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.

Sunshine Coast Post Implementation Review – Terms of Reference

The Aircraft Noise Ombudsman (ANO) has received a large number of representations from the public regarding Airservices Australia’s (Airservices’) Terms of Reference for the Post Implementation Review of the flight paths at Sunshine Coast Airport. These representations appear to have occurred following a resolution by the Board of Airservices Australia (the Board) that the Terms of Reference be agreed between Airservices and the ANO.