Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance ā€“ people before planes

BFPCA have produced and published a number of information videos, recordings of speeches and press conferences, and webinars that help to educate concerned residents of Brisbane about the issues we are dealing with and shed light on the aviation industry’s corporate PR spin. You can watch them all on this page. (Note that video recordings of Senate Estimates hearings are on their own page.)

20/09/2024: Senate Inquiry into impact and mitigation of aircraft noise: public hearing, Canberra

Open the video in YouTube to jump straight to specific sections of the hearingā€™s program >

15/04/2024: Senate Inquiry into impact and mitigation of aircraft noise: public hearing, Brisbane

Open the video in YouTube to jump straight to specific sections of the hearingā€™s program >

12/03/2024: Vote for quieter skies

Our skies are abuzz with aircraft noise and now drones delivering pizza, air taxis flying the rich to Noosa ā€“ it’s all happening over YOUR roof taking off from the nearby Bunnings or Officeworks car park. It’s like a sci-fi turned real, but our reality isn’t quite like The Jetsons. This local government elections on Saturday 16 March 2024 vote for quieter skies. Find out more >

10/03/2024: BFPCA Community Town Hall

Listen to the recording of the BFPCA Community Town Hall meeting held Sunday 10 March 2024, 10am ā€“ 12noon. Hear from BFPCA committee members outlining further details about: The Senate Inquiry; the complaint submission to the Commonwealth Ombudsman; the BFPCA score card for the 16 March local government elections; the health impact study, and; AAB updates.

20/09/2023: 9 News Interview with BFPCA chairperson

BFPCA interview with 9 News held on 20/09/2023 in response to Queensland Deputy Premier Dr Steven Miles MP referring to BFPCA supporters and followers as “inner-city elites.” Watch the full, unedited video footage.

01/09/2023: Interview with BFPCA chairperson

BFPCA chairperson Prof. Marcus Foth was interviewed by QUT journalism student Maxim Bock on 1 Sep 2023. Listen to the full interview:

13/08/2023: BFPCA Webinar 2

This BFPCA webinar held 13 Aug 2023 sought to bring everyone up to speed with whatā€™s been happening and discuss next steps. It covered:

  • An update from Max Chandler-Mather MP about the Brisbane Airport Curfew Bill
  • Petition to the Queensland Parliament
  • Failure to provide regulatory oversight complaints campaign
  • BFPCA discussion panel at QUT community symposium 20 Aug 2023
  • EoIs for volunteer leader role
  • Noise Action Plan media interviews
  • Fundraiser
  • 60 reasons to protest
  • Q&A (not recorded)

08/08/2023: BFPCA interview with 9 News

BFPCA did another interview with 9 News on 08/08/2023 in response to flight path change options published by Airservices Australia. Watch the full, unedited video footage.

01/08/2023: BFPCA press conference

BFPCA held a press conference on 01/08/2023 in response to new flight path change options published by Airservices. Watch the full, unedited video footage of the press conference.

10/06/2023: BFPCA Community Rally ā€“ speeches

BFPCA held its first community rally on 10 June 2023. Watch the speeches by BFPCA Chair Prof. Marcus Foth; Elizabeth Watson-Brown MP for Ryan, and community members from Taringa, Cleveland, Upper Brookfield, Samford Valley, and New Farm.

09/06/2023: Double Standards ā€“ Albo ’96 vs King ’23

Anthony Albanese entered parliament in 1996. In his maiden speech, this is what he had to say about Sydney Airport’s enormous noise pollution issue affecting people in his seat of Grayndler:

“The third runway cost $243 million to build. As the enormity of the noise problem emerged, noise amelioration measures became necessary. Their cost will far exceed the $270 million already allocated. The Keating government moved to minimise the impact of the noise. It launched a project to acquire 151 of the worst affected homes and insulate 20 schools, 21 preschools and child-care centres, 24 places of worship, eight nursing homes and 4,380 homes. In the longer term, however, the solution must be to lower the number of aircraft movements over the inner west. It must not be forgotten that this area is the most densely populated in Australia.

Anthony Albanese MP, Member for Grayndler, maiden speech, 6 May 1996: video | speech

Albo then introduced a private member’s bill, the Sydney Airport (Regulation of Movements) Bill 1996 that sought to legislate:

“Not more than 80 aircraft movements per hour shall be permitted at Sydney (Kingsford-Smith) Airport.”

