Melbourne Airport Third Runway (M3R) Community Health Study – Terms of Reference Project
Determinants of HealthThe Melbourne Airport Third Runway (M3R) Community Health Study will be the first large-scale, long-term study of aviation and community health of its kind in Australia. The Deakin-led team has been tasked as independent experts to prepare draft Terms of Reference (ToR) for the long-term study of the health impacts arising from aircraft noise on communities surrounding Melbourne Airport. This was a requirement set by the Australian Government when the M3R Major Development Plan was approved.
In order to deliver credible guidance on potential health impacts and feasible long-term assessment of actual health impacts, the project will balance input from stakeholders with scientific evidence and expert input. This will ensure the ToR meet international standards and stand up to public scrutiny. To deliver this, the project is designed with the following key elements, all of which are now underway:
- Stakeholders’ consultation on perceptions of airport activity heath impacts, including those that may emerge or worsen with MR3, and on ideas for community and broader stakeholder engagement in the 20-year Study. Stakeholders will include the Melbourne Airport Community Aviation Consultation Group (CACG), community group representatives, schools and early childhood education providers, local businesses, local government, and Melbourne Airport.
- A Literature search to provide an updated understanding of potential health impacts from airport activity and best practice in assessing environmental exposures and health impacts.
- Consultation with airport health and Health Impact Assessment experts to gather insights from outside the investigator team. These experts, who specialise in understanding how airports affect community health, will be interviewed to help inform the scope of the ToR.
The ToR Project Team
Catherine is an Epidemiologist with 25 years’ experience in community-based Public Health research and practice.
Fiona is a registered Architect with over 25 years’ experience spanning architectural, urban renewal and public infrastructure projects, with a strong emphasis on stakeholder engagement.
Professor Ben Cave
Ben brings 25 years of experience in Health Impact Assessment and Environmental Assessment and working with communities, industry and governments.
Hassan is an epidemiologist with expertise in survey design, systematic literature reviews and expert elicitation.
Roma is a Master of Public Health graduate and a Deakin University Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar with experience conducting systematic reviews and project coordination.
Stakeholder engagement process
The Stakeholder Engagement Plan for the development of the draft ToR for the Melbourne Airport Third Runway (M3R) Community Health Study outlines the approach we will be using to ensure effective, inclusive consultation with key stakeholders. We will be engaging with a broad range of community representatives, health and health impact experts, and representatives from local government and other regulatory bodies.
Our Stakeholder Engagement Plan is guided by the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Framework, a globally recognised model for meaningful stakeholder involvement. It provides a structured and consistent approach to engagement, helping ensure stakeholders understand how their input will be considered throughout the development of the ToR.
Stakeholders are strongly encouraged to participate in the consultation process. Their insights will help ensure the ToR is comprehensive, relevant, and responsive to the concerns and values of affected communities.
Click HERE to download the Stakeholder Engagement Plan
Desk Top Review and Expert Consultation
We are conducting a desk top review of peer-reviewed journal articles, along with expert elicitation, to gather the most up to date information on robust study models examining the health impacts of airport activity. Our aim is to strike an appropriate balance in the draft ToR providing guidance on both a credible set of potential health impacts, and feasible long-term assessment of actual health impacts. The systematic literature review and formal expert consultation will be used to inform, refine, and validate the scope of potential health impacts to be included in the ToR.
The systematic review will refer to and build upon Chapter D3 of the Major Development Plan and will include a review of recently published peer-reviewed studies and other relevant reports such as government publications and community studies.
We will also review other relevant sources such as recent Health and Environmental Impact Assessments that have identified potential health effects on communities arising from airport operations, and submissions made regarding the addition of the third runway. Findings from both the reviews and expert input will be integrated with insights from stakeholder consultation to inform the components of the draft ToR.
Project Updates
We will update this page on a regular basis with information on how the project is progressing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click HERE to download project FAQ
Image courtesy of Melbourne Airport.
