Kempsey Airport’s draft Noise Management Plan is open for comment

The draft Noise Management Plan (NMP) and Fly Neighbourly Advice (FNA) documents will be on public exhibition for 12 weeks as part of Kempsey Shire Council’s multi-staged project to reviewing airport operations.

Specialist consultants, The Airport Group, were engaged in July 2018 to conduct a noise monitoring study and use the data to prepare the draft documents.

The Save Kempsey Airport Action Group (SKAAG) encourage residents in the Macleay Valley to read the report produced by council and lodge a submission. 

President of SKAAG Adam Ulrick said the report confirms the concerns held by a number of residents have towards the ongoing circuit training at Kempsey Airport.

“The NMP confirmed the communities concerns that industrial scale circuit training is not appropriate at Kempsey Airport as it was destroying resident’s amenity, wellbeing, health and safety,” he said. 

“The level of noise experienced by a large section of the community was completely unacceptable and it will only get worse and affect more people if council succeeds in retaining and expanding circuit training operations.”

Council’s Director Corporate and Commercial, Stephen Mitchell, said the release of the draft report followed a review meeting between specialist consultants, The Airport Group, and Kempsey Airport Reference Group (KARG) late last year.

“This is an issue of importance to our local community and I’m pleased that we’ve been able to work constructively with the key stakeholders to reach this significant milestone of releasing the draft report for public comment,” Mr Mitchell said.

Mr Ulrick said the data collected over eight weeks shows the impact circuit training has on the community.

“Data recorded in the eight-week noise monitoring period clearly shows that Aldavilla Primary School is in the worst affected area. The school is severely impacted by noise on a minute by minute basis as aircraft repeatedly circle overhead. The noise level of 70 decibels or more is the equivalent of a vacuum cleaner or lawnmower starting in the classroom every minute,” he said.

Council encourages the community to read the report online and lodge a submission with their feedback for council to review.

“I encourage community members to read the draft documents, which are quite complex and technical in nature, and give their informed input into the future operations of our airport,” Mr Mitchell said.

To view the draft documents on Your Say Macleay, visit: https://yoursay.macleay.nsw.gov.au/fna_nmp 

Submissions close on Friday, April 26 2019. Community feedback will then be reviewed and assessed before a final report is presented to council for consideration.

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