News - Airport

Every few months, a GCC rep attends the Canberra Airport's Noise Consultative Forum.

Aircraft noise isn't a significant problem in Gungahlin as yet, but as new suburbs are developed closer to the Federal Highway, this is bound to change.

At this latest meeting GCC Vice President Jonathon Reynolds and I pursued the issue of the Noise Abatement Zone, which currently doesn't cover any of the suburbs from Gungahlin east and north. A goal of GCC is to have the line moved to cover all of the current and proposed Gungahlin suburbs.

Air Services Australia delegates conceded that under the current operational procedures, shifting the boundary of the Noise Abatement Zone would not affect the operations of jet services. But they refused to look into shifting the line.

This leaves us with no option but to pursue the issue through political avenues, and I have already discussed the issue with Senator Kate Lundy, plus sent her the following email.

We'll keep you posted. The full meeting notes follow. There are also links to Air Services Australia reports that show the flight tracks of aircraft as they depart the airport and fly over Gungahlin:-

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From: Alan Kerlin - GCC President
To: Senator Lundy
Date: Sat, Mar 22, 2008
Subject: Canberra aircraft Noise Abatement Area

Hello Senator
 
When me met recently as part of the Curfew 4 Canberra delegation, I discussed with you the current alignment of the Canberra Noise Abatement Area, and that it does not cover large parts of Gungahlin.
 
I have attached a copy of the most recent quarterly report from Air Services Australia, and I've posted an article on the issue on our website.

You'll see from the map underlay on Figure 11 (page 22) that all parts of Gungahlin essentially east and north of the town centre are not protected by the Noise Abatement Area.
 
Also on our website article are the notes of the meeting as supplied by the Canberra Airport. In them you'll see that ASA conceded that "Adjusting NAA over Gungahlin will not impact aircraft height as they have to be 7,000 ft before turning left under the new SIDs", but also that despite this "Airservices confirmed that Airservices Australia advised ACT Government that the NAAs were fixed and would not be moved.  This advice was given prior to these suburbs being developed."
 
We are sure you'll agree that it would be prudent to make appropriate adjustments to the Noise Abatement Area early on, when the changes are more easily achieved, than after extensive development. However the above advice, as given by ASA's Ken Owen, indicates that this isn't a decision likely to be taken at the officer level, but would require some political impetus.
 
Given that - in ASA's own words - the line can be moved without adverse impact on jet service operations, we seek your assistance in pursuing this change.

Thank you in anticipation of your assistance.
--
Regards,
Alan Kerlin
President
Gungahlin Community Council

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• Air Services Australia NOISE AND FLIGHT PATH MONITORING SYSTEM CANBERRA QUARTERLY REPORT OCTOBER - DECEMBER 2007

In this report (PDF file 1.7MB), Figure 6 on page 17 shows the jet departures, and Figure 11 on page 22 shows the flight tracks for jet aircraft departing to the north and turning over Gungahlin, with the Noise Abatement Zone shown as the red line. It clearly shows that large parts of Gungahlin are not covered by the Noise Abatement Zone.


MEETING NO. 1, 2008
CANBERRA AIRPORT AIRCRAFT NOISE CONSULTATIVE FORUM THURSDAY, 21 FEBRUARY AT 2.00PM
GROUND FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM
2 BRINDABELLA CIRCUIT, BRINDABELLA BUSINESS PARK
CANBERRA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Attendees   
Alex Ananian-Cooper    Canberra International Airport
Noel McCann    Canberra International Airport
Ken Douglas    ACT Chief Minister's Department
Joe Vecchi    Aerocare
Ken Owen    Airservices Australia
Peter Romeis    Airservices Australia - ATC
Howard Knox    Overnight Airfreight Operator' s Ass.
Nicholas Fairweather    RAAF 34 Squadron
Wayne Bradford    Virgin Blue - Canberra Manager
Alan Kerlin    Gungahlin Community Council
Jonathon Reynolds    Gungahlin Community Council
Margot Sachse    Jerrabomberra Residents Association
Jim Derrick    North Canberra Community Council
David Carswell    Queanbeyan City Council
Kevin Martin    Ridgeway Community Group
John Armstead    Tuggeranong Community Council
Leanne O'Sullivan    Pialligo Resident

Welcome

1.    Apologies/alternates
Read out to meeting.

2.    Action Items - meeting of 8 November 2007

• Confirmed change to GIS layer in NFPMS reports.
• Peter Romeis clarified Noise Abatement Procedures (NAP) process - not legislated, but managed by ATC.  If regular issue with breaches the controller will receive counselling and retraining.
• Confirmed that some Australian airports do have legislated noise abatement procedures.  This is federal legislation relating to curfews.
• No name changes to gates yet.  Will occur in the next report.
• No outstanding North Canberra Community Council issues.  If anything additional comes up, will be raised as an agenda item.

