More than 4,500 submissions were received on the draft Airport Plan and draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Western Sydney Airport.
The 60 day consultation period closed at midnight last Friday, December 18 when the last of the thousands of submissions poured in.
Federal infrastructure minister Warren Truss says the submissions are now being compiled and considered.
“The consultation period has been an opportunity to ensure that this important infrastructure project will be able to deliver the best outcome for the Western Sydney community,” Mr Truss said.
“In total, we have received over 4,500 submissions, which will now be taken into account in finalising the EIS and Airport Plan.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“The final EIS will be provided to the Minister for the Environment for consideration and decision early next year,” he said.[/social_quote]
The comprehensive consultation period was widely promoted and included:
• 16 public information sessions across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains, with close to 1,500 people attending;
• meetings with councils, businesses and tourism groups;
• the draft Airport Plan and draft EIS being put on display in 19 local libraries;
• an email and phone hotline were set up; and
• an interactive noise modelling tool was made available online.
“While the Western Sydney Airport will bring tens of thousands of much -needed jobs to Western Sydney and deliver billions in infrastructure and investment to the region, I appreciate that the community will have some concerns that we need to address,” Mr Truss said.
“The Australian Government will take the community’s feedback on board as we look forward to finalising the EIS.
“We are committed to continuing to consult with the community as this transformational project develops, with the first flights set to land around 2025.
“There will be more opportunities for the community to have their say and continue this discussion into the future.”
To find out more about the Western Sydney Airport project, visit the website or phone 1800 038 160.
