Councils across Greater Sydney question proposed flight paths changes

A Jetstar Airbus A320-232 plane, registration VH-VFQ, coming into land on the third runway of Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport as flight JQ516 from Melbourne. In the foreground in the air traffic control tower and a beach of Botany Bay. In the background are road signs. This image was taken from Botany Bay, Kyeemagh on a windy, cold and sunny afternoon on 25 August 2023.
Edited by Travel Weekly


Major changes to the Sydney Airport flight paths will lead to worse noise pollution for residents around the state, local councils say.

The changes have been brought into place to make way for new paths for planes flying to the city’s second international airport in Badgerys Creek, which will open in two years.

The Inner West Council believes that the preliminary flight paths for the airport don’t detail the magnitude of the changes and that it expects an increase in flights over Dulwich Hill, Summer Hill, Ashfield and Croydon.

According to the SMH, the council “strongly rejects” the proposed routes and has called for an assessment of the impacts on residents.

Western Sydney councils are also questioning the lack of a curfew for the new airport which will see arrivals and departures around the clock. Canterbury-Bankstown Council has highlighted a concentration of planes over Campsie, Belfield, and Clemton Park among others.

A preliminary set of flight paths for Western Sydney Airport that was unveiled last year showed suburbs Greendale, Luddenham and Twins Creek will see the most noise from the airport.

The Wollondilly Shire Council has too made a submission to the federal government’s flight path assessment in a bid to see more houses eligible for noise pollution.

“The flight paths are designed ultimately to protect Sydney Airport. This double standard equates to little more than discrimination against Western Sydney and surrounds,” it said

Other councils who have spoken out include the Blue Mountains Council – a campaigner against the new airport for years – and Penrith Council which warns of aircraft noise across its area including 900 which are ineligible for a government noise pollution scheme.

(Featured image – Jetstar plane at Sydney Airport: iStock – SCM Jeans)

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