3.    Correspondence In and Out
In:

• Geoff Willans, ANEF, Master Plan, 4.01.08.

Out:

• RAAF, RNP, 24 January 2008.
• Virgin, RNP, 24 January 2008.
• Various, Goulburn Business Park ABC News article 10.12.07,  letter dated 7.01.08.
• Geoff Willans, CIA response, 14.01.08.

        ACTION ITEM:  send out copies of all correspondence via email.

4.    Airline Schedule and Passenger numbers update

• Briefing on new airline schedules
• Virgin Blue Embraers to Sydney and new Gold Coast flight, noting 11.20pm arrival 6 days per week.
• Tiger A320s to Melbourne.  
• Additional Qantas activity - more jets to Melbourne and Sydney.
• New larger Brindabella Aircraft - Jetstream 41 (30 seats).
• Additional Jerrabomberra NMT readings (N70s) are expected associated with the additional activity.

5.    Noise and Flight Path Monitoring System Reports -  Q3 and Q4

• Presentation by Ken Owen, Airservices Australia
• Some of the maps still have the old underlays.

        ACTION ITEM:  Airservices Australia to fix the remainder of maps with updated suburbs underlay.

• Discussion of increase in night background noise LAeq at Jerrabomberra.  Not related to aircraft noise.

        ACTION ITEM:  Airservices Australia to investigate increased background noise with NFPMS engineers.
        ACTION ITEM:  Airservices Australia to label gates in future NFPMS reports -  Gungahlin Gate and Ridgeway Gate.

• Discussion of RNP arrival numbers included in the data.

        ACTION ITEM:  Airservices Australia to look at including a table or graph of N70s by hour of day in future NFPMS reports.

• Alan Kerlin seeks amendment of NAAs to cover all future Gungahlin suburbs
• Airservices confirmed that Airservices Australia advised ACT Government that the NAAs were fixed and would not be moved.  This advice was given prior to these suburbs being developed.
• Discussion of height AGL - 5,000 ft jets, 3,000 ft props.  This was chosen as it is approximately 70 dBA level.
• Adjusting NAA over Gungahlin will not impact aircraft height as they have to be 7,000 ft before turning left under the new SIDs.

6.    Report from the noise complaints department in Sydney

• Briefing on noise complaints -  predominantly 2 households in Hackett. Noise monitors have previously been placed in Hackett and only minimal noise was recorded.
• Confirm light aircraft (>5,700kg MTOW) are not subject to NAPs.
• Discussion of overnight (11.00pm-6.00am) procedures, including signed agreements with night freighters.
• Discussion of location of circuit area -  when circuits are routed south of Runway 12/30 and when north.
• Aircraft rarely overfly Pialligo -  standard aircraft training procedures
• No change likely with new ATC tower.

        ACTION ITEM:  Airservices Australia to conduct Hackett noise monitoring and report by next meeting.
        ACTION ITEM:  Airservices Australia to contact regular complainants (2 persons) and offer them 10 mins to speak at the subsequent forum meeting.

7.    Regional Land Development

• Sydney -  Canberra Corridor Study - Planning NSW Consultation
• Canberra Airport put in a submission
• Consultation closed.  Awaiting outcome.
• Poplars -  School Proposal
• Development Application was re-lodged by Village after Christmas.  Subject to court proceedings today.
• New ANEF for Canberra Airport
• Awaiting outcome of Federal Court appeal.
• S117 Ministerial Directions (NSW)
• No change.
• Googong - draft LEP (closure date for comments 15.2.2008)
• Googong draft LEP -  submission to Council circulated.
• South Tralee -  major project status application submitted by Village Building Company to Minister Sartor
• Also subject to court proceedings.

8.    Noise Abatement Procedures

• Runway 17/35 RNP Procedures including Offset Arrivals
• Discussion of level of Qantas 737-800 flights.  This is gradually increasing.

9.    Master Plan 2008

• Public consultation closes 27 February 2008
• Public consultation underway -  closes next week.

10.    Upgrade of Navigational Aids

• GBAS/GNSS
• ASA/CAG joint discussions on GBAS.  Discussion of benefits.

11.    Terminal Project

• Terminal works - road diversion.  Actual terminal building works to start in July.

12.    Majura Valley roads

• Upgrade of roads - works commencing very shortly.

        ACTION ITEM:  Canberra International Airport to send email with map of roadworks to Committee.

13.    Internationalisation of Canberra Airport

• First Stage of new terminal July 2008 - December 2009 will have international capable gates.

14.    Freight

• Nil new.

15.    Qantas Defence Services/RAAF C-130 maintenance

• Nil new.

16.    General Business

• Discussion of detrimental impact of aircraft noise on schools.

        ACTION ITEM:  Canberra International Airport to send submission to Queanbeyan City Council on School Site to forum members.

17.    Meeting dates 2008

• July 17
• November 20

 

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