Australia's first Aircraft Noise Ombudsman, Ron Brent, says he will act independent of any and all external influences after officially starting in the role on September 1.
Brent, who served as Deputy Ombudsman (Commonwealth) for seven years prior to being appointed to the newly created position of Aircraft Noise Ombudsman (ANO) by Airservices Australia, will provide regular reports to the Airservices Board and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese and produce a detailed public annual report on aircraft noise issues.
The ANO’s roles will include:
- reviewing the handling of complaints or enquiries made to Airservices Australia about aircraft noise;
- monitoring and reporting on the effectiveness of community consultation processes relating to aircraft noise undertaken by Airservices;
- monitoring and reporting on the effectiveness of the presentation and distribution of aircraft noise-related information; and
- making recommendations to the board of Airservices for improvements relating to public consultation and handling of complaints where necessary.
Based in Canberra, Brent will serve a three-year term as Aircraft Noise Ombudsman’s (ANO), with the option for a further three-year reappointment at the completion of the current term.
While the role of the ANO admittedly will be more focused on noise concerns from airliners, speaking to Australian Flying in only his second week on the job Brent revealed that he’d already had a General Aviation-related complaint. Brent’s brief will cover all 26 airports in the country to which Airservices Australia provides air traffic control services. This includes Archerfield, Bankstown, Camden, Jandakot, Moorabbin and Parafield airports.
“I will obviously take a reasonably broad look at the portfolio,” Brent told Australian Flying. “If it’s within Airservices’ brief, then it’s within my brief to look at how the issues are being handled. I’ve already had at least one complaint come to me about General Aviation, and I expect that there will be a steady flow of those sorts of complaints as well.”
And Brent is very blunt on the inevitability of aircraft noise.
“Aircraft noise is a reality – it’s part of a modern society,” he said. “We can’t get rid of it, so the challenge is to make sure that information is conveyed as clearly and openly and honestly to individuals as can be done. One of the things I find most fascinating and enthusing about the job is the fact that it is a problem that in the end has no solution. Aircraft noise is here to stay.
"The challenge is to better manage the communications about aircraft noise, to better respond to people who have concerns, to better inform people about what they realistically can and can’t expect in relation to aircraft noise, particularly in the context of changes in flight paths and flight routes, but also just more generally information about aircraft noise.”
Brent said the ANO’s independence has been written into the charter and contract he’s been given by Airservices, which guarantees him the essential ability to act and report independently.
“I will not be influenced by the management of Airservices, but equally I’m not an advocate for those people affected by aircraft noise,” he said. “I am an independent investigator; my intention is not to allocate blame, it’s to fix problems.
“It’s not in my interest to destroy a career of independence and honest and honourable service by buckling to a bit of pressure for a job that at the end of the day is only worth doing if I can do it properly. Of course, if I ever do find that independence challenged I will not succumb to it. I simply won’t.”
While acknowledging efforts are being made by various airports around the country, Brent believes airports can improve how they communicate with their surrounding communities on aircraft noise.
“I don’t wish to be critical, but in a sense they can do better,” he offers. “Communication is not what you say, it’s what the other person hears. New technologies allow new opportunities for presenting what is really very complex technical information in a clearer way. There are innovative and interesting ways to convey information that haven’t been explored as far as they can be.”
Aircraft Noise Ombudsman Ron Brent. (Airservices)
