Quarterly Update #6

Welcome to the sixth quarterly update on the progress of the Noise Action Plan for Brisbane.

During the second quarter of 2024, we progressed the outstanding actions from Package 1 and Package 2 of the program and delivered our fourth round of community engagement. We’ve also worked closely with flight path and airspace design consultants, Trax International, who have been preparing for our next phase of community engagement to progress Package 3 actions.

Actions completed this quarter

Recommendation 1.4(g) and 2.3(f): Increase public reporting and transparency of operations – we have released Noise Abatement Procedure (NAP) reports including use of Simultaneous Opposite Direction Parallel Runway Operations (SODPROPS). You can read more about these reports in our earlier post. While this action is now complete, we will continue to improve these reports as well as the WebTrak and Aircraft in your Neighbourhood sites.

Recommendation 1.4(h): Introduce measures to improve NAP compliance – the reporting introduced above will support monitoring of NAPs so we can identify ways to further improve their application.

Recommendation 2.1(a): Extend the use of SODPROPS mode with a focus on weekday evenings, Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings when weather conditions and traffic levels permit – we have expanded SODPROPS priority times to enable use on weekday evenings (from 9pm) and weekends during daytime hours (12 noon on Saturday through to 4pm on Sundays), where conditions permit. It is expected that use of this mode during daytime hours may be limited initially as the new procedures are embedded into our regular operations. We will continue to implement actions to increase the use of this mode over time.

Recommendation 2.1(c): Review SODPROPS’ daytime operational plan and implement design enhancements to increase use of this mode during daytime hours – we completed and engaged with communities on the actions to enable SODPROPS to become our priority mode 24/7 from November this year, subject to suitable operating conditions.

Recommendation 2.3(d): Examine opportunities to improve over-water departure paths that fly over communities after they cross the coastline to increase height, maintain over water for longer, or travel further east – we completed and engaged on preferred designs to keep aircraft over water for longer, to gain altitude prior to crossing the coastline and to reduce the impact of aircraft operations on communities south of Brisbane Airport.

Upcoming focus

Over the next quarter our focus will be on engaging communities on the Package 3 actions that are being progressed by Trax International. Community engagement is planned from 19 August to 15 September 2024, then again in November 2024.