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Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss has told ABC TV that Badgerys Creek in western Sydney is the “frontrunner” site under consideration for Sydney’s second airport, with the new government now expected to make a decision on the airport’s location early in 2014.
Asked during an interview with the 7.30 program on Monday night if Badgerys is the government’s preferred location, Minster Truss replied: “Well we’ll make that decision as a part of this process, but it was the site that was chosen a long time ago and it is still obviously the frontrunner.”
Continued the Minister: “Yes, I anticipate that we will make a firm decision. And we’ll also provide information about when the project will start. And I think that will settle this issue once and for all.”
It is not the first time the new Coalition government has flagged Badgerys Creek as the likely second airport site. Assistant Infrastructure Minister Jamie Briggs told Airservices’ Waypoint conference on November 6 that “the Australian government, after years of delay, will finally make a decision on whether to proceed with a second Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek”.
Former Infrastructure and Transport Minister, and now opposition spokesman Anthony Albanese has indicated bi-partisan support for the new airport. “Well I’ve made it very clear that bipartisanship is important. I can’t give commitments based upon theoreticals. What I’m prepared to do is to sit down with the government and the opposition will be constructive about this,” he told 7.30.
The former Hawke Labor government purchased land at Badgerys Creek for a second Sydney airport in the late 1980s, but a decision to proceed has been deferred by successive federal governments.
Andrew McLaughlin
says:Seems like a near certainty Badgerys will be selected as the site…the LNP doesn’t have such a reliance on the marginal western Sydney seats as Labor did, plus there really are no other viable alternatives.
Just need to add extra lanes both ways to the M4 and M7, double up Mamre Rd, The Northern Rd, and Elizabeth Dr road links, and add rail links to Blacktown and to Liverpool…easy! 😐
I guess the next bit of work for the media to try to work out is will Badgerys be developed in phases, and who and what will fly from which airport?
Dane
says:What I think would work well is, once Badgery’s Creek is up and running fully, progressively close Sydney to all traffic except cargo and executive/business jets and helicopters, something like a London City/Heathrow set up. Just a thought
Ante C
says:I think that one airport should have international operations only, and domestic at the other. It would be an idea wort considering, I think.
craig simpson
says:You can think again Dane.
Badgery’s creek is not Sydney’s second airport. It will be Western Sydney’s first airport. So bad luck to anybody thinking that Kingsford smith should shut down once Badgery’s creek opens. Out here in the west we are opposed to a second Sydney airport but are open to a first western Sydney airport with appropriate rail links. We are looking at utilizing the airport to pilfer jobs from the eastern suburbs.
Dane
says:But wouldn’t it be beneficial for jobs if Badgery’s Creek became Sydney’s main airport?
John N
says:I fail to understand why anyone would want to close KSA down, or reduce it to cargo etc only, when Badgerys (WSA) is fully operational, why?
I read recently that by 2050, the population of Sydney will grow from the present 4.6 million to more than 7 million, and most of that population growth will no doubt be in Western Sydney, that’s more than a 50% increase, we will need both airports.
I live in the Inner West and KSA is very convenient to me, if on the other hand I lived in Western Sydney, WSA would be perfect, I wouldn’t have to travel all that time (on clogged roads too!) to KSA.
As for cargo, both should handle cargo, but with the West currently having most of the warehouse and storage facilities, I’d imagine that eventually most of the cargo would fly in/out of WSA, again reducing congestion on Sydney’s already over crowded road network.
And having one airport international and the other domestic, that wouldn’t work either, if people are flying in/out on domestic and want to connect to an international flight, it would be a total pain having to travel across Sydney to get your connection, not a good idea.
With a population of 7+ million by 2050, we will need two fully operational domestic / international airports, anything less would be pointless and a waste of time and money.
Cheers,
John N
James from Sydney
says:Given our track record in getting a second airport in Sydney, perhaps we should start talking about a location for a third airport.
Broken Record
says:Where have I heard this before?……..sounds like a broken record repeating the same old song over and over and over again. Nothing will happen until we get a government that has the backbone and ticker to do something.