This bill did not become law and is no longer proceeding.
Government & democracy
Brisbane Airport would face a night curfew from 10 pm to 6 am, with penalties for unauthorised flights and for noisy reverse thrustA way aircraft slow down after landing by pushing engine power backward, which the bill treats as noisy activity during the curfew. or missed approaches during curfew hours.
Growing air traffic at Brisbane Airport left nearby communities exposed to aircraft noise and other impacts without enough long-term, consultative planning. The bill responds by imposing a night curfew, capping hourly movements, requiring slot controls, and forcing a long-term plan focused on reducing noise.
Plans for Brisbane Airport’s second parallel runway were expected to receive federal approval in September 2007 despite warnings it would spread aircraft noise, and after the runway opened in 2020 residents in affected suburbs reported worsening overnight disturbance, a surge in complaints and dissatisfaction with existing planning and consultation arrangements. The government created a community airspace advisory board in March 2023, but the Greens’ October 2023 bill argued that consultation alone was not enough and proposed a curfew, movement cap and slot controls; although the bill later fell from the Notice PaperThe parliamentary list of business for the chamber; if a bill is removed from it, the bill has effectively stopped progressing., the minister separately directed Airservices in September 2024 to change runway operations by 30 November 2024 to reduce noise.
The main case against the bill was an implementation and capacity concern: a night curfew, hourly movement cap and tighter slot controls could make Brisbane Airport less flexible and risk more delays, cancellations or constraints on future growth. That concern appears only indirectly in broader aviation reporting and earlier government opposition to a Brisbane curfew, while no party represented in the debate opposed the bill itself.
Elizabeth Watson-Brown MP introduced this bill. Speeches supporting it came from Greens.
Did it become law?
No
The bill did not complete passage through Parliament.
Final passage
No final passage
The bill has not completed passage and is no longer proceeding.
Time before failure
253 days
From introduction to the final recorded step before the bill stopped proceeding
Meaning
Brisbane Airport would face a night curfew from 10 pm to 6 am, with penalties for unauthorised flights and for noisy reverse thrustA way aircraft slow down after landing by pushing engine power backward, which the bill treats as noisy activity during the curfew. or missed approaches during curfew hours.
Flights could still use Brisbane Airport during curfew hours in emergencies or if the Minister gives special permission for exceptional circumstances.
Brisbane Airport would be capped at 45 aircraft movements in any regulated hourAny hour the bill uses for the movement cap, where Brisbane Airport would be limited to 45 aircraft movements., and the Minister could lower that cap after consulting airlines and South East Queensland communities.
Airlines would need permission for gate movements at Brisbane Airport under a new slot allocation schemeThe permission system the bill proposes for gate movements, so airlines would need an approved slot before moving aircraft in or out of gates., with penalties for unauthorised gate movements.
The Minister would have to produce a long-term operating plan for Brisbane Airport within 12 months, with community consultation and a focus on cutting aircraft noise for residents, including more flights over Moreton Bay.
This clause clarifies that the curfew will be from 10 PM to 6 AM the following day and the penalty for flights taking off or landing outside the curfew. This clause also clarifies the penalty for the use of reverse engine thrust outside of the curfew and the stipulations for lodging a return and for landing outside of the curfew due to a missed approach and the stipulations for lodging a return.Brisbane Airport Curfew and Demand Management explanatory memorandum
This division establishes the regulations or circumstances under which flights may take off or land outside of the curfew period. These include emergencies (and the definition for emergencies), special dispensation agreed to by the Minister for exceptional circumstances.Brisbane Airport Curfew and Demand Management explanatory memorandum
This Part sets the maximum aircraft movement limit as 45 in any regulated hour, but clarifies that the Minister has the power to lower that limit through legislative instrument. Before making that decision the Minister would have to broadly consult with industry and South East Queensland community stakeholders, providing notice of that consultation ahead of time. This part also establishes that Airservices Australia will monitor flight movements and report to the Minister on Brisbane Airport’s compliance and infringement with the movement limit.Brisbane Airport Curfew and Demand Management explanatory memorandum
This Part of the Bill establishes the Slot Manager Scheme and its basic purpose, which is to establish a system for the allocation of permissions for gate movements at Brisbane Airport, including definitions and detailed contents in the scheme. While the Scheme establishes the powers of the Slot Manager, clause 36 and 37 outline the powers and requirements for the Minister to alter the Scheme and the Slot Manager’s responsibilities.Brisbane Airport Curfew and Demand Management explanatory memorandum
This clause establishes that the Minister must develop a Long Term Operating Plan that covers the management of aircraft movements and airspace at Brisbane airport including flight noise abatement, community impact and other related matters. The Clause also stipulates that there must be broad consultation, and specific consideration given to minimising noise and disturbance to residents, including directing flights to take-off and land over Moreton Bay. This is critical as no consideration has been given to this matter, and as a result residents are suffering from noise and amenity impacts. The Plan must be tabled in Parliament 12 months from the commencement of the Act and the Minister must take all reasonable steps to ensure the Plan is implemented.Brisbane Airport Curfew and Demand Management explanatory memorandum
Context
Plans for Brisbane Airport’s second parallel runway were expected to receive federal approval in September 2007 despite warnings it would spread aircraft noise, and after the runway opened in 2020 residents in affected suburbs reported worsening overnight disturbance, a surge in complaints and dissatisfaction with existing planning and consultation arrangements. The government created a community airspace advisory board in March 2023, but the Greens’ October 2023 bill argued that consultation alone was not enough and proposed a curfew, movement cap and slot controls; although the bill later fell from the Notice PaperThe parliamentary list of business for the chamber; if a bill is removed from it, the bill has effectively stopped progressing., the minister separately directed Airservices in September 2024 to change runway operations by 30 November 2024 to reduce noise.
