If aircraft could gain height more quickly then surely the noise would be lessened. I notice at major world airports (Heathrow, Sydney) aircraft take off at and attitude of around 45 degrees, here it is more like a lazy 20 degrees and so the noise envelope is more pronounced. They wouldn't be much higher than 800 metres as they fly past my house.The higher they are, the quieter. I applaud your attempts to limit the noise which is considerably worse now. I live near Curtin Uni and sometimes feel the aircraft are going to land on my roof. Errol Smart

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/ncm/

I've got this saved as a favourite in my iPhone and at the ready for when I'm woken in the early hours of the morning :@

Dear Steve

The changed flight paths are a disaster for many reasons. No one is taking
any real notice of the problems and issues that are occurring for
hills residents and Perth residents alike. It is also important to realise
that even within the same suburb, the noise can be worse due to the
topography of the areas. For us we are in a valley and the continuous
planes going over (about every 5 mins on some days, make the whole area echo, and at night the rumbling and echoing wake us up.

Also my husband is recovering from cancer and he (and I as his Carer)
need all the rest we can get.
The planes are the latest onslaught on our noisy area, what with
Bikey groups, Western Power and the Shire chain sawing trees, traffic
and the screeching of rubbish trucks... we could say that this is
the noisiest place we have ever lived (this includes other areas of the hills,
Perth, London and elsewhere). If you are working from home, or
retired, no one can realise how demoralising this constant noise is...
one contractor leaves and another arrives to make more noise.

After 2 years of apparently little progress with Air Services Australia
we would like to know Steve if you are willing to really push this matter
to the maximum. WE NEED THE FLIGHTS TO BE CHANGED AND WE
NEED A CURFEW from 10 pm - 7 am.

The health aspects of not sleeping and the constant noise have been
well documented in other countries - to cause heart problems and other
serious issues. We ask whether you would pursue this problem
with vigour - so that the recommendations that were made in
the WARRP REPORT are carried out, namely changing the flight paths,
getting noise insulation/compensation agreements, and a curfew.

We need to look at a major campaign across Perth, to unite all
the people who have written to your website from various suburbs,
about this issue. So far there appears to have been no united and public
effort. Even for other Federal Members in WA to unite on this issue.
Would like to hear your views on this.

Dear Steve

The changed flight paths are a disaster for many reasons. No one is taking
any real notice of the problems and issues that are occurring for
hills residents and Perth residents alike. It is also important to realise
that even within the same suburb, the noise can be worse due to the
topography of the areas. For us we are in a valley and the continuous
planes going over (about every 5 mins on some days, make the whole area echo, and at night the rumbling and echoing wake us up.

Also my husband is recovering from cancer and he (and I as his Carer)
need all the rest we can get.
The planes are the latest onslaught on our noisy area, what with
Bikey groups, Western Power and the Shire chain sawing trees, traffic
and the screeching of rubbish trucks... we could say that this is
the noisiest place we have ever lived (this includes other areas of the hills,
Perth, London and elsewhere). If you are working from home, or
retired, no one can realise how demoralising this constant noise is...
one contractor leaves and another arrives to make more noise.

After 2 years of apparently little progress with Air Services Australia
we would like to know Steve if you are willing to really push this matter
to the maximum. WE NEED THE FLIGHTS TO BE CHANGED AND WE
NEED A CURFEW from 10 pm - 7 am.

The health aspects of not sleeping and the constant noise have been
well documented in other countries - to cause heart problems and other
serious issues. We ask whether you would pursue this problem
with vigour - so that the recommendations that were made in
the WARRP REPORT are carried out, namely changing the flight paths,
getting noise insulation/compensation agreements, and a curfew.

We need to look at a major campaign across Perth, to unite all
the people who have written to your website from various suburbs,
about this issue. So far there appears to have been no united and public
effort. Even for other Federal Members in WA to unite on this issue.
Would like to hear your views on this.

Steve, I hope that the airpcraft noise issue is still something that you are going to pursue on behalf of those affected within your electorate. I live in Manning and we knocked down an old house and re-built in 2009. Having moved out of the old house in September 2008, (just before these apparent changes took place) I am completely shocked and dismayed at the significant increase in aircraft noise since moving back into my 'new' house! I am regularly woken at 5:30am by the first plane and they continue with only a few minutes between each for up to a few hours! Not to mention sometimes at midnight and 2am! I've been told that we don't have an aircraft curfew here in the west because of the time difference between here and the east - just doesn't seem fair does it? Also having just completed building, we made no attempt to consider extra noise insulation in the building process. Why? Because no relevant authority bothered to inform us that there were changes afoot that would ultimately affect our quality of life in our brand new home! I'm dismayed and really hope that you will not let this matter 'rest'. Appreciate you keeping us up to date with any new developments.

