The Turnbull Government has confirmed that it will build Western Sydney Airport, but who will operate it is still a mystery.
Paul Fletcher, the minister for urban infrastructure, said that details of the Turnbull Government’s plan to build Western Sydney Airport will be announced by the Treasurer in the Budget next week.
This follows today’s announcement by Sydney Airport Group, the owner of Kingsford Smith Airport, that it will not take up the opportunity under its right of first refusal to build and operate the new Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek.
“This is a vitally important project for Western Sydney, for Sydney, and the nation, which is why the Coalition Government ended decades of indecision by committing to the project in 2014,’’ Mr Fletcher said in a statement released today.
“The government has worked carefully to meet our obligations and we have been planning for either contingency – acceptance or rejection by Sydney Airport Group.
“We are well positioned to move forward on terms that are consistent with the terms of the Notice of Intention.
“The airport will be a major catalyst for jobs and economic growth in Western Sydney, injecting more than $1.9 billion into the economy during the construction phase alone,’’ Mr Fletcher said.
[social_quote duplicate=”no” align=”default”]“It is expected to deliver 9,000 new jobs to Western Sydney by the early 2030s, and 60,000 in the long-term.[/social_quote]
“Consultation meetings with Sydney Airport Group were conducted in an atmosphere of good faith,’’ he said.
Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue chairman Christopher Brown has welcomed the government’s commitment to get on with building Western Sydney Airport itself.
He said a “whole-of-Sydney’’ approach was required to meet the region’s growing aviation needs.
“The Federal Government has continually shown that it is 100 percent behind the development of the Western Sydney Airport (WSA), and today’s decision is further proof of its commitment to helping grow the region,” Mr Brown said.
“I’ve known Paul Fletcher since university days and Western Sydney is lucky to have him at the helm of this process as he understands the need to combine nation building with local input.
“WSA at Badgerys Creek is the biggest, and most significant infrastructure project in the nation, and set to be the catalyst for the delivery of smart jobs, investment and urban renewal opportunities.
“It can’t come soon enough,’’ Mr Brown said.
“Sydney Airport should also be commended for the way it has engaged with Western Sydney, and the integrity with which it has carried out its negotiations with government.
“The level of industry and community engagement exercised by Sydney Airport throughout this process, should be the benchmark for Government as it gets on with building WSA.”
Mr Brown, who sat on the Australian and NSW Governments’ Joint Study on Aviation Capacity in Sydney in 2012, said it was important to understand that WSA won’t reach full capacity by the mid-2040s – meaning that Western Sydney’s surging population, along with the rest of Sydney, will continue to rely on Kingsford Smith Airport (KSA) at Mascot, as its main international gateway.
“The key recommendations to come from the 2012 report not only highlighted Badgerys Creek as the location of Sydney’s second airport, but identified the need for improved capacity and infrastructure support at KSA, to cope with increased demand,” he said.
“We’re part of the way there, and I would hope that, given the significance of both airports, that the NSW and Federal Governments were committed to ensuring they have the necessary infrastructure and regulatory support to meet the city’s aviation needs.
“This includes ensuring that WSA has rail links in place before it is operational, and looking at ways to improve access to and from KSA at Mascot, particularly as Western Sydney’s airport is still close to a decade away from being ready for take-off.”
