Curfew 4 Canberra Media Release
Media release - 28 August 2009
Community outraged by 24-hour aircraft hub approval
Curfew4Canberra has expressed outrage at today’s approval of a 24-hour freight and passenger hub for Canberra Airport by the Federal Minister for Infrastructure.
‘This decision shows complete contempt for Canberrans’ current enjoyment of a good night’s sleep without being disturbed by aircraft noise,’ said Ms Jenni Savigny, President of Curfew4Canberra.
‘We’re now going to be a noise dump for Sydney’s night time freight. Why? Because Sydney residents have their sleep protected by an aviation curfew and we don’t. Surely we deserve the same consideration.’
‘Canberra enjoys very low levels of background noise at night. Once this is lost through a 24-hour freight and passenger hub it will be gone forever.’
Curfew4Canberra was also highly critical of the decision-making process. ‘This decision is not evidence-based,’ said Ms Savigny. ‘There has never been any health impact assessment to measure the level of sleep disturbance that will occur with jet freighters generating noise throughout the night. Basically they’re conducting a big experiment on Canberra’s residents. That’s simply not good enough’.
‘This is shoddy decision-making. If Airservices Australia believes that they can find ways to minimise aircraft noise at night then this should have been part of the community consultation, not something that gets added after the decision has been made.’
‘We’re extremely disappointed in both the Federal Government and the ACT Government. It seems that they’re prepared to sell the sleep and wellbeing of residents for some unquantified economic gain. We expect they will pay for this in the polls.’
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Media Release – 5 August 2009
Does the ACT Government support the 24-hour freight hub, or not?
While the clock ticks down on the future of a good night's sleep for thousands of north Canberra residents, the ACT Government continues to sit on its hands on the issue of aircraft noise and a 24 hour freight and passenger hub.
‘Residents of north Canberra are really concerned about the inaction by the ACT Government to release an independent report on aircraft noise,’ said Ms Jenni Savigny, President of Curfew 4 Canberra. ‘The Federal Minister’s decision on the 24-hour hub is imminent, and at the moment he has no proper evidence of noise and health impacts before him, and no policy from the ACT Government.’
The Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Hon. Anthony Albanese MP, must make a decision before 28 August 2009 on Canberra Airport’s 2009 preliminary Draft Master Plan, which includes plans for a 24-hour freight and passenger hub.
Residents are concerned that Canberra Airport’s proposed 24-hour freight and passenger hub will disturb the sleep of thousands of people. The decision-making process has failed to address their concerns because no independent noise or health impact assessment is required under the relevant legislation.
The ACT Government has recognised that there are ‘significant deficiencies’ with the level of detail on aircraft noise provided by Canberra Airport in its 2009 preliminary Draft Master Plan, according to the Government’s submission that has just been released.
The ACT Chief Minister is waiting on a report by independent noise expect, Ms Marion Burgess, before making up his mind on whether or not to support the proposed 24-hour freight and passenger hub. The report was due two weeks ago, according to the Chief Minister’s answer to Questions Without Notice on 24 June 2009.
‘The ACT Government is a key stakeholder in this significant decision. We expect them to deliver on their commitment to deliver independent, objective, and validated evidence. We also expect them to take a public position on behalf of the ACT community on aircraft noise and sleep disturbance before the upcoming deadline of the Federal Minister’s decision on the freight hub’ said Ms Savigny. ‘The Federal Minister must make a decision in the next four weeks, and it is unacceptable to the community that we still don’t know where the ACT Government stands.’
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Media release - 21 July 2009
Community angered by airport’s response - lawnmowers indeed!
Canberra Airport has insulted the intelligence of residents of North Canberra with their analysis of the first results from the Hackett Noise Monitor, says community group Curfew4Canberra.
‘The aircraft noise in North Canberra that Airservices Australia has measured cannot be dismissed as birds and lawnmowers,’ said Jenni Savigny, the group’s President. ‘They have seriously under-estimated the high levels of noise literacy in this community. People also know what their ears tell them.’
‘The Airport’s response shows how desperate they are to talk down aircraft noise in North Canberra, because its existence strikes right at the viability of the proposed 24-hour freight and passenger hub’, said Ms Savigny.
‘The Chief Minister appointed an independent noise expert to settle this question once and for all – where is it?’ asked Ms Savigny. ‘The Federal Minister is due to make a decision on the 24-hour freight hub before 28 August. Without the report from the ACT’s independent noise expert, he won’t have the correct information in front of him.’
