60 Reasons to Protest: Reason #18 – Senate Estimates
The poor performance of Airservices and the Department’s Aviation Branch in Senate Estimates hearings over the last two years is worthy of its own dedicated protest reason. Here are some highlights (lowlights?) from recent hearings and written answers provided to Questions on Notice (QoN).
Welfare Checks by the Queensland Police
BFPCA received reports from our community members who were visited by the Queensland Police to conduct welfare checks as a result of them submitting complaints to Airservices about the excessive flight path noise pollution in Brisbane that’s now been going relentlessly for two and a half years and increasing in frequency and volume. In the last hearing Airservices CEO denied knowing anything about it. However, in their written QoN response, Airservices did confess that since the opening of Brisbane’s new runway, eight complainants have been referred to Airservices Security with three referred to police for a welfare visit in order to prevent people from committing suicide.
Number of complaints and suburbs affected
Airservices received 15,406 complaints from 3,149 individual complainants relating to Brisbane operations for the period 12 July 2020 to 31 January 2023. A third of all complaints were made by 10 complainants with a total of 5,472 complaints, including one complainant who made 1,168 over the period.
Q250: Senator Bridget McKenzie asked for an updated list of suburbs in which complainants live that suffer from Brisbane flight path noise.
QoN Answer (2022): The spread of the problem has increased from originally 169 suburbs of Brisbane to now 226 suburbs – stretching beyond the boundaries of Brisbane City Council, which officially only has 190 suburbs total. In the Estimates hearing yesterday (23 May 2023), Airservices were asked to provide revised figures. We’ll post them once received.
Noise Improvement Investigations
Q239: Senator Larissa Waters asked: “How many noise improvement investigations has the Airservices NCIS team conducted anywhere in Australia for any airport annually since 2018?”
QoN Answer: “Nil.”
Airservices’ Engagement Theatre
Airservices collects about $1 billion a year in aviation levies. Airservices’ income from Brisbane Airport: 18/19 $201M, 19/20 $154M, 20/21 $87M, 21/22 $111M. They also confessed that they spent $10.8 million on consultants, yet they determined that not a single dollar was to be spent on advertising the Brisbane PIR community consultation sessions. They relied on BFPCA, on word of mouth and people registering with their walled garden “Engage” portal.
Q196: Senator Bridget McKenzie asked for all ad copies placed in print, radio, TV or digital media channels and how much money was spent to advertise the PIR community workshops. She also added: “Is it the case that you only advertised these workshops on your registration-only Engage Airservices website?”
QoN Answer: Nil – “It was determined that paid advertising was not required…”
What they DID spend money on is a sham survey and associated report that suggests aviation is good for your health and wellbeing. They obviously feel the pressure.
Cost of implementing the PIR
Q247: Senator Bridget McKenzie asked about the costs of implementing the PIR recommendations.
QoN Answer: “Airservices has initially allocated $15 million to the project…” – These are $15M for not implementing international best practice noise abatements that SHOULD have been in place at the time of the launch in July 2020 already. Airservices has referred to flight path design as their “bread and butter.”
Aviation White Paper
$7M for the Aviation White Paper will be spent on expanding the Department’s Aviation Branch by 20 staffers + hordes of extra consultants.
Minister Catherine King abandons Brisbane communities
Senator McKenzie:
Assistant Minister, you’re a resident of Brisbane. This issue would be no surprise to you, I’m sure. It’s been a key issue for a long time. Community members are very exercised about the fact that the minister had her chief of staff write back to them and that she could not actually meet with them in person. Were you aware of this?
Senator Chisholm:
I wasn’t aware of that and I’m happy to take on notice and try to provide some more information about it, Senator McKenzie.
QoN Answer:
On 9 March 2023, the Australian Government announced the establishment of the Brisbane Airport Community Airspace Advisory Board (AAB), as an independent forum for community input on airspace and flight path changes.
The AAB is independently chaired by Mr. Ron Brent, the inaugural Australian Aircraft Noise Ombudsman. Five community member positions will be filled with local Brisbane residents following an open Expression of Interest process that ran from 9 to 26 March 2023.
The first meeting of the AAB is expected to be held in May 2023.
The Minister receives a high volume of meeting requests and decisions on whether to accept is a matter for the Minister.
BFPCA is grateful to the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport for asking the following questions. BFPCA also thank the offices of various Senators for their support in tabling these questions over the last two years.
Playlist of all Estimates video clips
IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW NEEDS HELP:
- Lifeline on 13 11 14
- MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
- Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
- Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636
- Headspace on 1800 650 890
- ReachOut at au.reachout.com
- Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN) on 1800 008 774
- Brother to Brother on 1800 435 799
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