By Tate Papworth
Keilor residents say moving Melbourne airport’s proposed third runway by 600 metres would reduce noise concerns.
The Keilor Residents and Ratepayers Association commissioned an acoustics company to undertake monitoring for a two-week period from December 19 to January 1, following the airport’s announcement that its proposed third runway would be of north-south alignment.
Two noise monitors were set up, one at Harrick Road near to the existing flight corridor, and one at Barcelona Avenue, Keilor.
Association spokeswoman Susan Jennison said the results vindicated calls for a rethink.
“There is a great deal more detailed figures and graphs from this study, but our organisation has promoted an idea that if a third runway goes ahead and is a north-south direction, then it could be placed 600 metres further north.
“That will result in the shifting of the noise profile.”
She said the outcomes of the study showed noise levels being a lot higher than those presented in the last [airport] master plan.
“For the existing north-south runway the … highest reading was 89 decibels. No wonder residents in Keilor Park and Keilor have asked for more noise monitoring units in our area.”
Ms Jennison said the introduction of a second north-south runway would cause significant headaches.
“Noise levels will be excessive under the third runway, causing more than 170 residents to come under the Melbourne Airport Environmental Overlay, which states there should be no residential property, no schools in such zones.
“There will be a plus 20 decibel increase for residents and students.
“There is of course other options for residents in the region to have some respite from all of the noise, at night at least, and have a curfew such as at Sydney, Adelaide, Gold Coast or Essendon [airports].”
