Safeguarding airports and the communities around them

Airports are critical pieces of national infrastructure and suitable locations for airports are scarce.  The current and future viability of aviation operations at Australian airports can be threatened by inappropriate off-airport development. Communities under flight paths and near airports can be affected by issues including noise, development restrictions and safety risks. In the interest of safety and public amenity development needs to be carefully managed in the vicinity of airport operations. However, there is also a need for airports to be easily accessible to population centres. There is a need to ensure that developments are undertaken in a way that is compatible with airport operations, both now and into the future.

• National Airports Safeguarding Framework

  A key initiative of the Australian Government's Aviation White Paper (released December 2009) is to safeguard airports and the communities in their vicinity and to develop, with state, territory and local governments, a national land use planning regime to apply near airports and under flight paths. The National Airports Safeguarding Advisory Group, comprising high-level Commonwealth, State and Territory transport and planning officials, has prepared the draft National Airports Safeguarding Framework. The draft Framework aims to ensure an appropriate balance is maintained between the social, economic and environmental needs of the community and the effective use of sites around airports.

• Protection of airspace

  Obstructions in the vicinity of an airport have the potential to create air safety hazards and to seriously limit the scope of aviation operations into and out of the airport. Activities that could result in a penetration of the protected airspace must be approved prior to the proposed penetration. Regulations provide for the Department or the leased Federal airport operator to approve applications to carry out controlled activities, and to impose conditions on an approval.

• ‘Safeguards for airports and the communities around them’ discussion paper

  In July 2009, the Government released a discussion paper on the safeguarding of aviation infrastructure which was designed to generate feedback from stakeholders on how a safeguarding policy could be implemented. The discussion paper and submissions responding to it have been made available.

• Land use planning

  The department has provided submissions on planning proposals that may have an impact or be impacted by airport operations.

• Aircraft noise

  Information on new approaches to aircraft noise disclosure. Information on aircraft noise related regulations, noise statistics and noise abatement procedures, or to lodge a complaint regarding aircraft noise can be found at Airservices Australia.