View report written by local resident Angela Mackenzie who has been investigating the problem of helicopter traffic and associated noise over South Yarra
Article published in the Herald Sun
Residents call for light aircraft to buzz off from their skies
East Melbourne residents including Sebastian, 2, are unhappy about the loud flights over their inner city suburb. Picture: Janine Eastgate Source: News Limited
EAST Melbourne residents say the suburb is being buzzed by hundreds of noisy aircraft and helicopters and they want it stopped.
Shelley Faubel, of the East Melbourne Group, said the “onslaught” of aircraft over the suburb in recent years (200 flights were recorded in one weekend last April) was causing headaches.
“We are woken by planes early in the morning and at night,” Ms Faubel said.
“Some fly so low the doors shake and it’s hard to have a conversation. It’s like living near an airport.”
Ms Faubel said most of the aircraft were small planes and choppers, with training and joy flights, media and traffic choppers all drawn to the MCG and surrounds.
The East Melbourne Group has collected about 200 signatures on a petition and wants aircraft to travel over freeways or waterways so as not to disturb residents.
But the issue seems to fall into a regulatory black hole, with both Airservices Australia and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASE) passing the buck.
Airservices Australia provides air traffic control and registers noise complaints, but spokeswoman Amanda Palmer said the aircraft were in uncontrolled airspace and “not under the control of Airservices’ air traffic controllers”.
CASE spokesman Peter Gibson said his organisation was accountable for safety issues and “do not cover environmental issues”.
Ms Faubel said residents were upset no one was looking out for their interests.
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