I don't remember being asked if I was OK with any flight path changes!
I have a 9 month old baby and the planes are keeping my family up at night.
This was not the case when I bought the house 5+ years ago. A night curfew for both Domestic and International airports is required NOW. My house shakes from the vibrations caused by the low flying planes and I am now looking at moving because of this. Legal action to follow!

I would be very interested in discussing a campaign towards getting most importantly a curfew, then look at other options like insulation/compensation agreements.

You have no idea how traumatising the noise is where I live. I already live on a major road artery and that alone is hard enough. Now, I have a constant stream of low flying planes, flying directly across my house. They now fly over at all hours of the day starting from, and I'm not kidding 4:30am until around 2.45am the next day.

The reason I know this is because I rotate a roster at work where I sometimes get home at 1200am in the morning, and these noisy planes keep me up all the time. I can see why this would have adverse health effects, because I'm stressed out an exhausted from lack of quality sleep. It's so heart wrenching when I put my head on my pillow to go to sleep and instantly hear the distant rumble of a commercial plane, just knowing it's about to fly directly over my house.

If I tested the noise pollution around my area, I'm sure it would be far beyond acceptable. I cannot stress enough how criminal this is. By the way, I have lived in the same house for 15 years and I can tell you, I would have never moved here If I knew it was going to be like this.

My property would be a very hard one to sell now, but governments or other organisations such as Air Services Australia couldn't care less on the impact of their decisions. All they care about is their backpocket.

I would be very interested in forming a mass petition to have the same luxury as places like Sydney have, a decent curfew on these machines. Let's not let them get away with this atrocity!! By the way Mr Irons, it's great you allow us to voice our concerns on your website regarding this pressing issue, but I think it would be useful to have a response to some of our comments regarding a curfew etc. Simply voicing our complaints on your website doesn't really carry much stock unless it seems we are actually being heard from you. A response to our comments would be greatly appreciated thank you. If anyone out there wish to campaign for a curfew in Perth, you can contact me at julian_c@iinet.net.au and I'd be happy to get this thing started.

I also would be interested in the petition for a curfew. The incessant sounds of planes all day and night long is more than anyone can stand. Many studies have shown that people who do not get a good nights sleep are more clumsy, more prone to road rage and many other anti social behaviors. I am heartily fed up and want to know what, if anything is being done about this. I am at my wits end for want of a good nights sleep with out a plane flying overhead every hour of the day.

A curfew should definitely be the priority, insulation schemes are not perfect; people are forced to shut themselves up in their homes and can't open doors or windows, noise will still penetrate the insulation, and it can be used as justification for not having to reduce or change flight patterns in future. Once people agree to an insulation scheme, the argument to restrict flight times will be at risk.

There has been little progress on this issue since it was posted on Steven Irons website, but I hope people at least complete the form he has at the top of the page and contact Air Services Australia each time they have a complaint.

