Over the past 10 years we have published a lot of stories about the new airport under construction at Badgerys Creek.
There have also been stories about the aerotropolis, and rezoning of land to accommodate it.
Bradfield – the so called vision for a brand new city as part of the new airport area – has also taken up some of spaces here at the South West Voice over the years.
Anything on the airport and the aerotropolis have resonated strongly with our readers.
But that has not been the case with Bradfield, and my guess is because hardly anyone gets the concept.
Nobody really knows where the idea came from for the vision of a brand new city of the future
We certainly do not know on what basis the then Liberal National Coalition State Government nudged it along and indeed gave it the green light.
The name – Bradfield – was the only aspect of this that readers responded to, mostly in a negative way.
The great engineer who designed the Sydney Harbour Bridge has had plenty named after him, so it was not disrespect for his achievements that brought out people opposed to calling this proposed city after him as well.
But, in any case, the most serious aspect of this plan is that if it does go to its full extent, over who knows how many decades, it will cost billions.
The State Government has already committed one billion dollars but is praying that private enterprise will come on board and do the rest.
In the meantime, it’s cutting funding to existing regional centres such as Liverpool and Campbelltown, including the previously allocated $243 million for two integrated community health hubs in those two towns.
Commenting on this towards the end of 2023, Campbelltown mayor George Greiss pointed out that this money was withdrawn “despite the fact that our hospital is currently operating at full capacity’’.
That’s just one example, another is the refusal by the state government to fork out for a game changing community justice centre in Campbelltown.
It does like our two big towns are being abandoned, with all available resources heading towards the Bradfield dream.
What the NSW treasurer should be actively looking at is how Liverpool and Campbelltown could be transformed into world class cities for a fraction of the cost of Bradfield.
Unfortunately, we’re a lone voice in this because it just seems too hard to argue against what is perceived as visionary thinking.
It’s not too late to change course on this and produce a better outcome – and a lot quicker.
Chris Minns, it would not hurt to at least review Bradfield.