Sydney Airport (Regulation of Movements) Bill 1996

In his Second Reading speech on 18 Nov 1996, Albo said:

“Despite policies of sharing the noise, there is no doubt that thousands of residents in my electorate are still subjected to excessive aircraft noise. In fact, many hundreds of people in my electorate who sold their homes under the old flight path, at a massive loss, and moved to unaffected neighbouring areas are now being plagued with the noise that they paid dearly to escape. […] A vote for this bill is a vote for a limit to noise at KSA [Kingsford Smith Airport]”

Anthony Albanese MP, Sydney Airport (Regulation of Movements) Bill 1996 (Second Reading), 18 Nov 1996: video | speech

Watch Albo deliver his speech and the subsequent debate in the video below. Find out more here >

Anthony Albanese MP, Member for Grayndler (Sydney): SYDNEY AIRPORT (REGULATION OF MOVEMENTS) BILL 1996 (Second Reading) speech and debate, 18 Nov 1996, 3.34pm ā€“ 4.15pm

07/06/2023: What we were told VERSUS what we got

There is a stark discrepancy between what Brisbane Airport Corporation and Airservices Australia told Brisbane communities VERSUS what we now got. Find out more here >

Brisbane Airport Corporation and Airservices Australia have been producing misleading noise data forecasts. BFPCA has rendered actual flight path data in 3D using Google Earth to demonstrate that it is possible to give the community more accessible ways of making sense of aircraft noise pollution.

27/05/2023: Kevin Rudd’s & Wayne Swan’s anti-aircraft noise speeches

Way before the Kevin07 landslide election, BARB organised an anti-aircraft noise community rally on 25 Feb 1996 at Kalinga Park near Toombul Shopping Centre where both Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan spoke at. Note that Kevin Rudd was a candidate for Griffith at the time. He did not enter parliament as the MP for Griffith until 3 Oct 1998.

What did Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan promise to do about aircraft noise on 25 February 1996? Watch and listen to these two short videos of their speeches to concerned community members. Find out more here >

Kevin Ruddā€™s anti-aircraft noise speech, 25 Feb 1996. (original source)
Wayne Swanā€™s anti-aircraft noise speech, 25 Feb 1996. (original source)

21/04/2023: BFPCA press conference

BFPCA held a press conference on 21/04/2023 with ABC News, 7NEWS, Channel 9 News, and Channel Ten News in response to flight path change options published by Airservices. Watch the full, unedited video footage of the press conference.

04/04/2023: Announcing the first BFPCA Community Protest

We have spent years fighting for a fair outcome on unsustainable aircraft noise pollution, but our complaints continue to fall on deaf ears. The time has come to protest. Join us on Saturday 10 June 2023 at Brisbane Airport Corporation headquarters for BFPCAā€™s first community rally.

23/02/2023: BFPCA Update

BFPCA provided an update at the Flight Noise Community Strategy Forum on 23 Feb 2023 organised by Stephen Bates MP for the federal seat of Brisbane. Listen to Prof. Marcus Foth, Chair of the Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance, giving a summary of the journey so far and outlining what’s in store for 2023. Slide deck available here as a PDF (6 MB).

Please join the movement >

BFPCA Update at the Flight Noise Community Strategy Forum, 23 Feb 2023

19/12/2022: BFPCA Webinar 1

This BFPCA webinar held 19 Dec 2022 sought to bring everyone up to speed with what’s been happening and discuss next steps. It covered:

  1. Some of the key issues
  2. Our work and progress to date
  3. What have we achieved?
  4. Whatā€™s next?
  5. How you can help
  6. Q&A

Presenter: Prof. Marcus Foth, Chair, BFPCA. Slide deck available here as a PDF (11 MB).

29/11/2022: The truth about noise sharing

Airservices Australia and Brisbane Airport Corporation want as many planes in the air over Brisbane as possible because this is how they make money. BFPCA has been calling for a curfew and flight cap since the beginning, but all Airservices and BAC have offered to do is spread the noise over more neighbourhoods like yours. We do not want this and we need your help to stop it from happening.

Sydney Airport (Australiaā€™s busiest and richest) has a curfew and a flight cap, and we think our homes and our kids are just as important as those living in Sydney. In fact, Adelaide, Essendon, and Gold Coast airports have a curfew, too. We want the same community protections.

Watch this video to learn the truth about noise sharing. Then read on to find out more about what noise sharing is and how you can help us get a curfew and flight cap instead.

