Action 2 

Write to your local Federal MP calling for a curfew and flight caps

With the release of the draft flight paths and recently proposed adjustments to overnight flightpaths, the best thing you can do right now is to write to your Federal Member of Parliament letting them know that you don’t support a 24/7 airport and calling on the Federal Government to:

• legislate a night-time curfew between 11pm and 6am, flight caps and long-term operating plan for Western Sydney Airport consistent with the current arrangements for Kingsford Smith Airport

• redesign all flight paths, including those from Kingsford Smith Airport, prior to the opening of the Western Sydney Airport to reduce flight path impacts on all affected residents and natural areas in the Sydney basin

• restrict flights of aircraft over World Heritage Areas and areas of high biodiversity, including Burragorang State Recreation Area, to a minimum height of  30,000 feet, with the exception of emergency aircraft

• develop a new regulatory framework for airports, aircraft noise standards at ground level and air pollution that prioritises the safety, health and wellbeing of people over commercial interests.

The email addresses for Federal Members of Parliament for the areas affected by WSI airport flightpaths is at the bottom of this page.

What should I say in my letter in addition to the points above?

It is very important to personalise your letter. You should speak about the effects the new airport will have on you and your family’s life because of where you live and the noise pollution you will experience from a 24/7 airport.

The sorts of things you might wish to say include:

• You reject the draft WSI flightpaths including the proposed adjustments announced on Friday 2 August 2024 given their significant impacts on people and the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and Burragorang State Recreation Area. The impacts are understated or ignored in the EIS.

• You have young/school aged children who attend childcare/schools under the proposed flightpaths. You are very concerned about the impact aircraft noise will have on their learning and that you are aware that noise impacts educational outcomes.

• You are concerned about the impact the flightpaths will have on your/your family’s sleep as you live under the proposed flightpaths. You know that 8 hours of sleep is recommended by highly regarded health bodies and that a lack of sleep affects a person’s health, wellbeing and performance at school, work, and participation in everyday life. There is good evidence that chronically disturbed sleep is associated with poor health outcomes including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and accidents.

• You are concerned that you will receive no government assistance to noise proof your home because it sits outside the criteria outlined in the draft policy governing compensation for noise remediation. The noise standards for aircraft noise are outdated and should be reviewed and replaced with new standards that measure noise at ground level as a matter of urgency.

• You are concerned about the impact the Western Sydney International Airport and its flightpaths will have on the value of your home, and your ability to sell and purchase a new home in an area unaffected by aircraft noise particularly given the current economic environment with out-of-reach property prices.

• You are concerned that the airport and its flightpaths will put at risk the World Heritage listing of the Blue Mountains and associated National Parks. It was the proposal to build an airport at Badgery’s Creek in 1999 that delayed their listing as a World Heritage Area. 

• You are concerned about the impact the proposed flightpaths will have on the flora, fauna and biodiversity of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and the Burragorang State Recreation Area in which Warragamba Dam is located. There is abundant international, scientific evidence that noise pollution adversely impacts many species of animals, especially birds, leading to loss in species richness in communities. The draft WSI Airport flightpath EIS failed to include any mitigation of adverse impacts on fauna.

• You are concerned that the airport flightpaths will destroy the very reasons you enjoy visiting the Blue Mountains - escaping the intensity of the city to experience the peace and quiet afforded by the towns of the Blue Mountains; or bush walking and camping in the wilderness areas of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, where one can bask in the sounds of nature and experience relief from the noise and intensity of everyday life.

• You are concerned that the airport and its flightpaths will destroy tourism and small businesses in the Blue Mountains because it will destroy the very reasons people go to NSW’s most visited National Park including its unimpeded views of the spectacular Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and its major landmarks like Echo Point and Mount Solitary. In 2022 there were 6.4 million domestic visits to the World Heritage-listed national park, which is home to 260,000 hectares of bushland, including the Three Sisters, Meehni, Wilmah and Gunnedoo.

Should I send a copy of my letter to anyone else?

We encourage you to cc your email to the Prime Minister (Anthony Albanese), the Minister for the Environment and Water (Tanya Plibersek) and the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government (Catherine King) so they hear firsthand just how concerned the residents of Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains are.

Emails for the Federal MPs for electorates affected by the proposed flightpaths for WSI Airport are below as well as the Prime Minister, Minister King and Minister Plibersek.

We would also be grateful if you would cc rawsaconnect@gmail.com so that we can keep a record of the number of people expressing concern about the draft flightpaths to the Federal Government.

What if I have questions about any of the above?

Just contact us at rawsaconnect@gmail.com