Land use planning
In Canberra, far-sighted planners in the 1960s and 1970s ensured that a north/south corridor was maintained free from residential development on the main departure and approach routes to and from Canberra Airport. These good planning outcomes mean that by using two key elements of the ICAO Balanced Approach to aircraft noise, namely, appropriate land use management and planning, and noise abatement operational procedures, the Canberra and Queanbeyan community does not and should not in the future suffer the effects of aircraft noise.
These measures mean that 99.5% of the region's residents are currently protected from high levels of aircraft noise. This means that a curfew is not necessary now or in the future. A curfew would create major impediments on the operation of Canberra Airport and would lead to significant future economic detriment to the ACT and region.
These historical planning measures are now under serious threat. The NSW Government has approved a proposal for thousands of homes under the Canberra Airport flight paths at Tralee and Environa. If these residential developments are allowed to proceed, Canberra Airport has been advised by the Commonwealth Government's experts that it may be highly likely that Canberra and Queanbeyan residents who currently do not experience aircraft overflight will do so in the future as they experience the effects of noise sharing. If the NSW Government and Queanbeyan City Council allow new residential developments under current flight paths, then complaints from future Tralee/Environa/Poplars residents will mean that the aircraft noise protection offered to residents of Canberra and Queanbeyan will be at risk.
This leaves governments with a choice: (i) either continue to prohibit residential development under the current flight paths by implementing Canberra Airport's High Noise Corridor Plan, or (ii) allow residential development under current flight paths, which may result in these flight paths being dispersed over much of Canberra and Queanbeyan - that is, noise sharing.
The appropriate land-use planning tool at and around Canberra International Airport is the High Noise Corridor. Canberra International Airport is strongly opposed to noise sharing as we believe it is an unacceptable outcome for the Canberra and Queanbeyan community.
