The government will abandon the noise limit standards set out in the original planning approval, instead opting for a ‘noise mitigation’ program for local residents.
Commenting on the news, Jamie Parker MP for Balmain says:
“This Strategy is an admission that cruise ships are failing to comply with the very generous noise limits that were approved in the original development application for White Bay Cruise Terminal.
“The NSW Port Authority’s own reporting shows that 8 out of 9 measured vessels at the White Bay Cruise Terminal are operating above the allowed noise limits overnight.
“The government is abandoning enforcement of the original standards and is instead implementing flawed noise attenuation measures which simply plan to lock residents inside their homes, away from the problem.
“This policy could have implications across NSW as government simply reneges on standards that have been approved in development applications. The community can’t have confidence in new proposals when the government can walk away from standards designed to protect local residents.
“This new policy fails to treat the problem of cruise ship noise and pollution at the source.
“Rather than spending millions of dollars to lock local residents in their homes, the government needs to catch up with the rest of the world and install shore to ship power at White Bay.
“When the former Labor Government bypassed local planning laws to approve this development, it was clear that this residential location was inappropriate due to the noise and pollution from these vessels.
“While we welcome increased enforcement measures like the new three strikes policy, this strategy fails to address the fundamental issue that White Bay is a completely inappropriate location for a cruise ship terminal.
“The only long term solution to reduce emissions and noise is the installation of shore to ship power.
“I encourage people to attend a public meeting I will be holding on the issue at Balmain Town Hall on Saturday 13 October at 2-3pm.”
More information
- Port Authority ‘White Bay Cruise Terminal – Cruse Operations. Noise Impact Mitigation Strategy’, Nov 2017 here. See page 15 for the Operating Noise Compliance Summary.
ENDS
For more information: (02) 9660 7586
