iscover
Flightpaths over the proposed airport at Badgerys Creek will be spread out to minimise the impact on the local community, the federal government says.
In the draft airport plan and environmental impact statement (EIS), aircraft flightpaths showed aircraft landing at the airport would be at between 5,000-7,000 feet over the Blue Mountains community of Blaxland just west of Penrith.
However, Federal Minister for Major Projects, Territories and Local Government Paul Fletcher says this “point merge” will no longer be part of the airport’s airspace plans.
Instead, flightpaths will be spread out as part of a comprehensive noise mitigation plan to be contained in the final EIS due for release before the end of 2016.
“It is very important that the new airport operates in a way which addresses concerns about flightpaths and aircraft noise so as to meet the expectations of the community,” Fletcher said in a joint statement in May 6 with two local members Louise Markus (Macquarie) and Russell Matheson (Macarthur).
“The Turnbull government fully recognises the need to minimise noise impacts for the people of Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains and we will continue to work with the community as the airspace design moves forward.
“Developing optimal flightpaths to minimise noise and environmental impact requires detailed technical work and expert input. That work is underway, with a clear direction given that the flight paths will not merge to a single point over Blaxland.”
Fletcher said the instruction to no longer have a single point merge was based on community consultation, which has included about 5,000 submissions to the draft EIS.
The government’s announcement comes after the federal opposition called for night time restrictions at the airport, with aircraft directed to take off and land in one direction during overnight hours as part of minimising noise to surrounding communities.
In the 2016/17 federal budget handed down on May 3, the government allocated $115 million towards site preparation and a rail study for the airport.
deano
says:Just build a parallel east-west Light aircraft only runway (SF340, DH4 etc)
Relocate the international freight terminal to where the long term car park is
Extend the international terminal to where the feright terminal was
Move the GA area to the heliport
Move the domestic freight hanger to where the fire station is
Extend the domestic terminal (if needed) to the east as far as the GA is and incorporate more parking
Cost, under a billion
And stop this Badgeries Creek stupidity now……..
Hong Kong craps all over Sydney for movements
2 runways and less available land
Yes it’s 24 hours but but between 11.00pm and 6.00am there are not that many flights anyway
Growth will come to Sydney, but are more flights needed or bigger aircraft
Why are Virgin flying E190s and 737s to Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, why not A330s
Why are Qantas and virgin flying props to Canberra ?
What, to make timetables look good? Why does Syd-Mel need flights every 15 minutes?
Qantas used to fly 747s to NZ, now, 737s
The whole thing makes no scene
A330s to NZ or dare I say A380s and less frequently
Sydney is no where were capacity and most delays are when 16/34 are out of service due to the wind
Then 07/25 get clogged up by regional s that don’t need the length of 07/25
They can nip in and out of a 1200m runway built south of the fire station and noise would be minimal
STOP WASTING MY TAXES ON BADGERIES CREEK>>>>>>>>>>
Dane
says:Maybe they should only build Badgerys Creek once electric aircraft are a viable option. That way, no one has to put up with any noise!
Barry
says:So, not even built yet and they are already playing around with it.
Unbelievable.
Why not build it at Kurnell and be done with it.
Even expand Newcastle & build a fast rail link to/from Sydney.
Take the politics out of it & use common sense but that is never going to happen.
Damien
says:Would people please stop with the high speed rail tak with airports. Come on. you have to get to the station. Take time to get to Newcastle or Canberra. Then get your flight when there’s already an airport in Sydney with flights a little more expensive.
No one will do it.
Marc
says:Welcome to Sydney…
we’re only open from 9 to 5.
Ben
says:Dean,
Simply put the reasons are load factor and yield. Rex has made frequency not capacity it’s business model! Customers want choice in time, this of necessity means more smaller planes than one big one. Airbus discovered this the hard way with the 380.
Nip in on a 1200m runway… That’s cute, these are large turbo-props not light aircraft, 1200m is fairly short for a transport category aircraft, regardless of power plant. And fact is SYD will NEVER get another runway built. Will. Not. Happen. Hell they won’t even remove the current cap on SYD which hamstrings it now to 80 moves an hour when it’s capable of MUCH more.
Sadly airports in the cities are screwed until the idiots the moved next door are ignored and the pre-existing airport is allowed to just operate as efficiently as possible. This also applies to Badgery’s Creek. It’s been under discussion and/or study for so damn long now that if you didn’t know it was coming you must’ve been living under a rock!
Given the amount of discussion already by pollies and the EIS about flight paths I already feel sorry for the pilots and ATCs who are going to be lumped with some of the most ridiculous operating rules and routes we’ve ever seen. People have totally forgotten that this airport and its traffic will have to be worked into an already busy Sydney basin that contains not only KSA but RAAF Richmond, Bankstown, Camden and several other airfields along with Holsworthy and a pethora of Helipads and Seaplane ops.
Wombat
says:Over the past 3 decades at least people have known of the possibilities of an airport at Badgery’s. I get that noise is an issue, but if those who have built were that concerned, they should have built elsewhere!!
Shobha Kamath
says:Ploiticians are now trying to get votes. DONOT WORRY Go ahead and build it. Looks like we are pamapering the scociety
Robert
says:People, People! This much needed project is going ahead! So get used to it!! And stop comparing Hong Kong to KSA. You obviously don’t know what you’re talking about – two totally different situations!
Ian
says:I use too live at Penrith when i heard the government brought up all the land at Badgerys Creek to build an airport i thought it was going to build a small airport not an International Airport so i i thought nothing more about it till much later it was going to be a big airport an International one. so then i thought it might not happen after the people had Rally against the Airport so the government did nothing for a long time till later and started to decide to go ahead to build it . so last year i moved out of Penrith out of the area to Tumut away from the Noise and the rat race of Sydney and away from aircraft going to head over Penrith and surrounding ares of Western Sydney. and its the best move i ever had done. no aircraft noise over my new Home and i would never go back to Sydney .so take my advice move out of Sydney and go to the Country areas around NSW or Interstate around Australia. Penrith will never be the Quiet place again don’t put up with the aircraft Noise move to a Quite place away from Sydney !!!