Residents Urged to Have a Say on New Airport Flight Paths

Oct 25, 2023

Hawkesbury residents are being urged to make their voice heard ahead of the finalisation of flights paths for the new Western Sydney International Airport (WSI).

The Federal Government this week released its long awaited draft Environmental Impact Statement for WSI.

The EIS includes assessments of the noise, social and environmental impacts of the WSI preliminary flight paths and the governments plans to address any areas of concern. This includes the proposed policy for noise treatments to existing properties most impacted by aircraft noise and considerations for any potential acquisition of property, the Government said.

The new international airport will transform Western Sydney. [Photo: WSI Facebook]

Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman said public feedback will be considered when finalising the final design paths.

“This is the final step in the airport planning where we, as a community, need to come together to present a strong voice to try and minimize the impact of the flight paths on our unique community and environment,” Templeman said.

“I am assured that the feedback received during this public exhibition will be considered when finalising the flight paths. It is absolutely vital that our community uses this time to examine the EIS and put in a submission to ensure our views and concerns are taken into account,” she said.

The EIS will be on public exhibition from Tuesday 24 October 2023 until 31 January2024. This is the formal process required by the government and gives the community nearly 15 weeks to make a submission (67 working days). Templeman said this is significantly longer than the time allowed for the previous EIS.

Residents can view where the flights will go and use a noise tool which shows how much noise will impact individual areas under the preliminary plans. To see how the flight paths impact you click here: https://www.wsiflightpaths.gov.au/

The RAAF base located at Richmond has played a significant role in safeguarding the Hawkesbury region from the impacts of commercial air traffic. Nevertheless, not everyone within the vicinity will remain unaffected. Several areas, such as Ebenezer, Lower Portland, Cattai, Pitt Town, and Oakville, find themselves situated directly under the flight paths.

The new Western Sydney International Airport will operate 24 hours a day. [Photo: WSI Facebook]

One of these routes, known as Runway 23, will witness aircraft descending from altitudes ranging between 8000 feet and 5000 feet. On an average day, approximately 16 flights will pass overhead, with a maximum of 37 flights during periods when this flight path is operational. Meanwhile, another path, Runway 05, is anticipated to see an average of eight flights daily, with a maximum of 19 flights under this route.

For those residing in these areas, the sound of aircraft descending from altitudes between 17500 feet and 13300 feet will register at around 42 decibels.

Additionally, flights will approach in proximity to the eastern side of Windsor, Windsor Downs, Oakville, Mulgrave, and Bligh Park. There will be a flight path crossing near Yarramundi and over Grose Wold, with occasional flights along this route. Flights may periodically cross near Kurrajong, Bowen Mountain, and Kurrajong Heights.

On the whole, residents in the southwestern region of Sydney will experience the greatest impact in terms of noise generated by the newly established curfew-free airport. Communities including Erskine Park, Blacktown, and Penrith will be among the most significantly affected by the air traffic.