Second runway approval expected within days
Reporting said federal approval for Brisbane Airport’s second parallel runway was expected later that week, renewing concerns that the expansion would increase aircraft noise over surrounding suburbs.
Australian Financial Review ↗Brisbane Airport's second runway opens and noise complaints surge
Supporters of the bill said the new runway's operation from 2020 left Brisbane with more aircraft noise complaints than all other major Australian airports combined.
Hansard ↗Government sets up Brisbane Airport Community Airspace Advisory BoardA community consultation body set up to advise on Brisbane Airport airspace and noise issues after earlier review processes ended.
The board was created as an ongoing community consultation body after the earlier post-implementation review forum had finished.
Department of Infrastructure ↗Greens introduce a bill for a Brisbane curfew and flight cap
The private member's bill proposed a 10 pm to 6 am curfew, a 45-movement hourly cap, slot controls and a long-term operating plan aimed at cutting aircraft noise.
Parliamentary timeline ↗The Brisbane curfew bill is removed from the Notice PaperThe parliamentary list of business for the chamber; if a bill is removed from it, the bill has effectively stopped progressing.
This ended the bill's parliamentary run without the proposed curfew and demand-management scheme becoming law.
Parliamentary timeline ↗Minister orders Airservices to change Brisbane runway operations
The direction required Airservices AustraliaThe federal agency that manages air traffic services, and in this page is also described as helping monitor Brisbane Airport's movement cap and runway changes. to implement recommendation 2.1 of the Noise Action Plan for Brisbane by 30 November 2024 to reduce noise for nearby residents.
Department of Infrastructure ↗Legislative route
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Key criticism
The main case against the bill was an implementation and capacity concern: a night curfew, hourly movement cap and tighter slot controls could make Brisbane Airport less flexible and risk more delays, cancellations or constraints on future growth. That concern appears only indirectly in broader aviation reporting and earlier government opposition to a Brisbane curfew, while no party represented in the debate opposed the bill itself.
Recorded criticism was limited and mostly indirect rather than a clear parliamentary campaign against the bill.
Could reduce airport flexibility and capacity
The clearest criticism was that stricter curfew, movement-cap and slot rules could make airport operations less flexible, potentially adding delays, cancellations or limits on future growth. This was not a major theme in the bill debate itself, but it is consistent with aviation-sector arguments that noise-driven operating limits can block efficiency changes.
Further sources
Votes
No recorded votes were found before this bill stopped proceeding.
Parliamentary debate
Start here — lead voices
Watson-Brown strongly supports the bill and says Brisbane residents deserve a curfew, flight caps and a long-term operating plan to stop aircraft noise destroying sleep.
Read in Hansard ↗Chandler-Mather says the Greens support the bill because Brisbane residents deserve real noise limits, including a night curfew and flight cap, rather than being forced to live with growing aircraft noise.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
2 speakers · 2 support
“I rise to speak to my private member's bill to introduce a curfew, cap on flights and create a long-term operating plan for Brisbane airport.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
“The Greens will always stand with the people in that fight. The community is tired of playing by airports rules, tired of being lied to and tired of giving up their lives to participate in endless technical reviews and sham consultations that go nowhere.”Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
House · Removed from the Notice Paper in accordance with (SO 42)
Removed from the Notice PaperThe parliamentary list of business for the chamber; if a bill is removed from it, the bill has effectively stopped progressing. in accordance with (SO 42)
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
