By Cr Bernadette Thomas
Public and environmental health are key concerns for the Maribyrnong community.
Our council plan vision is for a city that “cares for both its residents and its environment”.
With a history of heavy industry, industrial fires and freight transport running through the city impacting on air quality, our community has, many times, expressed their frustration at the ongoing air quality
(and associated health) problems.
Council provided a submission to the Melbourne Airport regarding the third runway proposal, which focussed on the mitigation requirements it sees necessary to address any heath, noise or amenity impacts.
The community may experience a number of negative health impacts with the proposed increase in air traffic bringing with it an increase in noise, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions – from extra aircraft, cars and delivery vehicles.
The health impacts from air pollution, especially the ultra-fine particle pollution from aircraft, is particularly worrisome given the increasing knowledge around their ability to negatively affect human health and their exclusion from current airport health assessments.
The proposed increases to day and night-time noise will also add to, and exacerbate, existing noise experienced by Maribyrnong residents.
It will make it harder for people to go about their day and night-time activities unaffected by aircraft noise – resulting in disturbed sleep and having to raise their voices to be heard inside their homes.
The cumulative noise and sleep impacts are unknown.
Council has called on Melbourne Airport to review the design to limit noise on our well-established and growing suburbs, compensate property owners should the proposal go ahead, and conduct
further health impact assessments.
Council has also recommended the Airport consider alternatives to an expansion such as high-speed rail and a night-time curfew.
Our submission called on Melbourne Airport to commit to, and conduct, meaningful and ongoing consultation with our community, particularly with those residents who will be most affected by the
proposal, so that the full extent of the impacts are understood.
Council is committed to acting on the climate emergency and to showing climate and environmental leadership and our submission calls on Melbourne Airport to do the same.
Its current proposal runs counter to this.
