Residents angry at aircraft coming and going from Hobart Airport have told a Senate inquiry of the stress caused by planes flying overhead.
The Carlton River, Primrose Sands and Forcett Flight Path Opponents Group shared their frustrations with the ‘unbearable’ noise from jets during a hearing on Wednesday.
The residents, whose homes sit under a flight path that was altered five years ago, said the airport’s daily 70-odd flights significantly impact their quality of life.
“We are concerned about the anticipated increase in aircraft movements and runway upgrades at Hobart Airport,” their submission read.
“The runway upgrades will allow larger, noisier, wide-bodied aircraft, such as the Airbus A330 or Boeing 787, to fly into Hobart Airport.”
They also claimed there was strong support for the introduction of a curfew, based off a survey of 152 people.
“We expect aircraft noise to become much more of a problem going forward,” the group said.
Hobart Airport, however, has rejected any proposals for flight caps or curfews, calling them a “regressive intervention” that would “pull up the drawbridge” to the state.
“For example, if a late-night take-off is delayed in Melbourne, resulting in a Hobart arrival time being outside of restricted operating hours due to a curfew, this would require passengers/freight to wait overnight for the first morning’s flight, creating significant delays for what is typically a very short journey,” the airport wrote in its submission.
The airport pointed out that most aircraft movements occur between 6am and 11pm, with peak activity during the middle of the day.
Flights outside these hours often carry essential mail and parcels, Antarctic expeditioners or military personnel.
On a busy day, Hobart Airport handles just over 70 arrivals and departures, far fewer than the 800-plus daily movements at Sydney Airport.
The airport’s long-term forecast predicts that more than 5.5 million passengers will pass through the airport by 2042.
