Attachments 1. Supporting Attachment 1

Report to the Future Melbourne (Transport) Committee Agenda item 6.7

The Impact of Noise from Aircraft in Residential Areas 16 February 2016 Presenter: Geoff Robinson, Manager Engineering Services

Purpose and background

1. The purpose of this report is to provide Councillors with information about the impact of aircraft noise within the municipality. This follows complaints from several East Melbourne residents. Complaints have also been received from some residents of Siddeley Street in South Wharf who live close to a helipad based in the Yarra River. The main source of complaints relates to helicopter noise.

2. Council Action Plan number 6.0 states, “in order to move towards the creation of a ‘Fly Neighbourly Advice’, undertake the preparatory analysis and stakeholder discussions identified by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) so as to enable the Council to consider recommendations by February 2016”.

3. The favoured route to or through the City of Melbourne for helicopters and light aircraft tends to be via the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Yarra River. Many of these flights arrive from Essendon airport heading in a north/ south direction over the East Melbourne area.

Key issues

4. A noise survey in conjunction with East Melbourne residents was conducted over a six week period in September/ October 2015. Of the 157 responses received, 86 per cent stated that the public amenity was being negatively affected due to noise from helicopters and other aircraft.

5. Whilst regulations require most helicopters and small aircraft to fly at a minimum of 1000 feet, regulations are silent on key issues such as flight paths, times of operation and minimum heights for hovering.

6. In the absence of regulatory control, the best means of achieving change lies in the development of partnerships through Fly Neighbourly Agreements (FNAs). This process has already commenced at South Wharf. FNAs are voluntary, with shared goodwill essential to their success. They are a mechanism for dialogue and better understanding between the different parties.

7. Consequently it is intended that in conjunction with relevant stakeholders, the Manager Engineering Services will:

7.1. Seek to develop FNAs with all main helicopter companies operating within the City of Melbourne.

7.2. In conjunction with residents, monitor the success of and compliance with all FNA’s established through the process.

7.3. Report back to the Committee in September 2016 with respect to progress.

Recommendation from management

8. That the Future Melbourne Committee endorses management seeking to develop Fly Neighbourly Agreements with helicopter companies operating in the City of Melbourne.

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Supporting Attachment

Legal

1. The regulation of aircraft industry helicopters is essentially a Commonwealth Federal responsibility.

Finance

2. There are no financial implications in the adoption of this report. Further work identified in this report will be undertaken using existing staff resources.

Conflict of interest

3. No member of Council staff, or other person engaged under a contract, involved in advising on or preparing this report has declared a direct or indirect interest in relation to the matter of the report.

Further Background

4. There are two key organisations involved with aircraft operations and regulation. These are the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) dealing with safety issues and Air Services Australia who manage air traffic operations including air traffic controllers.

5. The City of Melbourne municipal area is covered by the Melbourne Control Zone (CTR) and Class G airspace. In Class G there are limited restrictions although helicopters are required to ensure they are 1000 feet over a populated area unless they have a dispensation from CASA, or are landing /taking off or involved in an emergency operation.

6. The Alfred Hospital, Royal Children’s Hospital and the Royal Melbourne Hospital have helipads that are accessed by Air Ambulance Victoria. One of these services operates from Essendon Airport. There are two other helipads located on the Yarra River. These are managed by Microflite P/L (North Wharf) and Heli-Serv (Batman Park). These helipads are mainly used for joy flights and passenger transfer (eg. sporting events, corporate activities) as well as aerial filming.

7. Whilst helicopter operations are subject to the Air Navigation (Aircraft Noise) Regulations 1984, the regulations do not establish ‘no-fly’ zones and there are no regulations restricting the numbers of aircraft that can operate above a geographical area. When there is a major event such as sporting grand finals or the Melbourne Cup where there is increased helicopter activity, a set route may be developed to cope with the increased activity.

8. The main helicopter activity within the City of Melbourne relates to: 8.1. police helicopter operations over the city and suburbs

8.2. traffic reporting

8.3. television reporting including sport and news events

8.4. tourist joy flights.

Attachment 1Agenda item 6.7

Future Melbourne Committee 16 February 2016

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9. Details of the number of identified helicopter flights over the entire CoM are below.

2015   Number of identified helicopters over City of Melbourne*

January  840

February  1067

March  1195

April  854

May  780

June  822

July  731 *Figures courtesy Air Services Australia. 10. According to Air Services Australia, approximately 1,800 (ie. as opposed to the entire City of Melbourne)

helicopters were recorded as having flown over East Melbourne from January to June 2015. Approximately the same number was recorded as having flown over East Melbourne for the same period in 2013. Residents report that the number is actually higher due to the same helicopters doing a ‘circuit’ over the area, flying back and forward.

11. Every major airport must have a Community Aviation Consultation Group (CACG). These Groups have been established at both major airports. The work of the CACG concentrates on the amenity of the area immediate around the airport only and the Essendon CACG does not believe it can assist.

Stakeholder consultation

12. Community engagement was undertaken with Air Services Australia, the Essendon Airport CACG, the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman, Parks Victoria, some residents of 60 Siddeley Street, the CASA, some members of the East Melbourne Group and some of the helicopter operators based at Moorabbin and Essendon airports.

13. At a meeting with stakeholders of the South Wharf precinct it was agreed that a FNA would be a useful tool for management of aircraft subject to any agreement applying to both helipads located on the Yarra River. Development of an FNA will consider issues such as early morning and evening flight curfews and the possibility of moving the helipad slightly west of its current location.

14. Of the 86 per cent of East Melbourne residents who responded to the survey and were concerned about aircraft noise, some indicated that the noise issues were affecting their health.

15. Management has started to engage with relevant stakeholders such as Parks Victoria and helicopter companies to develop a longer term plan for the location and number of helipads within the City of Melbourne.

Environmental sustainability

16. There are no environmental sustainability issues linked to this report which concentrates on residential amenity.

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