting on the  establishment of an Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme, which will incorporate the current Aircraft Noise Ombudsman (ANO).

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts (the Department) has released a public consultation paper on Aviation Consumer Protections under the Aviation Industry Ombuds Scheme. This includes some discussion of the role and objectives of the Aircraft Noise Ombudsperson.

The ANO welcomes this next step in reforming how aircraft noise complaints are managed in Australia. The ANO’s independent role and responsibilities will be unchanged. However, its independence will be bolstered by being removed from Airservices corporate functions and the ability to publish its own reports and make recommendations directly to the Australian Government for regulatory or policy change.

The ANO strongly supports the increased independence for the role.

Your views can be given directly to the Department by 5 October 2025.

Aircraft noise Senate inquiry report released

The topic of the impact and mitigation of aircraft noise was referred to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee for inquiry and report. The report was released on 27 November 2024 and is available here. The report made 21 recommendations on a variety of topics with significant implications for the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman (ANO), Airservices Australia (Airservices), the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, airports and the community:

• Investigation of operational changes to limit noise impacts, including higher tailwind take-off thresholds, maximum possible use of SODPROPS and standardisation of continuous descent operations and continuous climb operations at major airports. All recommendations to be supported by adequate air traffic control staffing.
• Research into the impacts of aircraft noise exposure on human health.
• A study on the impact of flights on native species at Western Sydney International airport.
• Greater consideration of aircraft noise impacts in the flight path design process.
• Reviews of major airspace changes by the new independent ANO and broader airspace reviews when a metropolitan airport adds a new or expanded runway.
• Tightened timeframes for dealing with flight path change requests and public explanation of delays.
• Improvements to Airservices’ community engagement processes.
• Removal of the Noise Complaints and Information Service from Airservices.
• Master Plans and Major Development Plans (where applicable) be required to address compensation for residents affected by additional aircraft noise generated by airports; to better identify potential noise impacts and to monitor and report on them.
• Consideration of the use of government levies under the Aircraft Noise Levy Act 1995.
• Increased availability of technical information and support regarding aircraft noise related issues including a comprehensive user-friendly website.
• Stronger government participation in airport community meetings.
• Consideration of mechanisms to ensure planning authorities notify airports of significant proposed developments near them.

These recommendations add to changes in aircraft noise management in Australia proposed in the Aviation White Paper.

The ANO welcomes the increased attention to the impacts of aircraft noise and will work constructively with government towards the implementation of improvements in this area.

Aviation White Paper released

The White Paper was released on 26 August 2024 and is available from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Cities and the Arts’ website . Section 9 of the report contains a number of measures which will strengthen Airservices’ community engagement. The most direct are:

• Appointment of a Director of Noise and Environment by Airservices: this should increase the weight and importance of noise impacts within the organisation and promote a more balance approach.
• Reporting non-compliance with Noise Abatement Procedures (NAPs): this will provide greater transparency on compliance with flight paths designed to reduce noise.
• Application of Airservices’ Community Engagement Standard for Flight Path and Airspace Change Proposals to all flight path changes. This standard would also be used to benchmark permanent flight path and airport changes made by any proponent, such as airport operators or local councils.
• Updated guidelines on Community Engagement Consultation Groups (CACGS) designed to promote greater community engagement and the wider dissemination of information.
• The Aircraft Noise Ombudsman (ANO) will become completely independent from Airservices and became part of a wider Aviation Industry Ombuds scheme.

Other longer-term measures which will also affect the impacts of aircraft noise include:

• Review of Australian Standard AS2021:2015 Acoustics – Aircraft noise intrusion – Building siting and construction, which sets the criteria for defining aircraft noise impacts and land uses suitable within different impact levels.
• The Government will work with state and federal government departments to define best practice for the inclusion of noise exposure notifications on property titles for new developments.
• Proposed updates to the Airports Regulations 2024 would include the requirement for federally leased airports to demonstrate how airport master plans (MPs) and major development plans (MDPs) are consistent with National Airports Safeguarding Framework.
• Development of a national ‘Flying Considerately’ guidance for all aircraft operating under visual flight rules or outside of controlled airspace. While this guidance will not be binding, it would be intended to represent the Government’s expectations of aircraft operators and could be considered in investigations undertaken by the Aircraft Noise Ombuds (currently Aircraft Noise Ombudsman).

ANO submission to “Impact and mitigation of aircraft noise” Senate inquiry

The impact and mitigation of aircraft noise was referred to the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport References Committee for inquiry and report by 8 October 2024.

The scope of the inquiry includes:

• the effect of aircraft noise on amenity, physical and mental wellbeing and everyday life of residents;
• the effect of aircraft noise on small business; and
• potential mitigations.

Submissions to the inquiry closed on 30 April 2024. The ANO submission to the inquiry can be accessed here.

Please visit the “Impact and Mitigation of Aircraft Noise” webpage here for information.

ANO submission to Aviation White Paper – Terms of Reference (TOR)

The Aviation White Paper was announced by the federal government in 2022. Submissions to the Terms of Reference (TOR) closed on 10 March 2023. The ANO submission to the Aviation White Paper TOR can be accessed below.

A more detailed consultation period with a further opportunity to make submissions will occur once the Aviation Green Paper is released, in mid-2023. Please visit the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Cities and the Arts’ website for information on the Aviation White Paper.