Hello to everyone that has been posting on this blog and I appreciate the time you have taken to do so. There have been quite a few requests for contact back so please leave a full name and a phone number and it will make it easier for us to do so.
I'm sure you are all aware that the coalition managed to get a Senate inquiry into the practices of ASA last year and there were recommendations made from that inquiry. Here is a link to that report. http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/rrat_ctte/aircraft_noise/index.htm
One thing that was clear from that inquiry and the work that I and my colleagues Don Randall and Judi Moylan did was that ASA are not going to reverse the changes made from the WARRP.
The insulation scheme that was used in Adelaide included Roof Noise insulation, double glazing and reverse cycle air-conditioning and that has been my initial approach to this issue.
An ombudsman was recently appointed and his role is to listen to the concerns of people affected by aircraft issues.
In a recent forum I asked him if his role was also to recommend solutions because that is what the people of my electorate are looking for. His response was that he initially will listen to the complaints and then progress to making recommendations. I also had a discussion with him about the sharing of flight paths because it has been raised with me by many constituents who accept that we will always have an airport but think that all the flight paths could be scattered evenly around Perth. This issue is not an easy one to address because of restricted air space in Perth due to Defence requirements. I suggest you add the Ombudsman to your email list. His details can be accessed at : www.ano.gov.au
There has been a lot of talk about a curfew and people have said we are the only airport that doesn't have one but that is not correct.
The following detail provides which airports in Australia are currently under curfew restrictions.
Curfews currently apply at Sydney, Adelaide, Coolangatta and Essendon airports under supervision of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. The rules for the 11pm to 6am curfew at Sydney Airport are laid down in the Sydney Airport Curfew Act 1995. The rules for the 11pm until 6am curfew at Adelaide Airport are laid down in the Adelaide Airport Curfew Act 2000 and the Adelaide Airport Curfew Regulations 2000. Coolangatta Airport has a curfew in operation from 11pm to 6am daily under the Air Navigation (Coolangatta Airport Curfew) Regulations 1999. The rules for the curfew at Essendon Airport are laid down in the Air Navigation (Essendon Airport) Regulations 2001. The dates of these regulations provide an indication of their genesis.
As I have said before a curfew is a last resort and my colleagues and I are still looking at ways to achieve a noise amelioration scheme. The curfew will be difficult to achieve for many reasons one of them being the use of Perth Airport by defence dept and they have to have access 24/7.
Recently a constituent has talked about a petition and class action which is an avenue to pursue but a legal challenge may get tied up in the courts for years but that does not mean it shouldn't be tried.
Where I can, I and my office are happy to assist with the petition and lodge it in Parliament as long as it meets the petition requirements for lodging.
My colleagues and I know people are looking for an immediate solution and feel that this has been dragging on too long. I happen to agree as does the new member for Hasluck Ken Wyatt and we will continue to work on behalf of all our constituents in all our electorates and I do urge you to continue to lodge factual complaints with the ASA complaint number.

Typical government feet dragging. No one can make a decision in the best interest of ALL parties not just commerce! (Just like the Bank issue and fuel company enquiry) How many years has this been going on and enquiry after enquiry and still nothing definitive. Now the airport is spending $500m dollars. Looks to me they have no intention of changing anything except the volume and intensity of noise in our area, growth at 7.5%. Well done to everyone who have made this possible.

Hi Steve,

I trust that you had a relatively peaceful nights sleep? I didn’t. Planes came over just about every hour or so last night it seems. I’m not sure why – perhaps some lucky people just got their new planes and were taking them out for a spin – the equivalent of the bogan that takes his V8 out to do some donuts on the local streets at 2am. The only difference is that if the police catch the bogan disturbing the peace, he gets into trouble. Aircraft in western Australia can make as much noise as they want, when they want with, it seems, absolutely no thought to the peace and quiet of the public below them and no consequences.

I appreciate and understand that you personally did not make these aircraft route changes Steve, however, you are the person who can best represent those of us who have been severely and adversely affected by this issue. At 2:15 I had had enough and got up and wandered around my brand new beautiful home, built for me with the smallest details taken into consideration, by my husband. He worked his butt off. I think that’s what makes this even harder, is knowing that after all the time and effort we put into this home, we aren’t able to enjoy it and from the tone of your update, I’d say nothings going to change in the future (apart from a gradual increase in the amount of air traffic – great!). It looks like all our hard work to build a home for ‘life’ for our family has been wasted here in Manning. I would love to turn back the clock to September 2008 and have received a letter from Air Services Australia, the Perth Airport, the City of South Perth, the Western Australian Government – someone – advising me that these changes were afoot. At least then we would have had a choice as to whether we would live here and build to insulate against the noise, or sell and move on. We didn’t get that choice back then when we should have and that was wrong on the part of all of the above parties. Nobody cared about the people living under that flight path whose lives would be impacted by this change.

Today I’m contacting a firm to look at double glazing our master bedroom. We can’t afford it, and will probably add the cost to our already considerable mortgage, but sanity, happiness and comfort in our own home is the price if we don’t do something. Steve, please, please, please, remind all of the Perth Airport Noise committee members that we aren’t just numbers or statistics from the Air Services complaint hotline – this is about real people, facing a very real and unfair situation. Thanks for your efforts thus far on this matter Steve.

I have lived in Ferndale since January 1980 and the Aircraft noise is getting unberable, double glazng is not the answer as we like to breathe fresh air. A curfew from Midnight till 7am Enough said

I live in Queens Park and at times when I moved into my new house, I also felt like the plane was going to land on my house. I can only sleep if I have music on in the background to block out the noise of the planes. I often wait to go to bed late so I don't get disturbed by the noise, but I generally get woken up by the planes. It is unaccceptable that reports constantly show that the noise levels are above acceptable limits in the surrounding areas with no compensation for residents.

