About aircraft noise
Canberra Airport is committed to developing a multi-modal passenger, freight and commercial hub sympathetically with the surrounding community. This includes minimising the impact of aircraft noise in a framework of responsible planning.
Experience around the world has shown that no one single method should be used to describe the aircraft noise impact around an airport. This section of the website outlines various ways that aircraft noise can be described and shows how each of these methods applies in the context of Canberra Airport.
Canberra is in a unique position. Unlike many other cities, city planners have maintained a rural corridor to the north and south of Canberra Airport since the 1960s and 1970s free from residential development, corresponding with the main flight paths. This means aircraft are able to arrive and depart with very minimal disturbance to residents of the ACT and surrounding region. The one exception to this is Jerrabomberra, where developers built approximately 600 homes under the existing southerly arrival flight path, despite protestations from airport management as well as warnings from the Commonwealth Government and Minister for Transport at the time. Aircraft noise has consequently become a significant concern in this community.
Following community consultation, Canberra Airport has invested substantial resources and supported significant measures to minimise aircraft noise for the residents of Canberra, Queanbeyan and the surrounding region. These measures centre on moving noise away from residents and into a rural corridor where the significant levels of aircraft noise do not disturb residents. This corridor is known as the High Noise Corridor. Maintenance of the High Noise Corridor as a zone free from further residential or other noise sensitive development (such as schools) will ensure aircraft do not need to overfly residential areas when operating to and from Canberra Airport.
Canberra Airport has been advised by Airservices Australia that if residential development under the Airport's flight paths is allowed to proceed, noise sharing may be a highly likely outcome. Noise sharing would involve the high levels of aircraft noise, which are currently concentrated over mainly rural areas, being spread widely across Canberra and Queanbeyan. The implementation by Commonwealth, State and Territory planning authorities of the High Noise Corridor would prevent such residential development from gaining approval and prevent the real possibility of noise sharing.
Once you have had the chance to review the information on this website, we would welcome any feedback you might have.