29/11/2022: The truth about noise sharing

05/11/2022: BFPCA at the UECNA Conference 2022

Our friends at UECNA hosted an international conference on Tackling Aviation Noise held over zoom videoconference on 5 November 2022. BFPCA founding member Dr Sean Foley represented Australia as a discussion panel member in part 5 of the conference on the topic of “Campaigning across Continents.”

05/11/2022: BFPCA Dr Sean Foley at the UECNA conference

20/08/2022: BFPCA 2022 Survey Results

Our 2022 community survey highlights the shocking extent of mental health impacts on Brisbane and surrounding communities as a result of Brisbane Airportā€™s flight paths. The video below reveals the top line results, which are a follow up to BFPCAā€™s 2021 survey. The short version is things are getting worse and the Airservices PIR noise improvements trials have not had an impact.

Read the full 2022 survey report here.

20/08/2022: BFPCA 2022 Survey Results

21/03/2022: PM and Premier interruped by plane noise

PM Scott Morrison and QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk may be able to just wait until a plane has gone over, but for thousands of Brisbane residents stuck in Brisbane Airportā€™s noise sewer the next plane is already approaching. What is their plan to fix this mess we askā€¦?

21/03/2022: PM and Premier interruped by plane noise

15/03/2022: BFPCA Federal Election 2022 Campaign Fund Video

To amplify and boost our impact, we are asking you to donate to the BFPCA Federal Election 2022 Campaign Fund. This video shows you how your contribution will help and support BFPCA’s work.

15/03/2022: BFPCA Federal Election 2022 Campaign Fund Video

12/07/2021: Dear Queensland Premier, letā€™s talk about schools underneath Brisbane Airportā€™s flight paths

Scientific evidence confirms that chronic aircraft noise impairs childrenā€™s cognition. Yet, more than 50,000 school children at more than 50 schools across Brisbane are learning underneath Brisbane Airportā€™s network of flight paths, according to new data analysis by Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance (BFPCA). Read the full statement here.

12/07/2021: Dear Queensland Premier, letā€™s talk about schools underneath Brisbane Airportā€™s flight paths

14/06/2021: Why 50% OTB (Over The Bay) is a FAIL

More PR spin from Brisbane Airport Corporation: They keep telling people they are “happy to report that we are indeed getting most aircraft operations over the bay. We are seeing an average of 50% of flights over the bay in the hours between 6am and 10pm, and 73% over the bay from 10pm to 6am.” Let’s debunk this myth: 50% over the bay means 50% over the city. Brisbane communities were told that SODPROPS (Simultaneous opposite direction parallel runway operations) would be the preferred mode: This in fact occurs 0% during the day, and only ~ 27% at night. Watch BFPCA’s latest BAC PR spin buster to learn the facts.

14/06/2021: Why 50% OTB (Over The Bay) is a FAIL

09/06/2021: BACā€™s Spin Exposed ā€“ Part 2

BAC told Brisbane communities the New Parallel Runway would reduce noise over the city as they’d be able to send more planes Over The Bay. Let’s check the facts.

09/06/2021: BACā€™s Spin Exposed ā€“ Part 2

08/05/2021: BACā€™s Spin Exposed ā€“ Part 1

How BAC’s message to communities about “Over the Bay” operations changed from then to now.

08/05/2021: BACā€™s Spin Exposed ā€“ Part 1

19/03/2021: True flight path impacts revealed in community-led survey

To date, there has been an unwillingness on the part of Airservices and BAC to recognise the identified consultation deficiencies and to reasonably mitigate the excessive noise, health, education, and other environmental impacts of the airspace design. This BFPCA-led survey of affected residents in December 2020 to January 2021 is a powerful and insightful summary of the community experience since the new runway and the revised airpath operations have been operating. Find out more in the BFPCA Community Survey Report 2021.

19/03/2021: True flight path impacts revealed in community-led survey

27/02/2021: Introducing BFPCA

Check out our latest animation introducing the Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance and some of our collective progress to date in raising awareness about the unreasonable noise pollution from Brisbane Airport’s flight paths and advocating for action to remedy the negative impacts. Join our discussion group at Brisbane Airport Aircraft Noise, and have your questions answered by our FAQs.

27/02/2021: Introducing BFPCA

17/02/2021: Meet David

One of our creative members has put together this little animation, which nicely illustrates the pain and frustration we all experience having to deal with excessive noise pollution from Brisbane Airport’s new flight paths. Follow and support the Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance (BFPCA) and join us in fighting back against unreasonable aircraft noise pollution over our homes.

17/02/2021: Meet David