I also support a curfew but also the double glazing would be of assistance to block out the noise during the day. Our airport needs to ultimately be relocated in the future to keep up with the demand, with a train line to the city built also.

Hi Jodie,

Would like to meet with you. Steve Irons can pass on my email address to you. I also live in Manning.

Cheers Marg.

It is not the defence aircraft that are causing this problem. A curfew for all non-defence aircraft would still be beneficial. So a curfew would not be out of the question.

John

I live in Nedlands and the gradual saturation over western suburbs of north-bound flights is evident in Air Services Australia quarterly reports since 2007. There is no doubt that residents in suburbs adjacent the airport have had their amenity serverely damaged, but many others beneath recently developed flight paths are also now suffering significant noise pollution. The owners of Perth airport have a duty of care and as a minimum would best attend to the insulation program as comprehensively set out in 2004 by the WA Department of Planning (http://www.planning.wa.gov.au/Publications/20.aspx).

Instead all we read is that Perth airport will soon expand for economic reasons. All well and good but if the people are suffering so will the economy (stupid)! Will pending class action be the source of remedy or could the government act to remedy the neglect and attend to the public interest and wellbeing - also for the benefit of the economy?

Why is it that airports like Heathrow and Zurich are surrounded by well designed and aesthetically appealing anti noise barriers and buffer zones to minimise noise disturbance to residents and Perth Airport is not? And please don't bleat about how it is too expensive. We are getting a bit tired of companies like Air Services Australia increasing their profits and making us pay, or suffer, when they pollute. It's the price of expanding your business in a residential area, and the cost of minimising noise disturbance should be borne by the noise polluter, not home owners.
Noise barriers should be planned for and built as part of the airport expansion, and home insulation and effective sound proofing measures should be funded by ASA for all affected residents.

After speaking to many local people on new years day the theme was the same from everyone. How many planes come over your place in the mornings?
For myself it is a minimum of about 10 between 6.15am and 7.30am. Some of them sound like they are 2 foot above the roof. As I am typing yet another plane!!!
We moved here 6 1/2 years ago to minimal air traffic noise. If we had wanted to listen to air traffic we would have paid less and lived near the airport.
I would agree with many others with regards to the low level the planes are at . I am sure that if they gained height quicker it may ease the problem. This problem has been on going now for awhile How long are we too blogg and send our complaints before something starts to happen?

Hi Steve

As per your email recommendation I have lodged many complaints with the ASA. After having phone discussions with them about how the complaints are dealt with, it appears all they do is forward to a committee that has no power to influence the issue. The ASA admitted they don't even know what is done with the complaints once forwarded to this committee.

Steve we need yourself, Ken Wyatt and others who have knowledge and influence in the workings of government and statutory authorities to push this issue. Thousands of people are significantly affected and being woken up at all hours of the night and early morning makes things very stressful. I was woken up this morning at 1am, 2am and 4am by aircraft flying low overhead. Curfew is the only effective answer because insulation schemes are not impervious to noise and airports will use it as justification to increase flights at all hours because people should no longer have any complaints.

Steve please work hard for your consituents and don't give up on curfews simply because it's too hard.

I totally agree with you Brian. Steve Irons needs to meet with some of his consituents. I would also suggest you contact the Aircraft Noise Ombudsman Mr Ron Brent. I live in Manning and also suffering.

Stephen Smith used to wax loquacious about this when in opposition, now, the only silence we hear is from the Member for Perth....

The only way that this will get sorted is by a class action.

Seems to me that a fair few are from Waterford / Como area which is a pretty affluent area, are there any Solicitors being effected that could shed some light on the credibility of a class action and the chances of getting a good result?

People seem to be realy suffering which is wrong in a modern society, there should be a night time curfew just like most major cities around the world, once we have this then the other issues can be addressed.

I for one would join just to get a good nights sleep

Would be happy for people to contact me direct. btbmaj4@bigpond.com Waterford, Manning and Como, also others outside the area. Drop my email address to your neighbours.

Let's deal with this issue.

