Elizabeth Watson-Brown speaks on her bill to tackle flight noise in Brisbane
Today I put forward a simple, common sense Bill that would have legislated three things to combat excessive flight noise in Brisbane: a curfew from 10pm to 6am, a cap on total flights per hour, and a long-term plan for more flights over the water. But despite these being similar regulations fought for by both Anthony Albanese and Kevin Rudd in the past, Labor has failed to support them today.
If it weren’t apparent already from the fact that Minister King has refused to meet with the community affected by flight noise, it’s clear now: the Minister and her government has chosen the side of Brisbane Airport Corporation’s profits over those of people just wanting a decent night’s sleep.
Since the establishment of the second runway at Brisbane Airport in 2020, complaints have spiked, making Brisbane now the most complained about airport in the country. A 2022 survey run by local community group Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance showed that 74% of the 2000 respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they experienced mental distress related to aircraft noise.
Brisbane Airport intends to double the number of flights through Brisbane Airport by 2035, which will lead to even more residents being affected by excessive flight noise unless the federal government acts. My Greens colleagues and I won’t stop fighting until we see real action to help the thousands currently affected by flight noise across Brisbane.