‘This report shows exactly why we need an aviation curfew at Canberra Airport, to protect our sleep, just the same as Sydney residents have their sleep protected from 11pm to 6am’ said Ms Savigny.
‘What scares us is that this report only shows us the aircraft noise in north Canberra at the moment. Imagine how much worse it will be with jumbo jet freighters flying in at night.’
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Media Release - 19 July 2009
Noise readings ring death knell on 24-hour airport hub
First readings from the Hackett Noise Monitor1 confirm what residents’ ears have long been telling them – aircraft noise is experienced in North Canberra at levels that will disturb sleep if the proposed 24-hour freight and passenger hub goes ahead.
A new report by Airservices Australia shows that aircraft can generate over 70 decibels in North Canberra, with average noise levels from planes like 737s and 767s (both of which would be used in the freight hub) at about 60 decibels.
‘We can now prove that Canberra Airport is wrong,’ said Jenni Savigny, President of Curfew4Canberra. ‘Their claim that ‘no residents within the ACT will be exposed at any time to noise over 65 decibels as part of a freight hub’2 is self-serving rubbish.’
Curfew4Canberra (C4C), the community group at the forefront of the campaign against the 24-hour hub, is calling on political leaders to protect residents from unacceptable noise levels during sleeping hours.
‘We’re calling on the ACT Government to stand up for North Canberra residents’, said Ms Savigny. ‘The Chief Minister said in Question Time3 that he was waiting on evidence from the Hackett Noise Monitor before deciding whether or not to support the 24-hour freight and passenger hub. Now we have that evidence and it squarely shows night-time aircraft noise would threaten sleep and therefore public health.’
C4C points to a study published in the European Heart Journal4 last year, showing exposure to aircraft noise at night raises blood pressure while sleeping, even if you don’t wake up. The Hackett Noise Monitor readings indicate that aircraft noise in North Canberra would be way beyond the level at which people wake up and blood pressure starts to rise, if it were to occur during sleeping hours.
‘It’s urgent,’ said Ms Savigny, ‘because the Federal Minister must make a decision on the 24-hour freight hub proposal before 28 August. The Hackett Noise Monitor evidence is crucial to this decision. That’s why the Chief Minister appointed an independent noise expert - to settle the question of aircraft noise in North Canberra once and for all.’5
‘With 6 weeks or less until the Federal Minister’s decision, it’s time for the ACT Government to act decisively, or ask the Minister to delay a decision until the report from their independent noise expert is available,’ said Ms Savigny.
The ACT Government is yet to make public its submission on Canberra Airport’s 2009 Preliminary Draft Master Plan.
___________
1. Airservices Australia, Noise & Flight Path Monitoring System Canberra Quarterly Report, January - March 2009
2. Canberra Airport 2009 Preliminary Draft Master Plan, page 80
3. Questions Without Notice, 16 & 23 June 2009
4. Oxford Journal, February 2008
5. Chief Minister Media Release 22 November 2008
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
5 June 2009
CANBERRA AIRPORT SELLS OUT CANBERRA COMMUNITY
in response to
The Canberran and Queanbeyan communities will pay a very high price for ‘relieving the noise at Sydney airport’ if Canberra Airport’s bid to become a 24-hour freight and passenger hub goes ahead.
‘The Canberra Airport needs to come clean about why they want a 24-hour freight hub,’ said Jenni Savigny, President of Curfew4Canberra, the community group at the head of a campaign to protect the sleeping hours of residents from aircraft noise.
‘Their phoney altruism about ‘helping Sydney’ makes our blood boil’, said Ms Savigny. ‘Where’s their altruistic concern for the residents of Canberra and Queanbeyan who will have their sleep disturbed by aircraft noise if this proposal goes ahead?
‘They are selling our peace and quiet – privatising the profits and socialising the costs’ said Ms Savigny. ‘And once we’ve lost our peace and quiet, it’s gone forever’.
Curfew4Canberra points to the large number of community submissions recently made to the Canberra Airport in support of an aviation curfew from 11pm to 6am, as part of its community consultation on their Preliminary Draft Master Plan.
‘We just want the same protection as Sydney residents enjoy,’ said Ms Savigny. ‘We will be contacting the NSW Premier Nathan Rees to set the record straight. Canberra’s peace and quiet is not for sale despite Canberra Airport’s marketing.’
