Melbourne Airport

Hello, Friends and Neighbours,

 Not sure if you looked into the flier that arrived in our letterboxes a few weeks ago titled the ‘Third Runway Project and 2022 Master Plan’, but I have had a bit of a poke around and discovered that this third runway will increase air traffic over our streets by 5 times.  I am not excited by this, but I am also not excited in our significant investment in infrastructure that generates more greenhouse gas emissions when we should be moving in the opposite direction, ie exploring alternatives and building infrastructure to help reduce CO2 emissions.

 We have 15 days left to put in submissions re: the 3^rd runway project. I found this surprisingly a very quick and easy process once I worked out what the impacts of the 3^rd runway would be. Here are a few points that came up for me, that you might want to consider:

1.      A third and fourth (4^th also looks to be in their masterplan) will change the airplane noise for us dramatically. In both instances, we go from their current 10-19 flights a day overhead at the 60dB(A) to 50 – 99, so a five-time increase.

Note that we currently have more than 10 – 19 planes fly overhead, (5 have just flown overhead in the last 15 minutes), so I presume only a portion of these hit their 60 dB(A) trigger, therefore the total number of planes overhead I imagine will be a lot greater than 50 – 99 in 24 hours.

 You can put in your address and play with this Third Runway MDP Interactive Map | Melbourne Airport | Community Analytics (caportal.com.au) M3R Flight Path and Noise Tool to see what the current assessment is (select 2 Runway option), versus the Three Runways option. I suggest you choose N6024 hours as it looks like we don’t hit 70 dB(A) (higher noise associated with being within 3.6km of runway threshold) here on their register.

2.      I emphasised that with the impacts of climate change we want to be looking at other ways to move people around that don’t generate as many greenhouse gases. Investment in a very fast rail link between Sydney and Melbourne would do this and free up space at both Melbourne and Sydney airports, which would mean that the infrastructure spend of a third runway could be avoided or delayed. Pre covid this flight route was the 5^th busiest in the world, so great opportunity to shift people from air travel to train, if a very fast rail link between the two cities was built.

 

3.      If more emphasis was placed on utilising Avalon airport, and especially to direct freight there, this will have less noise, pollution and amenity impact on Melbourne – all factors negatively impacting residents and making Melbourne less liveable. Melbourne prides itself on being one of the most liveable cities in the world. 3^rd Runway will mean 5 times as many planes flying overhead for us, not great in terms of noise, pollution and amenity.

 Also, note, there are no restrictions on flights taking off or landing at any time at Melbourne airport. It is a 24/7 airport, so increased air traffic will impact us day and night, although based on their noise tool data they must fly higher at night, so less noticeable to us.

This is the place you go to enter your submission re the 3^rd Runway Third Runway Feedback | Melbourne Airport | Community Analytics (caportal.com.au)

It looks like submissions need to be in by Tuesday 17^th of May,

Happy writing, if you are so inclined!