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Performance

Facilitating sustainable aviation

Balance community and environmental interests with industry performance

KPI results2020-21
Result		2021-22
Result		2022-23
Target1		2022-23
Result
Total Environmental Footprint
Environmental footprint refers to the use of natural resources across 5 categories: energy, water, land, materials, and waste. This includes reducing the use of resources through operations, procurement, and construction. (Measured annually)n/a241,510 tCO2e3

Set baseline		241,510 tCO2e221,746 tCO2e4
  1. Source: Airservices 2022-23 Corporate Plan, page 21
  2. Results are reported for the prior period due to the extensive time required to perform the calculation. For example, the calculation for the 2021-22 period was completed in December 2022 and is reported as the 2022-23 result.
  3. The 2018-19 result reported in 2021-22 was set as baseline due to it being the most recent non-COVID impacted year of operations.
  4. The 2021-22 result is the latest result available at the time of publication. The result for the 2022-23 period will be available in late 2023.

Analysis

We are progressing our aspiration towards net zero by 2050 and proactively reviewing the Australian Public Service (APS) Net Zero 2030 policy. Our Environmental Footprint (energy, waste and emissions profiles) result was calculated at 221,746 tCO2e. This result is an 8.2% reduction from our 2019 baseline figure of 241,510 tCO2e, enabling us to be on track for our targeted 10% reduction by the end of 2025-26.

We have reduced emissions through a reduction in fuel use, reduced electricity consumption at our facilities through the installation of more efficient equipment and the installation of offsetting solar panels at some of our facilities. We have also implemented new procurement considerations that measure the environmental impact of third-party supply contracts to reduce emissions.

We have progressed initiatives to uplift our community engagement practices and capabilities to improve our ability to balance community and environmental interests with industry performance. We will introduce quantitative KPIs in financial year 2023-24 to transparently measure our performance in achieving this balance.

 

Environment, community and sustainability

Faster, greener, quieter outcomes for our communities and customers enabled by our commitment to sustainable aviation.

Key initiatives

Aircraft noise management

Minimise the impact of aviation noise on communities through safe and feasible options in consultation with community and industry.

Achievements

We continued to proactively manage and minimise aircraft noise across our communities and developed options to address community noise impacts from Brisbane Airport operations. We commenced the implementation of our Noise Action Plan in January 2023, in line with the recommendations released following the Post Implementation Review (PIR) for Brisbane’s New Parallel Runway. Six design improvement options have been developed along with the baseline model, noise improvement trials and draft communication approach to the community.

We collaborated with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts in their engagement of communities in relation to the release of flight path and noise information for the Western Sydney International (WSI) Airport, which aims to balance the needs of communities and industry.

In addition, we released our draft Community Engagement Standard across Australia for community input in May 2023 and had more than 4,500 people engaging through surveys or submission, digitally and in-person. The final Community Engagement Standard was published in September 2023.

PFAS management including wastewater management

Address the pollution legacy of our past use of fire fighting agents which included per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

Achievements

We continued to proactively engage with stakeholders to develop risk-based remediation strategies to address PFAS at our airport leased areas. We have progressed remedial planning at Launceston former fire training ground and Brisbane Satellite Fire Station. PFAS stockpile removals across targeted sites in Sydney, Melbourne, Launceston and Avalon are progressing, with finalisation expected by the end of 2023.

We are progressing with wastewater trials at Hobart, Canberra, Darwin and Melbourne. The trials will inform progression of wastewater management across our sites.

We managed a significant environmental event where PFAS was detected in the potable water at our Avalon air traffic and aviation rescue fire fighting facilities.

Environment strategy

Reduced total environmental footprint by minimising our resource usage, reduced emissions and sustainable practices. Protection of our heritage sites.

Achievements

We have improved our waste management and redirected waste from landfill to recycling and upcycling, installed over 300 kilowatts of solar across our sites, committed to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles for our new services at Western Sydney International Airport, completed our comprehensive study of all our sites and understand our aviation heritage value.

Case Study

Noise Action Plan for Brisbane

Brisbane Airport’s new parallel runway commenced operation in July 2020. As with all flight path changes, we conducted a Post Implementation Review (PIR) 12 months after implementation of the new flight paths introduced to support the new runway.

From July 2021 to December 2022, we investigated whether aircraft operations and noise outcomes from Brisbane Airport’s new parallel runway were consistent with the forecasts provided in earlier environmental assessments, and if there were opportunities to improve these operations, particularly in relation to aircraft noise.

The PIR involved extensive community engagement, which included public meetings and a formal submissions process, a review of complaint data and engagement with key stakeholders, including members of Parliament and community representative groups. The recommendations of the PIR form the Noise Action Plan for Brisbane.

We continue to listen, consult,and engage as we develop options to reduce noise impacts across Brisbane.

We started implementing the Noise Action Plan for Brisbane in January 2023. Four key packages of work will be delivered:

  • covering flight path change governance
  • increasing over water operations
  • reducing the impact of night-time operations
  • reducing the concentration of operations over some communities and reviewing the wider airspace system.

We are collaborating with communities to improve noise outcome – we continue to listen, consult and engage as we develop options to reduce noise impacts across Brisbane.

Case Study

Community Engagement Standard

We launched a new national Community Engagement Standard to improve how we engage with communities on aircraft noise, flight paths and airspace changes.

Our Community Engagement Standard will help us boost our engagement across Australia, which will:

 

improve our
decision making

increase community
satisfaction

lead to greater acceptance
of final outcomes

build community networks and
trust

Our standard provides a clear and defined best- practice process for engaging with communities on flight path changes of varying scope, scale and complexity. It will help us deliver effective and inclusive engagement and will establish a benchmark to measure our performance for future community engagement activities across Australia.

We changing the way we engage with communities

There are 10 engagement principles underpinning our proposed Community Engagement Standard:

  1. Transparent
  2. Meaningful
  3. Scalable
  4. Outcomes focused
  5. Options based
  6. Inclusive
  7. Balanced
  8. Clear and concise
  9. Tailored
  10. Conscientious

We’re building these principles into our daily engagement with the most important people to our business – our stakeholders. We’re consulting early. We’re giving adequate for time for stakeholders to input to our decision making. We’re engaging more widely. We’re doing it better.

We engaged families, communities and industry across Australia inviting them to ‘have a say’ on the draft of our new national approach to engaging communities when developing and implementing flight path changes.