As Melbourne Airport’s Third Runway project moves from approval into the delivery phase, conversations aren’t just about its construction.
When the Federal Government approved the Third Runway Project in September 2024, several conditions of approval were attached. These included specifics around how the new runway will be built, and how the impacts of additional aircraft noise will be observed, reviewed and reported over time.
So, what does the Community Health Study involve, why does it exist and how does it fit within the wider framework guiding the development of the third runway?
What is the Community Health Study?
The Community Health Study is an independent study that will focus on monitoring potential impacts of aircraft noise associated with the operations of the third runway on the communities around Melbourne Airport. It’s a formal requirement of the third runway approval, reflecting the scale of the project to understand potential health impacts of aircraft noise exposure over the long term.
The study will include:
Collecting baseline health data before runway operations begin
Identifying the types of health information to be monitored, based on established links between aircraft noise and community health
Collecting data for 20 years after the new runway opens
Publicly accessible annual reporting over the period of the study.
Information collected through the study must follow the requirements of the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles. In practical terms, the study looks at patterns and trends rather than individual people.
To help determine where monitoring is relevant, the study also draws on planning tools such as the Australian Noise Exposure Forecast (ANEF). These forecasts are required under the Airports Act 1996 and are used across Australian airports to show where aircraft noise is expected to occur over time, based on how runways and flight paths are planned to be used.
What Health Outcomes will be Monitored as Part of the Study?
During the development of the Major Development Plan for the third runway, several health impacts were analysed.
The Community Health Study will monitor impacts, including but not limited to:
Sleep disturbance: Aircraft noise is different from many other background sounds because it can occur intermittently during the night and early morning. Even brief noise events can interrupt sleep cycles, which is why sleep disturbance is commonly examined in relation to aircraft noise.
Annoyance: In health research, “annoyance” is used to understand how people experience ongoing noise as part of daily life. With aircraft noise, factors such as frequency, timing, consistency and the weather all shape how noise is perceived, rather than the loudness of any single flight.
Communication interference: Aircraft noise can overlap with everyday activities that rely on clear hearing and attention. This includes conversation, listening and focused tasks, particularly in indoor environments where background noise can interfere with communication.
Childhood reading comprehension: Learning environments depend on clear speech and listening. Aircraft noise can disrupt these conditions, which is why reading comprehension is examined to understand how noise may affect children’s ability to process spoken and written information.
Cardiovascular outcomes: Some cardiovascular conditions, including myocardial infarction, are examined in noise-related health research because prolonged exposure to environmental noise has been associated with broader physiological responses. Aircraft noise is one of the exposures considered in this context.
These outcomes are monitored together because they don’t exist in neat silos. Disrupted sleep can influence concentration during the day, ongoing communication interference can contribute to stress, and some health effects only make sense when viewed across many years, not months.
Who Designs and Runs the Community Health Study?
The approval conditions require the Community Health Study to be shaped, overseen and delivered independently by people with the right expertise, using established research approaches, with clear lines between those running the airport and those examining health.
The first group of independent community health consultants was engaged in January 2025 and included health experts from Deakin and Liverpool universities. Their role was to develop the draft Terms of Reference for the study. These Terms of Reference were developed in consultation with the Melbourne Airport Community Aviation Consultation Group, health experts and key community stakeholders.
The Terms of Reference establish the scope, methodology and governance that will guide the study.
The draft Terms of Reference were submitted to the Federal Government in September 2025 and approved in April 2026. From here, another independent community health research team will be appointed to deliver the study in line with the approved framework and established research initiatives.
Together, this structure is intended to keep the Community Health Study focused on evidence and consistency. Consultation helps shapes the study, academic expertise underpins the research approach, and delivery remains separate from airport planning and operations.
How Long will the Study Run and How will Results be Shared?
Under the approval conditions, health data will be collected before third runway operations begin to establish a baseline. Data will then be collected for 20 years after the new runway becomes operational.
The approval conditions require the health experts conducting the study to provide an annual report and presentation to explain the findings. Each report will be provided to the Community Aviation Consultation Group and published on Melbourne Airport’s website.
Keep Track of What Comes Next for the Third Runway
The Community Health Study sits alongside other approval conditions that guide how the third runway will be developed.
The Noise Sharing Plan focuses on how aircraft noise can be spread across communities and give areas periods of respite, while the Noise Amelioration Plan will provide modifications to eligible homes and buildings in the Brimbank and Hume areas to reduce aircraft noise levels inside.
If you’d like to keep track of what comes next, you can sign up for newsletter updates on the third runway project or contact the project team at newrunway@melair.com.au.
More information about the third runway is available through fact sheets on Melbourne Airport’s Major Projects Hub.