Extending the Runway?

Save Our Castle

A website promoting the removal of the introduced Australian Noise Exposure Forecase (ANEF) zoning constrainst on properties in Raymond Terrace

SafeEars main plateform is to ‘Extend the Runway’, which they say will solve the noise problems over Raymond Terrace.  Unfortunately there is no scientific evidence yet to support this.  Also no members of the SafeEars committee have any technical Defence experience to back up this solution.

 

My husband has over 30 years experience in Airforce Ground Communication and Airfield systems and has analysed the available data with the following conclusions:

 

• Extending the runway will allow larger/heavier aircraft to land at RAAF Williamtown Airport which will increase the ANEF contours over Raymond Terrace.
• From examining the Transparent Noise Information Package (TNIP) data, the only JSF flight track that transits over Raymond Terrace is an Instrument Landing (ILS) Track.  As this ILS track must be used for all aircraft (Military and Civilian both large and small) the ILS must be aligned to the western threshold, (and not the middle as proposed by SafeEars) which will not move with an extended runway and therefore will not change the current ANEF 2025.
• Hawk approach tracks cannot move further east as they will further encroach on the majority of Raymond Terrace residents, therefore extending the runway will not change these tracks, or their effect on the ANEF 2025.
• Building a second runway may move the ANEF noise footprint, but would allow a substantial increase in aircraft traffic, which would likely increase the ANEF footprint.

SafeEars have been made aware of this data since June 2010 and it has been brought up for review at their meetings (including the last residence meeting at the Bowling Club), they for some unknown reasons have chosen to ignore it.

It would be very unfortunate if the runway was extended at the insistance of local council/SafeEars (Defence will not complain as they have wanted to do this for years and have purchased land to the East of the airport to do just that)  and it is found that the ANEF increases, or is not changed. This shows the dangers of solutionising, leave it to the experts guys.