MEDIA RELEASE The Hon Anthony Albanese MP Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government 11 June 2009 AA301/2009

IMPROVED NOISE SHARING AT SYDNEY AIRPORT The first stage of essential safety work on Sydney Airport's east-west runway has been completed on schedule, allowing restrictions on its use to be significantly eased from next Monday. This means noise sharing will re-commence during the highly sensitive early morning (6-7am) and evening (7-11pm) periods, with the east-west runway again available for both arrivals and departures operating in a westerly direction. Due to ongoing works at the western end of the east-west runway, landings from the west will only be possible when the runway is operationally required because of weather or medical emergencies. Construction of a Runway End Safety Area (RESA) at the western end of the east-west runway has been critical to making sure Sydney Airport continues to meet international safety standards. I am particularly pleased that this construction work has been achieved in such a timely fashion.  However I recognise that despite efforts to minimise the noise impacts, the residents of the Inner West have been affected by the need to carry out this necessary safety upgrade. The action I took in imposing 22 conditions on the works to minimise the noise impact on surrounding communities included mandating the construction of a jet blast barrier, allowing some aircraft to depart off the eastern end of the runway throughout the construction period. Increasing work times to around the clock has halved the period of severe disruption to noise sharing from 15 to 8 months.  Airservices Australia also introduced an additional noise sharing mode (Mode 15). I look forward to the runway being fully operational in March 2010, thereby ensuring that normal noise sharing operations can resume. I also thank the members of Sydney Airport Community Forum for the constructive role they have all played throughout this entire process. Media Contacts Jeff Singleton ( Albanese's Office ) 0410 476 890   URL: http://www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au/aa/releases/2009/June/aa301_2009.htm