Curfew4Canberra has also renewed its call on the ACT Government to stand up for the residents of Canberra and support a curfew at Canberra Airport. ‘Will they stop a private corporation from selling us out to ‘help Sydney’?’ asked Ms Savigny.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
3 December 2008
AIRPORT WANTS 'SYDNEY'S TRANSPORT DEPOT' IN OUR BACKYARD
Today, only one day after the release of the aviation green paper, the Federal Parliament received a petition containing several thousand signatures from concerned residents from across the Canberra region requesting the introduction of an 11pm to 6am night time curfew at Canberra Airport.
“The government should be congratulated for establishing the aviation green paper and I’m confident it will set the standard for good planning and cooperation between governments, business, residents and the airports all around Australia” said Curfew 4 Canberra Vice President Brian Brown.
“However, Curfew 4 Canberra is concerned at the suggestion in the green paper, that the only curfews that should be allowed to continue are those currently in place. This is unfair for airports that don’t currently have a curfew and completely ignores Canberra Airport’s stated plans to grow to the size of Sydney airport. This will undoubtedly place an unconscionable burden on the bush capital’s infrastructure and our community’s health” said Mr Brown.
“If Canberra Airport gets their way and remains curfew free the Canberra region will become ‘Sydney’s Transport Depot’. Once Canberra Airport, the airlines and transport freight companies commit to all night flights of 747’s and other heavy freight aircraft, once they start flying in at 2am, 3am and 4am in the middle of the night it will be too late to unscramble the egg, the chance for a curfew will be lost” said Mr Brown.
“The time for a curfew at Canberra Airport is now; let’s give business the security of being able to plan now for working within the guidelines of a curfew and give the residents of the Canberra region the security of a healthy, good nights sleep” said Mr Brown.
“Curfew 4 Canberra does not accept that Canberra should become ‘Sydney’s Transport Depot’ and a dumping ground for Sydney’s airport noise and pollution and we will not rest until we have an 11pm to 6am curfew in place at Canberra Airport” said Mr Brown.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
23 June 2008
COMMUNITY SAYS ‘YES’ TO NIGHT TIME AIRPPORT CURFEW
A petition calling for a night time curfew at Canberra Airport will be handed to Ms Annette Ellis MP tomorrow for tabling in the House of Representatives.
The petition of over 3,000 signatures has been collected over the past few months by Curfew 4 Canberra, the community group at the forefront of the campaign to protect the peace and quiet of Canberra’s night sky.
‘This is the community’s vote for a decent night’s sleep’ said Ms Jenni Savigny, President of Curfew 4 Canberra. ‘Sydneysiders have their sleep protected by a curfew from 11pm and 6am. We just asking for the same consideration’.
‘People from all over Canberra have signed this petition’, said Ms Savigny, ‘because residents are alarmed by Canberra Airport’s proposal to become Sydney’s second airport and a 24 hour freight hub’
The petition states that the sheer numbers of aircraft movements proposed by Canberra Airport will place an unconscionable burden on the residents of Canberra and Queanbeyan.
‘This is a public health issue,’ said Ms Savigny. ‘There is clear evidence that aircraft noise at night has adverse effects on health, even if you don’t wake up.’
‘By asking for a curfew we are simply asking for a very reasonable balance between economic development and the protection of citizens’ health and well-being’, said Ms Savigny.
‘On the other hand, there is no clear evidence of any economic necessity to have jumbo jet freighters coming into Canberra all night,’ said Ms Savigny.
Ms Savigny called on the ACT Government and all candidates in the upcoming ACT election to pay attention to the community’s request for a night time curfew at Canberra Airport.
‘We don’t want an ACT Government that delivers ‘development at any cost’’, said Ms Savigny. ‘We want to see an ACT Government that stands up strongly for the precious environmental values of our city, like a peaceful and quiet night time sky.’
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
7 March 2008
PETITION FOR NIGHT TIME AVIATION CURFEW TAKES OFF
Curfew 4 Canberra has launched it’s own way of asking residents of Canberra and Queanbeyan if they want a night time curfew at Canberra Airport by announcing a challenge: how many signatures can we collect on a petition in one week?
The community has expressed outrage at assertions by Canberra Airport in their Preliminary Draft Master Plan 2008 like, ‘A curfew is not in the best interest of the community’.
‘What arrogance! Canberra Airport has no authority to represent the community’s interests,’ said Mr Willans, President of Curfew 4 Canberra. ‘Only the community can say what’s in the best interest of the community. We’ve never been asked.’
