Upper Brookfield Archives

New Flight Paths Set to Increase Aircraft Noise Over Kenmore, Brookfield

Residents in Kenmore, Kenmore Hills, and nearby suburbs could experience increased aircraft noise if the new flight paths proposed by Airservices Australia get approved. The new flight paths aim to redistribute Brisbane Airport’s traffic and noise impact across different suburbs. Tell us what you think about this here.

The national airways safety provider recently announced five new flight path concepts, inviting public comment on changes that could significantly affect communities.

Kenmore and other suburbs in Brisbane’s inner-west and northwest are particularly affected by one of the proposed flight path changes. The proposal involves redesigning departure paths from the new runway, which would see aircraft splitting sooner and flying different tracks over the western suburbs. This change is intended to reduce the concentration of flights over some areas but could lead to increased noise for residents in Kenmore, as more flight paths are directed over the suburb.

These changes are part of a broader strategy to share better the noise burden introduced by the city’s new runway, which has been operational since July 2020.

Airservices Australia flight path Brisbane north west Kenmore Brookfield — *Photo Credit: Airservices Australia*

Proposed Flight Paths

Airservices Australia seeks feedback on the proposed flight paths until 15 September 2024. The concepts are still in the early stages, with detailed population overflight data and noise contours yet to be fully mapped out.

Affected Suburbs by Set Proposals

Departures Over Land to the West and Northwest
- Affected Areas: Western and northwestern suburbs.
- Details:
  - This set addresses redesigning departure paths to reduce noise over western and northwestern areas.
  - Affected areas would include suburbs like Kenmore, Brookfield, Upper Brookfield, The Gap, Ashgrove, and Bardon.
Arrivals Over Land from the North and West
- Affected Areas: Northern and western suburbs.
- Details:
  - This set involves redesigning arrival paths to reduce noise over northern and western areas.
  - Likely affected suburbs include Samford Valley, Cedar Creek, Bellbowrie, and Pullenvale.
Departures Over Land to the South and East
- Affected Areas: Southern and eastern suburbs.
- Details:
  - This set aims to redesign departure paths to the south and east, potentially impacting suburbs like Woolloongabba, Coorparoo, and Carindale.
Independent Parallel Runway Operations
- Affected Areas: Suburbs near the parallel runways and areas around Bribie Island.
- Details:
  - This set focuses on optimizing flight paths for independent parallel runway operations, which could affect Bribie Island and surrounding northern and southern suburbs.
Non-Jet (Turboprop) Arrivals from the North
- Affected Areas: Redcliffe Peninsula and nearby areas.
- Details:
  - This set is about redesigning the non-jet arrival path to avoid overflying the Redcliffe Peninsula, directly impacting suburbs like Redcliffe, Margate, and Scarborough.

Kenmore residents and those in other affected areas are encouraged to participate in the consultation process to ensure their concerns are heard.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Airservices Australia flight path to reduce aircraft noise — *Photo Credit: Airservices Australia*

Community Reaction

Airservices Australia’s move has been met with skepticism from local community groups, who argue that noise sharing is not a real solution to the problem.

The Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance (BFPCA), a vocal group advocating for stricter noise controls, has labelled the engagement process as “theatre” and criticised it for prolonging community suffering without implementing meaningful noise abatement measures.

Professor Marcus Foth, chair of BFPCA, emphasised that noise sharing should only be a last resort after exploring all other noise reduction avenues. He and other community leaders are pushing for a curfew and flight caps similar to those in place at Sydney and other major Australian airports. However, these measures are not within the control of Airservices Australia, as they fall under federal jurisdiction.

Published 21-Aug-2024

Trays of Mangoes for $20 to $25 From 98-yr-old Upper Brookfield Farm

As you climb the Brookfield Road from the Moggill Road roundabout at Kenmore, you enter a different world where acreage, hobby farms and larger farming enterprises hold some hidden treasures.

It’s Mango Season and if you drive up Brookfield Rd, you may well come across Jenny Mohr, who sells trays of fruit from their farm in the cutting towards the top of the hill before the Gap Creek Road turn off.

Mohr Mountain Farm. Almost 100 years old and perfecting mangoes, custard apples and avos.

“We dip all our mangoes in water set at 52 degrees for 6 minutes, once they are picked, it seems to protect them from what we call anthracnose and removes any sap,” says Jenny.

“We use organic fertilisers, spray-free but we have never bothered to go for Organic certification.”

“Have you tried the Mohr Mangoes before,” a regular customer asks. “They are incredibly sweet, we go through a tray every few days.”

Trays range from $20 to $25, 14 to 18 mangoes are typical depending on size.

“We pick them green before the flying foxes start to attack them, as soon as they get a tinge of yellow, they become targets; so our timing on picking them is ruled by that. Once dipped in warm water, they are assembled on large benches to ripen naturally and develop a full, rich flavour.”

Jenny says that their crop of mangoes will likely be sold out by the 2nd week of February, as they are also being sold near Nuways in Seventeen Mile Rocks.

They have also been selling through a market at Brookfield Uniting Church and Moggill Markets, where they sometimes also sell limes.

Recently a local operation started producing a mango liqueur and sourced the Mohr mangoes as the best local produce for their product.

Geoff and Jenny are the 3rd generation of Mohrs to run the Mohr Mountain Farm in Upper Brookfield. Over the generations the farm has evolved from pawpaws and bananas to the current mangoes, custard apples and avocadoes.

Geoff also runs Aussie Beaver, which has been woodchipping for the local area since 1994.

The Mohr family settled in Upper Brookfield in 1926 and the farm is now the beneficiary of the 4th generation with Leanne and Sam now running it.

You can stay in touch with the Mohr Mountain Farm through their Facebook page.

