Canberra Airport is one of 21 federally leased airports administered by the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government under the Airports Act 1996.
While the ACT Government has no direct influence or control over Canberra Airport’s operations, growth and planning matters, it is interested to ensure that the benefits delivered by the airport to the ACT and region are balanced against community needs and residential amenity.
In recognition of this interest, recent initiatives undertaken by the ACT Government in relation to Aviation Policy include:
More information on Aviation at a Federal level can be found on the Department of Infrastructures, Transport Website 
.
For information on Canberra Airport visit the Canberra Airport Website .
This Memorandum of Understanding provides a mechanism for engagement between the ACT Government and Canberra Airport on operational and development issues to ensure the interests of the Canberra community are considered now and into the future.
The MOU provides for the establishment of an Integration Committee consisting of senior Government Officials from CMD, ACTPLA and TAMS and Airport management.
The committee meets quarterly to work through issues relating to the development of the Airport and aviation policy as set out in the MoU’s goals:
The MoU does not place any legal obligation on either party, especially in the ACT Government’s ability to raise legitimate concerns regarding the impact of aircraft noise and non-aviation activities on Canberra and its residents.
In response to the concerns expressed about the perceived high levels of aircraft noise in the northern suburbs of Canberra, Airservices Australia undertook to install a portable Noise Monitoring Terminal in Hackett for a 12 month noise monitoring study. The monitor was installed in late December 2008 with the monitoring commencing on 1 January 2009.
A Consultant from the Acoustics & Vibration Unit at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) campus at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) was engaged by CMD to validate the methodology and technical aspects of the Airservices Australia noise monitoring study in Hackett and to undertake independent analysis of the first six months of data (January to June 2009) produced from the monitoring. This approach of utilising the Airservices Australia data enabled the noise data to be readily correlated with the flight path data also collected by Airservices Australia.
The report findings provide a measurement and analysis of aircraft noise in Hackett and detailed information on aircraft operations at Canberra Airport. The concerns of residents of North Canberra are also included.
Assessment of Aircraft Noise in Hackett: Executive Summary [
PDF 155KB]
Assessment of Aircraft Noise in Hackett [ PDF 3.7MB]
As a federally leased airport, Canberra Airport is subject to the planning framework in the Airports Act 1996. As part of the planning framework, airports are required to prepare a Master Plan.
In August 2009, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP approved Canberra Airport’s 2009 Master Plan. A copy of the Canberra Airport Master Plan can be found on the Canberra Airport Website .
As part of the consultation process the ACT Government provided a submission to Canberra Airport to the Preliminary Draft Master Plan.
ACT Submission to the Preliminary Draft Master Plan [ PDF 127KB]
In April 2008 the Australian Government released an Aviation Issues Paper as a basis for consultation and engagement and represents the first stage in developing an Aviation White Paper. The ACT Government provided a Submission.
ACT Government Submission to Aviation Issues Paper [ PDF 625.6KB]
Following public feed-back received on the Issues Paper the Federal Government released an Aviation Green Paper in December 2008 outlining a range of policy options and possible reforms for the future of Australia's aviation industry. The ACT Government was provided an opportunity to input on the policy options it contained.
ACT Government Submission on the Aviation Policy Green Paper [ PDF 1.5MB]
The Aviation White Paper was released by the Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government following a review all submissions to the Green Paper. More information on the Aviation White Paper can be found on the Department of Infrastructure and Transport Website