Petitioning is the long-established democratic right of citizens to place a grievance directly before the Parliament, and Curfew 4 Canberra has developed its petition in accordance with the Parliamentary standing orders.
The petition is addressed to the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Australia and states:
The Canberra Airport’s draft Master Plan 2008 proposes that Canberra Airport become Sydney’s second airport and a 24 hour international freight hub. It also proposes a parallel runway and in excess of 280,000 flight movements per annum. This equates to more than one aircraft arriving or departing every 2 minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This will place an unconscionable burden on the residents of Canberra and Queanbeyan. Your petitioners request the House to introduce an 11:00pm to 6:00am night time curfew at Canberra Airport.
‘People are really eager to sign,’ said Mr Willans. ‘After all, we’re simply asking for the same treatment as Sydney, Adelaide, Essendon and Coolangatta.’
Residents who want to sign the petition can download a copy from Curfew 4 Canberra’s website at www.curfew4canberra.org.au. ‘People can just sign and send it in. Or if they want to collect signatures from other concerned citizens, we’d be delighted,’ said Mr Willans.
Signed petition can be returned to:
Curfew 4 Canberra, c/o Watson Post Office, Watson ACT 2602
by 14 March 2008
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
5 March 2008
'VIRGIN BLUE IS DISTURBING OUR SLEEP' SAYS COMMUNITY GROUP
Residents are having their sleep disturbed by Virgin Blue's 11.25pm flight into Canberra Airport, according to Curfew 4 Canberra.
'We are asking Virgin to respect our sleep. We are asking Canberra Airport to respect our sleep. And we are asking the Federal Government to protect residents' sleep by imposing a curfew at Canberra Airport from 11pm to 6am', said Mr Geoff Willans, President of Curfew 4 Canberra.
There are currently four night time aviation curfews in existence in Australia – at Sydney, Adelaide, Essendon, and Coolangatta. Canberra Airport's current absence from this list is for historical reasons, not because a community impact assessment has given it the 'all clear'.
'The irony is that Virgin couldn't land this plane after 11pm at the place it took off from, because Coolangatta has a curfew,' said Mr Willans.
Curfew 4 Canberra points to the health card on aviation noise at night.
'Aircraft noise disturbs sleep. Disturbed sleep leads to poor health outcomes. Even if you don't wake up, a recent study found that aircraft noise during sleeping hours can raise your blood pressure,' said Mr Willans.
In response to community outrage, Curfew 4 Canberra has mounted a strong campaign against Canberra Airport's bid to become Sydney's second airport, including a 24 hour freight hub.
'Virgin's new flights from Coolangatta mark the beginning of a steady expansion of the aviation noise footprint into Canberra and Queanbeyan's sleeping hours,' said Mr Willans. 'If the Canberra Airport has its way, there will be planes every two minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If residents don't want this, then now is the time to demand a night time curfew.'
Residents who are adversely affected by aircraft noise can lodge a noise complaint with Airservices Australia. Curfew 4 Canberra is also encouraging people to contact their elected representatives.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
14 February 2008
'PLEASE JON – GIVE US ACCURATE INFORMATION ON AIRCRAFT NOISE'
ACT Chief Minister, Jon Stanhope, is under pressure to provide objective and accurate information on the expanded noise footprint that Canberra will see from bigger and more frequent aircraft traffic if the proposed airport expansion goes ahead.
'The ACT Government has simply been quoting the Canberra Airport's figures on what percentage of the population are protected from aircraft noise', said Mr Geoff Willans, President of Curfew 4 Canberra. 'Those figures are self-serving, wrong and not based on evidence'.
When Greens MLA Deb Foskey asked the Chief Minister in question time on Tuesday to provide objective research or information on the impact of the airport expansion, Mr Stanhope acknowledged that figures the ACT Government had been using came directly from the Canberra Airport's draft preliminary Master Plan 2008.
'Please give us accurate and unbiased information on what sort of noise footprint we can expect', said Mr Willans. 'The people of Canberra find themselves in the public consultation period being asked to give blind support to the biggest commercial development Canberra has seen in recent years'.
The Canberra Airport's draft preliminary Master Plan 2008 states repeatedly that '99.5% of Canberra and Queanbeyan residents are protected from significant adverse aircraft noise'.
'Counting houses under the flight path is not an accurate or objective way to measure aircraft noise,' said Mr Willans.
