By Evie Drinnan
Residents at Gallery House Apartments in Hamilton are worried about what they could be breathing in, as they deal with a quickly-accumulating, dark residue on their outdoor furniture and balconies.
Martin Silic said: “It’s noticeable, the black, greasy, fibrous film left on outdoor tables and furniture.”
Andrew Toumazis said: “I’m not an industrial chemist, but it doesn’t make sense. What we are wiping up has a fibrous content to it.”
Located between Portside Wharf and Northshore Hamilton, the residential and lifestyle area is adjacent to multiple industrial operations to the north-east, notably the Brisbane Airport, two asphalt suppliers, multiple concrete suppliers and fuel terminals.
Brett Nicholson said: “If there’s a slight dampness overnight and you walk on the balcony, you leave grey footprints. I have to hose it down and mop it once a week.”
Jennifer Barclay said: “We have to wipe down the table and chairs almost every day, whenever we want to eat outside on the balcony. It’s not worth opening our windows at night, it’s too noisy and too dirty.
“A couple of our pot plants are struggling to survive because the residue builds up on their leaves. It’s not like construction dust, it’s greasy. It’s residue, I think from aircraft,” Mrs Barclay said.
Phil Langridge said: “The residue gets inside. Our house gets a lot dustier than your average house.
“The amount of greasy film is noticeably different since the apartments opened in 2019. I think the film is from the huge increase in air traffic directly above us since the new runway opened in 2020,” Mr Langridge said.
Mr Silic and Mrs Barclay explained that before they bought the apartments, the Brisbane Airport reassured residents that air traffic from the new runway would go over Moreton Bay, rather than Portside.
Mr Nicholson said: “I’ve always noticed a black film, firstly from the cruise ships that used to dock here before covid, before the new runway was built.
“The cruise ships stopped during covid, but then the new runway opened, and the number of flights per day increased, and the film stayed the same.”
As a result of their experiences with aircraft noise and the residue left in their homes, the residents support the Brisbane Flight Path Community Alliance.
The Alliance made a submission into the Federal Government’s Senate Inquiry into the impact and mitigation of aircraft noise in April this year.
Although the residents believe the film is due to aircraft, the Village Voice is unaware of any studies that link air pollution in the area directly to aircraft alone.
Have you experienced something similar? Tell us your thoughts by emailing editorial@village-voice.com.au.
Photography: Evie Drinnan