Regards Margaret Major

Hi Marg and others,

I really feel we should all plan a time to put our heads together because I don't feel anything significant will happen pro actively by our government to enforce a curfew on commercial airlines between a reasonable 11pm and 6am. Marg, feel free to email me so we can arrange a time with everyone especially if you personally are in contact with others so we can draft this petition once and for all and have it tabled at parliament.

I received a letter from Scott Stone General Manager Aviation Environment. He states the Government outlined its policy on the matter of night time curfews in the National Aviation Policy White Paper, released in Dec 2009 which was to maintain existing curfew arrangements at Australian airports. What curfew?? We have planes flying over Waterford at 2am and well before 6am. I am also perplexed by the comments that Airservices Australia were required to consult with the community re the flightpath changes. I am yet to meet anyone who knows anything about being consulted.

My daughter lives in Kensington and the planes are extremely low there. The booming roar as planes prepare to land is ridiculous. The landing wheels are clearly visible.

It is disappointing that other countries can effectively manage their airport noise but the Australian Government just expects Australian residents to just put up with the noise.

Shared flightpaths are an option, curfews are an option and the angle of take off and landing are an option. Planes could also follow the line of the river rather than going over rooftops. Why is there no negotiation and compromise by our Government. Sure, the agencies listen but that is all they are doing.

I note Barnett's comment 'if you live near the airport you must expect noise' well I'd love to move to Cottesloe! Anyway, St James isn't that close; when I moved here 11 yrs ago the noise level was much lower and I don't remember aircraft flying low over my house when the wind was in the wrong direction. Airport expansion is commensurate with noise so if expansion is needed then measures to alleviate increased noise levels should be factored into the expansion. Notwithstanding the defence requirments, curfew the same as other airports in Australia is only fair. Defence could be exempt?

Is it just me, or has the number of aircraft coming over Manning/Como increased in recent weeks? We now regularly see aircraft coming in to land (flying very low) as well as those taking off! Aircraft now regularly fly to either side of my house, in front of my house, and now behind my house! This situation is ridiculous! This is a residential area that is nowhere near the airport and comments about 'expecting' the noise if you live in proximity are completely irrelevant! WE DO NOT LIVE NEAR THE AIRPORT!! Air Services Australia decided to make a major change to aircraft routes in Perth with no consultation with the local community. It's fairly obvious why they didn't consult - they knew what the response would be. So they just went ahead and did it. Now we are all expected to live with it? And the Government says 'oh well'?? Something needs to be done. Those of us in the homes affected by this issue should not just have to live with it. It is not fair, and it is not right.

We bought a great house in Kensington 2 years ago. We pushed ourselves financially a little more than we would have liked so we could live in a quiet and pleasant area. There was no aircraft noise at any of the numerous times we visited the property and we did our research. There was no evidence available to suggest that this would change in the near future.

Well, the situation has now definitely changed!! Regular low flying planes are now the norm and it is becoming a real pain. If we had wanted to spend far less of our hard-earned income and live under a flight path then fair enough. No complaints, as we would have known what we were in for from the start and we would have been happy in the knowledge that at least we had spent a lot less money on the house. If this noise persists then we have been absolutely shafted. We've paid a premium for the property and the quiet surroundings which do not now exist.

What will be done? In all honesty, probably nothing at all.

All we can really do is rely on our local representative. Come on Steve, help us out here if you can!

Dave, we feel exactly the same way. When we bulldozed our old house to build this new one, there were 'a few' planes throughout the day - nothing to take any notice of. My how things have changed! Even from the time we moved in to our new house in Jan 2010, the planes have gradually increased in volume, noise, and even the directions in which they fly 'around' our house! People who go on about making a choice to live near an airport are not getting it - when you make an informed decision to purchase a property under a flight path, then yes, you can't turn around and then complain about it. But like many others in the Manning, Como, Kensington area, we didn't choose to live under a flight path - Air Services Australia chose that for us AFTER we had purchased our expensive property in a beautiful quiet location.....it's just not fair and I sincerely hope they do not get away with it.

Just had a mischevious thought, wonder where the CEO of ASA lives? Under a flight path or nearby?

I have lived in Vic Park for 25 years, and I have always enjoyed it here. I live on a once quiet street between Shepparton Rd and Albany Hway. I have always maintained I would never live in an aircraft route suburb with aircraft noise and exhaust pollution. I remember about a year ago we were told (via the press) that because of extension works to a runway, aircraft were being re-routed and we could suffer overhead aircraft noise for about 10 weeks. I though, okay, that's acceptable, but what we suffer now with constant low aircraft over my subburb is NOT okay. Is this going to be ongoing? Has someone just snuck this in on us and thought no one will notice? Is this just a temporary problem? Can someone please explain, the traffic seems to have tripled in the last few weeks.

