A team of independent experts will draft the guidelines for a world-first study investigating the impact on community health of Melbourne Airport’s third runway.
Led by Deakin University, a panel of health and built environment experts will develop the Terms of Reference (TOR) which will outline the scope, aims and expected outcomes of the Melbourne Airport community health study.
The study will monitor health impacts relating to aircraft noise in communities surrounding Melbourne Airport both before the runway opens and for 20 years after it begins operations.
It will be the first large-scale, long-term community health study undertaken by a major airport anywhere in the world.
Chair of Epidemiology in Deakin’s Institute for Health Transformation, Professor Catherine Bennett, will lead the TOR project.
She said the team focused on community engagement and insights in bidding for the project.
“Urban developments like this can be controversial and we felt it was critical that this initial set-up work include community insights to help set the expectations and guard rails for the long-term study,” said Professor Bennett.
Melbourne Airport is required to commission the independent health study as part of the federal government approval process for the airport’s third runway.
As part of the process, Melbourne Airport tasked the independent panel to draft the TOR and present it to the government by September.
“We are very optimistic for the future study given that Melbourne Airport was so willing to invest in this approach,“ Professor Bennett said.
The expert panel will include Dr Fiona Gray, a Victoria-based architect with 25 years’ experience in architectural, urban renewal and public infrastructure projects, and Professor Ben Cave who has 25 years’ experience in health impact assessment and environmental assessment, including health assessments at UK and Australian airports.
The team said that it will develop a TOR that reflects the key impacts concerning the community.
Community members are invited to share their experience of living, working or studying near the airport, as well as their views on the third runway development, via the M3R project website before the end of July.
