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Know the Facts on the Third Runway

Know the Facts on the Third Runway

Know the facts on the third runway

Melbourne Airport’s proposal for a third runway does not fully explain the significant health impacts this runway will have on the community.

In early 2022, Brimbank commissioned an independent assessment of the health risks associated with Melbourne Airport’s draft Master Plan and Major Development Plan (MDP). The research found:

noise impacts would exceed World Health Organisation (WHO) Noise Guidelines
children under these flight paths could experience cognitive delays of up to six months
noise could cause sleep disturbances, anxiety, depression and cardiovascular disease.

Brimbank Council is disappointed with the decision by the Federal Government in November 2022 to approve Melbourne Airport’s Master Plan for a third runway without an independent assessment of the health impacts.

The next stage of the process involves the Government’s consideration of the MDP, currently before the Hon Catherine King, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.

Before this decision is made, Brimbank Council will continue to call on the Federal Government to conduct an independent health impact assessment to ensure the health and wellbeing of our community is not compromised.

Planes will be flying over Melbourne's west 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

200

flights per day over Melbourne's west

95^%

of all air traffic to use north-south runways

Many people and facilities in Brimbank will be impacted by noise that exceeds the WHO Noise Guidance, including:

5947

homes

early childhood centres

community facilities

education facilities

Brimbank Council is now calling on the Federal Government – who is the approval authority for the Airport’s proposal to:

Immediately commission an independent assessment of the health impacts of the third runway against the WHO noise guidelines.
Request that Melbourne Airport publically release the full health impacts report that it commissioned as well as its responses to the submissions received on the draft Master Plan that informed its proposal.
Publicly release a copy of the reasons for the decision to approve the Melbourne Airport Master Plan and the accompanying advice that was received to inform this decision and a copy of the response to APAM in approving the Master Plan.
Advise if the MDP will be required to undergo a statutory exhibition, particularly given Minister King’s expectation that APAM address her concerns – this will ensure an open and transparent process that allows the community to be heard.
Identify appropriate measures to mitigate the impact of aircraft noise on communities to accord with WHO Noise Guidelines.
Not make any decision on the MDP of the third runway until these actions are done.

Use the form below to:

email the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government to let the Federal Government know the economic benefits of a third runway should not be at the expense of community health.
leave your details so we can keep you up-to-date about the proposal and our campaign.

1 Start 2 Complete

Send an email to the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government

Step 1: Copy the template to the clipboard

Dear Minister,

I understand that Australia Pacific Airports Melbourne (APAM) recently submitted their Draft Major Development Plan for the Third Runway (MDP) for your approval. Before you make a decision, I urge you to commission an independent assessment of the health impacts.

This request is based on the analysis of an external Health Risk Assessment (HRA) commissioned by Brimbank City Council that found the health risks associated with the MDP are unreasonable and unacceptable.

The HRA highlights that the expected aircraft noise will exceed the World Health Organisation Environmental Noise Guidelines, and will result in an increased risk of adverse health effects for those people living under the flight path within the Australian Noise Exposure Forecast (ANEF) 20 and 25.

The 2022 ANEF shows the 25 contour impacting areas of Keilor, Keilor Park and Keilor North in Brimbank, while the ANEF 20 contour extends as far south as Sunshine North and covers the suburbs of Keilor, Keilor Park and Kealba.

These risks are not just limited to annoyance and sleep disturbance, but include anxiety, depression, heart disease, as well as impaired cognitive behaviour and poorer educational outcomes in children.

School children who live closer to Melbourne Airport, specifically in the ANEF 20 and 25, are predicted to:
- Experience a delay in reading and oral comprehension of between 2 and 5 months, compared to children in lower noise areas.
- Experience impacts from sleep disturbance, which may occur within the normal night hours of 11pm to 6am.
- Potentially experience a lifelong effect on educational attainment impacts if exposure occurs during critical periods of learning at school.

I am also very concerned with the lack of transparency around the process.

To date residents and stakeholders do not know if APAM have given any regard to the submissions it received about the Preliminary Draft MDP, or what changed as a result of submissions to the 2022 Draft Melbourne Airport Master Plan (Master Plan), which you recently approved.

The community should have access to information that has informed the approval of the Master Plan, and will potentially inform a future decision about the MDP.  
I request that the following be made publicly available:
- APAM’s full health impact study for the Master Plan and MDP
- APAM’s assessment and response to the submissions received about the Master Plan and MDP
- Your reasons for the decision to approve the Master Plan along with the advice that you received to inform your decision
- What you require APAM to address in the MDP
- APAM’s updated Draft MDP for you approval.

Before making any decision on the MDP, please commission an independent assessment on the health impacts of the MDP on the community. A health impact assessment would provide the necessary information to inform an evidence-based decision so that the health and wellbeing of the Brimbank community is fully understood and not compromised.

Thank you.

📋 Copy this template to the clipboard

Step 2: Click the button below for a template email to the Hon Catherine King to open in your default email service. Paste the template and add your name to the bottom of the email and it's ready for you to send.

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Step 3: Select 'Yes' below and click 'Submit' to recieve updates from Brimbank Council as we continue to lobby the Federal Government to pause the third runway.

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Last updated: 17 February 2023 - 10:39am

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