There are now aircraft every few minutes or so flying everyday at any time of day be it during day working time or even middle of night or early hours of the morning and the planes fly so low it must be only 50 - 100m of the ground.

It is appaling that even the ombudsman appear to be powerless to apply any action to the ASA and I've just been informed that the ombudsman is away on extended medical leave until July - so what happens then - do we sit tight and plug our ears???

- Really fed up -

It was comforting to read in Sunday's paper how people are relieved to find that the recent increase in aircraft noise over certain suburbs is only temporary, due to some airport maintenance. Great I thought. Then over the last two days I have unfortunately been reminded that I'm one of the unlucky ones. The changes made by Air Services Australia that affect mine and many other homes aren't temporary. They don't relate to airport maintenance. They're here to stay. It seems that the government likes to remind us all of the fact that we are all benefiting in some way from WA's mining boom (a big reason for the increased air traffic around Perth, and the reason given by Air Services Australia for having to make the air route changes). No arguments there. We may all be benefiting in some way, but unfortunately only a few seem to be suffering as a result. It seems to me that there must be some kind of reasonable solution out there. Don't allow planes to fly over Perth from midnight to 6am seems reasonable enough? Vary the route taken, so it's not the same homes affected through those midnight 6am hours? Put my home on the market and move (although we only finished building it a year ago)? Even that doesn't seem a completely safe option - if Air Services Australia got away with this once, who's to say they won't do it again in the future and ruin some other completely unsuspecting suburb?

Jodie is right - move or stay at your peril. What kind of system is that?
We really need to get the federal labor government out, nothing will happen otherwise. ASA don't care. Albanese doesn't care. WA is a cash-cow for the government, but other than that we are largely ignored.
It seems like the Public Servants no longer want to serve their public. Vote 'em out.

Seeing that my older post disappeared, I have to say it again:
1.) There is nothing more ridiculous than to claim that a curfew in Perth is not possible. Of course it is and must be introduced as the airport is in a residential area.
2.) The present flight paths are an affront against residents, they are justified with economic reasons, it costs much less fuel to turn over the city instead of flying out and turning later which would take a few minutes longer. The only flight path that must be used is straight to the north and south. The present use of the - now extended - cross runway is completely unaccaptable.

We must do something!

Kensington, Vic Pk and now I can add South Perth. All now airport flight path suburbs. It's terrible and will affect property values unless something is done. Friday 27 May between 5.45 and 6.30pm there were flights directly overhead building in frequency to every 1-2 minutes, jets, turbo-props you name it. If the wind is blowing, forget it, the planes are on top of us. We had no say in this which is just wrong. Time for people power action.

Ryan, ocniv - even after a damning senate inquiry into ASA the government decided not to review the flight path changes. This disservice to the Public is simply astonishing.
People power in this instance did virtually nothing. Democracy? I don't think so.

Hi Steve.
I have a 5 months old baby. He has sleep deprievation and that's affecting his health. We have roof insulation as its a newly built house. Trust me it doesnt help when the plane flies that low.
We all deserve a decent lifestyle and I think a good night sleep makes a person happy when he wakes up. I'm FOR a curfew.

Nobody in south perth had any concern when people in the poorer suburbs had babies with sleep deprivation and lower real estate values, but now that they are personally effected they want the problem palmed off to someone else.

Steve obviously you have to consider the needs of your constituents but please consider the broader perspective on this issue.

I am a como resident and I like the majority of swan constituents who don't feel the need to comment on this article, can accept the fact that planes have to fly over someones house and it is extremely self centered to complain when it's yours.

What a completely irrelevant post by Dave August 23 2011. 'Nobody in South Perth had any concern when people in poorer suburbs had babies with sleep deprivation, Real estate values, yada yada yada.' What's he on about? This guy needs to get off his horse. Not being concerned until you are affected?? Does this guy assume that everyone who lives in South Perth is a rich snob, completely self absorbed in their own comfort? Take a drive around the area.....This guy obviously does not have an issue with the increase in aircraft over this area. Great for him. However, there is no need to belittle and condescend to those who do. The real issue here is that a change has been made to the amenity of this area. In just the same way a quiet suburban street being transformed into a major road will have a major impact on the people living on that road, so it is the same in the sky. People living underneath previously existing air traffic routes would have no doubt made an informed decision when deciding to live there. The issue here is that those who ARE affected, and DO have an issue with the Nov 08 changes, were NOT afforded any kind of say, or even TOLD that this was going to happen. To go on a forum like this and call those people who have just as much right as him to their thoughts and concerns about what goes on in the area they live in, all extremely self centered?? Wow. Go away.

