Redlands residents are experiencing higher levels of aircraft noise since Brisbane Airport’s new parallel runway was commissioned in 2020.
“Last year there was a 35% increase in the number of flights departing Brisbane Airport over the bayside” says Mr Henry Pike, the Federal MP for Bowman (which covers all of Redland City).
The transition from a single main runway with a small cross runway to having two large parallel runways required changes to the way that planes use Brisbane Airport.
The initial implementation of new flight paths for take off and landing resulted in unaccustomed noise disturbance for many Brisbane residents. This was at a time when total air traffic volume was significantly lower due to COVID pandemic travel restrictions.
It’s widely accepted that community outrage over increased aircraft noise was a factor in Max Chandler-Mather (The Greens) winning the seat of Griffiths from incumbent Terri Butler (Labor) at the Federal Elections in May 2022.
Protests from Brisbane residents resulted in Airservices Australia adopting flight paths that send more planes over Moreton Bay.
Some of the southbound planes now head north east over the Bay, turn sharply, and then climb noisily over Ormiston and Wellington Point.
Many Redlands homeowners did their due diligence and bought houses here several years ago because they valued the peace and quiet from not being under an established aircraft flight path.
Redlands residents living under the new flight paths are now suffering a reduction in quality of life and may experience a negative impact on their property values.
More aircraft noise from extra flights
The number of planes using Brisbane Airport is projected to double over the next two decades so the disturbance from aircraft noise will get worse, year by year.
Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance
In reaction to disturbance from aircraft noise, Brisbane residents have formed a community group called the Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance (BFPCA).
BFPCA says its membership is open to anyone who is directly or indirectly impacted by Brisbane Airport’s network of flight paths and would like to see change.
Redlanders against aircraft noise
Air travel is a Federal Government responsibility.
Federal MP for Bowman Mr Henry Pike has taken up the cause of Redlands residents concerned about aircraft noise. He is asking people to sign up to a ‘Redlanders Against Diversions and Amenity Reduction’ (RADAR) community advocacy group to take a stand against additional aircraft noise in our community.
“It is only through ‘people power’ that we can affect change. Together, we can make a difference and reclaim the peaceful, quiet skies that our bayside community deserves” says Mr Pike.
Individual actions on aircraft noise
If aircraft noise is disturbing you, start keeping a record. When an aircraft passes overhead making an unacceptable noise, write down the time, direction of flight , and if possible the airline together with a comment about the noise level.
This aircraft noise information can then be used in submissions and correspondence to argue for changes to the flight paths being used for Brisbane Airport.
Use publicly available information about Brisbane Airport flight paths to understand how your noise experience fits into the overall picture. A good starting point is the Flight Path Information webpage provided by Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance.
Flight Path Information is also available on the Brisbane Airport Corporation’s website.
You can view live flight arrivals and departures at Brisbane Airport with Flight Radar 24’s Flight Tracker.
Monitoring aircraft noise in Redlands
Brisbane Airport Corporation is currently monitoring aircraft noise for a short time at two locations in Redland City – at Wellington Point and Thornlands.
Monitoring commenced on 31 January 2023 and data can be viewed progressively on the Brisbane Airport Corporation’s website.
Flight path reports and consultation
An independent review of Brisbane airport’s new flight paths, following implementation of the new parallel runway, was carried out in 2022 by Trax International (Trax). The Final Report by Trax was published in August 2022.
Airservices Australia (the Federal Government agency responsible for air traffic control) then published its Post Implementation Review Final Report in December 2022.
Both of these reports recommended that more flights be directed over Moreton Bay which has resulted in increased air traffic over the Redlands.
Redlands2030 – 26 February 2023
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7 Comments
Please note that it is Airservices, the government-owned service provider to the aviation industry and airports, that wants to simply shift noise from one community to another. They call this “noise sharing:” https://bfpca.org.au/noisesharing/
Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance brings together families and communities across 226 suburbs of Greater Brisbane, including the Redlands communities. We demand actual net noise reductions by implementing international best practice noise abatements, a curfew, a movment cap, a Long-Term Operating Plan. Find out why bayside communities, inner city communities, and rural communities in Samford Valley and Upper Brookfield have all come TOGETHER to fight the actual enemy: state capture by the aviation industry cartel – https://bfpca.org.au/60reasons/
Join us: https://bfpca.org.au/signup/
Airservices Australia is currently consulting fully with residents.
I have received an update from Engage Airservices on the aircraft Noise Action Plan for Brisbane.
I think all concerned Redland residents and Straddie residents should read this update and provide feedback as many of us are heavily impacted by unacceptable noise from aircraft flying too close to our residential communities.
Please google the Engage Airservices Brisbane PIR Engage page and share this information with as many Redlanders as possible.
If Redlanders do not like the proposals, then they can submit feedback and/or register to attend a drop-in engagement session on the above page.
The airport noise got plenty of coverage in the Brisbane Times of late. Clearly the noise problem is not abating…and flight curfews are on the agenda….again.
These problems tend to get worse over time…but once established it takes a huge effort to overturn the business decisions of an organisation like BAC. I have heard people as far away as Sunnybank have had their sleep destroyed by the new arrangements…probably there are grounds for a night curfew now …before the problem gets to a complaint level.
Very noisy cars, motor bikes and helicopters make a lot more noise than airliners. Planes are at least 10 to 15 thousand feet by time they get over the Redlands.
Winds have only recently had a Northerly component therefore the Redlands has been somewhat aircraft noise free for the past couple of months. Unfortunately, the recent change to Northerly has meant an increase in aircraft noise, particularly over Ormiston. There is no valid reason for aircraft to overfly the Redlands and our neighbourhood is not a dumping ground for the problems of others. Redlands was not a designated flight path and SHOULD REMAIN THAT WAY. There are other solutions. Airservices Australia undertook to consult fully with residents – we are waiting!
A constant drone of aircraft noise especially overnight. Some going around in, ridiculous, circles to avoid disturbing the VIP’s northside who are directly inline with the new runway?.