Brookfield Community Monitors Installed to Address Flight Plan Noise Impact

Photo Credit: PXFUEL

Amidst the mounting concerns about escalating aircraft noise in the Brookfield and Upper Brookfield areas, temporary noise monitors have been installed to capture data and analyse the impact of flight operations.

The move comes as part of a broader initiative by Airservices Australia (ASA) to address the growing issue of aircraft noise across Brisbane. The results from these monitors will be shared with the community after three months of data collection via the WebTrak platform.

The temporary monitors have been strategically positioned at Jones Rd in Brookfield and Carbine Rd in Upper Brookfield. These locations were chosen to assess the noise impact of aircraft departure and arrival operations, respectively. The initiative underscores ASA’s commitment to addressing community concerns and involving residents in the decision-making process.

Community Engagement Sessions to Discuss Flight Path Options

To foster open dialogue and gather valuable input from residents, ASA has announced a series of engagement sessions starting 8 Aug until 10 Sept 2023. These sessions will provide an opportunity for residents to discuss and provide feedback on the proposed flight path changes.

Among the options being explored are strategies to increase flights over Moreton Bay, reduce nighttime operations’ impact, and distribute flight paths more evenly across affected communities.

Residents of Brookfield, Upper Brookfield, and the nearby suburbs are invited to participate in the community engagement session scheduled for Monday, 14 Aug 2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Brookfield Hall within the Brookfield Showgrounds. Additionally, ASA is organising online sessions from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for those unable to attend in person, ensuring that as many voices as possible are heard.

Online Sessions

Tuesday 22 August

Thursday 31 August

Tuesday 5 September

Resurgence of Controversial Flight Path Plan

As part of a comprehensive Noise Action Plan, ASA has unveiled a revived proposal for significant changes to Brisbane Airport’s flight paths. One of the most contentious aspects of the plan involves permitting round-the-clock simultaneous takeoffs and landings from both runways at the airport. The proposal, known as Simultaneous Opposite Direction Runway Operations (SODPROPS), is aimed at addressing the noise issue.

Initially proposed over two decades ago and subsequently abandoned, the SODPROPS plan was revisited following persistent noise-related complaints from residents. While ASA had initially considered implementing SODPROPS only during nighttime hours, the current proposal envisions extending this practice throughout the day, depending on favourable wind patterns, weather conditions, and air traffic volume.

READ THE FULL REPORT

Brisbane Flight Path — Photo Credit: Airservices Australia

Community Responses and ASA’s Approach

The resurgence of the flight path plan has elicited mixed reactions from the community. Marcus Foth, the spokesperson for the Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance (BFPCA), welcomed the 24-hour implementation of SODPROPS but expressed reservations about ASA’s communication strategies. Foth criticised the agency for inundating the public with technical terminology, hindering meaningful public engagement.

ASA’s broader proposal includes a commitment to exploring alternative flight path options over the next two years. These options aim to distribute noise impact more equitably across the city without increasing the airport’s overall capacity.

Whilst the plan is still under review, Brisbane Airport Corporation has expressed support for ASA’s efforts to mitigate noise impact, particularly during nighttime operations. The final decision, shaped by community feedback and revisions, will determine the future trajectory of Brisbane’s flight paths and their potential to alleviate residents’ noise concerns.

West Brisbane Residents Affected by Aircraft Noise Invited to Community Focus Group in Upper Brookfield

Trax International is conducting a series of Community Focus Groups among Brisbane residents affected by aircraft noise. For West Brisbane locals, the two-hour focus group will take place this weekend in Upper Brookfield, where a dialogue with Airservices Australia for solutions will take place.

Inputs from the focus group will be added to the final report Trax International will submit to Airservices Australia, which launched the Post-Implementation Review (PIR) into the aircraft noise. Residents are enjoined to be at the Upper Brookfield Hall on Sunday, 12 June 2022, at 3:00 p.m. Participants are required to register to attend.

Per Trax International:

“The main goal of the focus groups is to share information and listen and learn from people affected by aircraft noise; with this in mind, the focus groups intend to:

Discuss the potential improvement opportunities identified in the Interim Report;
Gather feedback from communities about their experiences of aircraft noise in different areas;
Start a dialogue with communities about options to manage and mitigate noise impacts.”

Those who cannot attend may personally approach Trax for an informal discussion as they will open a drop-in session at Aviation Australia on 20 Boronia Rd, Brisbane Airport on 14 June 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

BAC Issues Apology to Brisbane Residents

The Brisbane Airport Corporation, on the other hand, issued an apology to the residents.

“BAC acknowledges that aircraft noise is a genuine issue for some residents living under flight paths. We are sorry that aircraft noise can cause some people distress.

“BAC is working with the Federal authority responsible for flight paths and air traffic control, Airservices Australia, to explore options that would allow more planes to depart and land over the Bay.

“We fully support Airservices Australia’s decision to engage airspace design experts Trax International to identify opportunities to increase over the Bay departures and arrivals, among other improvements.

“Similarly, BAC supports Airservices Australia’s submission to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to allow 7 knot tailwind operations at Brisbane Airport (BNE).”

Tailwind Increase from 5 to 7 Knots Opposed

Meanwhile, a proposal to increase the tailwind limits from five to seven knots has been opposed by the Australian Airline Pilots’ Association. Whilst this may mean that the aircraft can take-off and land over Moreton Bay, thus moving away from the city and reducing the noise, the pilots said it will affect the safety levels.

AusALPA president Captain Tony Lucas said that they understand the residents’ mental and physical anguish over the aircraft noise, he explained that there should be a better way to fix this issue “rather than increasing the risk for both pilots and the travelling public.”