The previously existing flight path we live under was considerably wider and did not have departing international air traffic, most of the previous aircraft traffic flow further south, on flight paths not used now.

We have lived in Belmont for 20 years and I have grown up with the planes overhead, it was just something we all took for granted. Oh how things have changed ! we are in a direct line from the cross run way and when that runway is used the planes now cast a shadow (along with horrendous noise) over our house. This runway is only used in certain conditions and I rang the airport authority to find out with the new airport terminal etc if this runway was to be used more often - definately no help there - we are thinking of selling and moving to Kensington/Vic Park but luckliy after finding this website even that wont help with avoiding the planes - has anyone any idea how I would find out about the use of this cross run way ?

Hi Ann

you need to contact neu@airservicesaustralia.com I would be interested to know there reply. please post it on the blog.
Good luck. Do they care?

Thanks for that email address, I have emailed them over a week ago and I am still waiting for a reply - bloody marvellous customer service !

For anyone wanting to know when flights will be flying over Manning/BOTTOM of Como taking off from the bottom end of the main/big runway I have highlighted the in yellow when the wind direction will be in such a way that planes will take off from the Southern End of the runway and then fly over Manning to head North - this blog doesn't allow for HTML so just cut and paste the link to your browser

[IMG]http://i42.tinypic.com/v4y0sn.jpg[/IMG]

http://i42.tinypic.com/v4y0sn.jpg

You are in for a very noisy week this week. Good luck I feel your pain.

When we moved here ten years ago from an area that was under a flight path! We moved as Ferndale was a was a nice quiet suburb and wanted to get AWAY from the noise.
Now every 5 to 10 minutes a plane rattles our windows. My son plays in the back yard and has to put up with the noise from planes and the fuel smells.
Not to mention the devaluation of our property.
I want this fixed! I would never have moved here if I had known I was moving back into a flight path.

Hi Anne (Oct 4, 2011). I completely understand where you are coming from. I grew up in Cloverdale and apart from a number of years overseas, I have always lived in the area. I remember that the planes were always noisy, but the actual number of the planes (low) made the noise bearable. Now, the sheer number of flights means that instead of one noise for a plane take off, it's a constant noise for hours on end. This morning, as with every morning for a number of weeks, we had 35 flights go over or near our house in the hour between 6am - 7am. That's according to Webtrack via WAC website. 35!!!

And yet the Federal Government refuses to do anything about it.

Personally, I would like the Omsbudsman, members of AirServices Australia and Anthony Albanese to come and sleep at my house for a week so they can hear from themselves what the planes and flight paths are doing to the quality of life we have. Just wish I could afford to move!!

Why wouldn't they relocate the airport further out? Extend a train line out to it? Common bloody sense! Perth airport is the laughing stock of Australia. I'd pay more tax to move it out. There has to be some land where (the worst town planners in the world) are not going to throw a heap of houses and can build more industrial areas. imagine what they could develop on the old airport. be a good place to put a new sports stadium?, housing? You can't think that giving everyone a handout is the right option, insulating houses etc, you have to move it away from suburbia. Long term planning is the key to make sure no one in any suburb has to put up with this rubbish. We should be protecting Perth not just one small area. I live in Ferndale and i wouldn't wish this on any resident in any city.

I agree with Julian, this is a problem you wouldnt wish on anyone else...although some kind of solution in the mean time would be good. I don't understand why the line the aircraft take when they take off can't vary slightly with each plane. I'm no technical genius but perhaps it all relates to wind direction. I just know that it frustrates the hell out of me that my neighbours one block further down would probably only ever hear the 'distant' sound of aircraft as opposed to the very different sound when it comes almost directly over your rooftop! The frequency of the aircraft is really the thing that makes this stand out as an issue. I think just about anyone would cope with the odd plane zooming overhead, but when you get constant noise for a couple of hours, you get irrate unhappy people. I hope this issue is still a priority for Steve. Meanwhile, here comes another one...