'Jet noise clearly rumbles out beyond the flight path over existing residential areas of Canberra and Queanbeyan. I don't live under a flight path, and yet I can measure up to 67 decibels of jet noise from the backyard of my 1960's house in Hackett. That's more than double what the Airport noise modelling says I should receive.
'What will it be like with bigger, noisier planes, every two minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?'
Curfew 4 Canberra represents the residents associations of communities living on the edge of the flight paths - Pialligo, Hackett, Watson, North Canberra, Gungahlin and Jerrabomberra.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
12 February 2008
AIRPORT CURFEW FOR CANBERRA – RESIDENTS CALL FOR NSW GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
The NSW Cabinet will today hear directly from residents about their concerns over Canberra Airport's bid to become Sydney's second airport, and a 24 hour freight hub.
Representatives from Curfew 4 Canberra will travel to Cooma to meet with NSW Planning Minister, Frank Sartor, who is in town for the NSW Cabinet meeting.
'We will advise Minister Sartor that the Canberra and Queanbeyan community does not want to host Sydney's second airport. We want a night time curfew to protect our sleep – just like Sydney', said the President of Curfew 4 Canberra, Mr Geoff Willans.
Curfew 4 Canberra has mounted a strong campaign against the Canberra Airport's preliminary draft Master Plan 2008 in which it proposes to become Sydney's second airport and a 24 hour national and international freight hub. The public consultation period closes on 27 February 2008.
'We know we have support for a curfew from the Queanbeyan City Council. We don't yet know if we have the support of the ACT Government, and in the meantime we want to make it very clear to Minister Sartor that Curfew 4 Canberra represents a large number of Canberrans who are outraged at the airport's proposal,' said Mr Willans.
Curfew 4 Canberra rejects the Canberra Airport's argument that there is virtually no noise problem because '99.5% of residents do not live under flight paths'.
'I don't live under a flight path, and yet I can measure up to 67 decibels of jet noise from the backyard of my 1960's built house in Hackett. Jet noise clearly rumbles out beyond the flight path over existing residential areas of Canberra and Queanbeyan. What we want is accurate information about the extent of this effect and how it will increase' said Mr Willans.
'With bigger planes such as the B747, this noise level will certainly increase. With planes every two minutes, there will be no respite. Given the groundswell of strong community support, a night time curfew is essential.'
Curfew 4 Canberra represents the residents associations of Jerrabomberra, Pialligo, Hackett, Watson, North Canberra and Gungahlin.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
6 February 2008
CALLING ON THE ACT GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT AN AVIATION CURFEW
Curfew 4 Canberra is calling on the ACT Government to announce its response to Canberra Airport’s bid to become Sydney’s second airport and a 24 hour freight hub.
President of Curfew 4 Canberra, Mr Geoff Willans, pointed out that the community consultation period on Canberra Airport’s draft Master Plan closes in exactly three weeks.
‘This is arguably one of the biggest commercial development proposals that Canberra has seen in recent times, and we’re still waiting to hear what the ACT Government’s position is’, said Mr Willans.
Queanbeyan City Council released its response to the Airport’s Master Plan earlier this week, and has made it publicly available through their website(1). Curfew 4 Canberra would like to see the ACT government follow suit, and promptly.
‘We are calling on the ACT Government to reveal its hand. Do they support Canberra Airport’s bid to become Sydney’s second Airport? Do they support a 24 hour freight hub? Do they support an aircraft movement over Canberra every 2 minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?’ asked Mr Willans.
‘We are eight months out from an ACT election. There is a groundswell of community opposition to Canberra Airport’s vision for our future. We’re looking for leaders who can listen to our concerns and represent us effectively’ said Mr Willans.
Curfew 4 Canberra has been formed in response to the dramatic changes proposed in Canberra Airport’s draft 2008 Master Plan, in particular the unrelenting night time aircraft movements and the impact this will have on the quality of life for all residents of the Canberra region. Its membership draws on the residents associations of Jerrabomberra, Pialligo, Hackett, Watson, North Canberra and Gungahlin. One of their key platforms is the introduction of a night time curfew at Canberra Airport.
Curfew 4 Canberra has organised a public meeting with ACT Greens MLA, Deb Foskey.
What: ‘Canberra Airport Expansion: A Price Too High?
When: Thursday, February 7, 2008, 6.00pm for 6.30 pm until 8.30 pm
Where: Reception Room, ACT Legislative Assembly, Civic Square
(1.) www.qcc.nsw.gov.au/page.aspx?page=7098 - download item 4, attachment 1
see Curfew 4 Canberra on YouTube
