Did you know that Ascot has the fourth-highest aircraft noise level among 55 Brisbane suburbs based on measurements taken from uploaded recordings of a user-based, Dutch phone app?
The latest ExPlane app report showed that the average decibel levels in Ascot is 76 based on 1,081 recordings made since 2020, when Brisbane Airport’s new flightpaths were implemented.
According to Audiology, a decibel level above 70 may be comparable to busy traffic or a vacuum cleaner and could result in permanent hearing loss when extended over a long period.
Here are the 10 suburbs with the highest plane noise levels based on uploaded recordings from ExPlane app users:
| SUBURB | AVERAGE DECIBELS | RECORDINGS |
| Cannon Hill | 80dB | 84 |
| Murarrie | 80dB | 25 |
| Norman Park | 78dB | 377 |
| Ascot | 76dB | 1,081 |
| Kangaroo Point | 76dB | 72 |
| Albany Creek | 75dB | 6 |
| Clayfield | 75dB | 89 |
| Tingalpa | 75dB | 25 |
| Keperra | 75dB | 8 |
| Hendra | 74dB | 1,229 |
Brisbane locals have been uploading aircraft noise recordings on the ExPlane app, becoming the second most active users next to the Dutch since 2020. However, the Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) said that the mobile service was inaccurate.
The ExpPlane app has been tracking aircraft noise levels from airports across the world and was created by Roelof Meijer of SchipholWatch, a group of residents in Holland who opposed the expansion of Schiphol airport.
Schiphol Airport is owned by the Royal Schiphol Group, a shareholder of the Brisbane Airport.
A message from Brisbane Airport: pic.twitter.com/hvoo38lXDt
— Brisbane Airport ✈️ (@BrisbaneAirport) September 30, 2022
The report comes after BAC issued an apology for failing to comply with its Noise Abatement Procedures when Qatar airline took off at 11:00 p.m., adversely impacting residents in Hamilton and New Farm.
A move to permanently impose a curfew from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. has been introduced in the Parliament. However, BAC CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff is against the curfews and caps as these could affect the job security of 9,000 workers. Whilst Mr Graaff acknowledges the aircraft noise issues, he believes that curfews and caps are not the answers.
Meanwhile, Airservices Australia, the federal aviation industry regulator, is currently trialing Noise Improvement Trials, coursing planes to take off and land in the opposite direction to reduce the noise. Final changes to the flight path will not be adopted without community consultations thus these issues will still take more time to be resolved.