By Tate Papworth
Aircraft noise and flight paths are among Brimbank council’s major concerns regarding future operations at Melbourne Airport.
In a submission to Airservices Australia, the council flagged a number of issues, including health impacts on residents underneath flight paths and night operations.
The council’s biggest concern related to the impact of aircraft noise.
The potential impact of aircraft noise on schools and other learning environments, and the need for appropriate noise monitoring units (including Keilor Village) were also highlighted.
Cr Virginia Tachos said a recent workshop held by Airservices on flight paths, which included a survey assessment, provided insufficient information.
“Put in simple terms, this is not good enough. Not only is it inadequate for our community, the methodology around the online surveys provided was not suitable for our general community,” Cr Tachos said.
“It’s as if our communities, our voice, our views, our lives don’t seem to matter.
“The survey was so technical, so skewed and not really interested in eliciting views on flight principles, but a tool developed for people who would need some background and knowledge in aviation.
“We aren’t pilots, but I feel like I’m becoming one with all the knowledge that’s required from me to grasp the complexity of flight path design.”
Cr Tachos said more needed to be done to keep airlines accountable.
“Concerns continue to grow with the regulation of airspace and lack of information about repercussions, if any, when aircraft don’t adhere to noise abatement procedures.
“It appears increasingly that the needs, the growth and the profits of the aviation industry are prioritised over and against the safety, amenity and environmental impacts of our community here in Brimbank.”
