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Investors are reportedly moving in on the $5.3 billion 13.25-hectare gateway development at the entrance of Western Sydney’s Nancy-Bird Walton Airport.
Australian property development and funds management group Charter Hall is said to be the preferred partner on the project, according to a report by The Australian Financial Review, after fielding expressions of interest.
The land in question was the first to be released for development in what will soon be Western Sydney Airport’s 200-hectare business precinct, after the EOI process began in November 2021.
Western Sydney Airport (WSA) has previously stated its intentions to work closely with the chosen investor, to define how the gateway site will be handled, and suggested this site in particular could house a hotel, retailers, medical facilities, and more.
In a statement, WSA said, “Submissions closed on 1 February and WSA is now working with a preferred partner to assess the opportunity, and we will have more to say on this in due course,” WSA said in a statement.
The deal, once finalised, could be worth over $80 million.
Located at the main entrance to the airport, the land parcel offers connection to the anticipated M12 motorway, which connects Western Sydney’s M7 to the new airport, as well as the upcoming Sydney Metro line covering the airport to St Marys.
“We’re offering a greenfield opportunity to not only be located on the doorstep of this unprecedented transformation, but to partner with us to help shape it and bring a combined vision to life,” chief executive Simon Hickey said, first announcing the land’s release.
“Western Sydney International Airport is the catalyst for an incredible transformation across Western Sydney, including billions invested in new infrastructure and the creation of the new Bradfield city centre,” Hickey said.
“This is a chance to get on board from the beginning and to grow with the airport and the region. The business precinct will eventually span around 200-hectares, which is about the size of the Parramatta CBD.
“In a first for Sydney, our business precinct will be linked to 24/7 air operations, opening up a world of opportunities that have never before existed in this city.”
It comes one month after DHL purchased a 24-hectare parcel in a neighbouring development at the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, where it intended to build four logistics warehouses.
In November, construction of the passenger terminal at the new Western Sydney Nancy-Bird Walton Airport officially commenced, with the project on track to open to the public in 2026.
Announcing the major milestone onsite at the airport, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher said the airport’s construction was now one quarter complete.
“Despite the challenges of the global pandemic, work has continued to progress with nearly 22 million cubic metres of earth now moved to date across the site – which is about three times bigger than the Sydney CBD – and the airport on track to open in late 2026,” Fletcher said.
“Today we announce another important milestone has been reached, with work now underway on the new state-of-the-art integrated passenger terminal, which will have the capacity to handle up to 10 million passengers a year once open.”
Fletcher stated that the airport is being built “from the ground up” to prioritise a smooth customer experience and will “be a state-of-the art piece of infrastructure” that is “an integral element of the surrounding aerotropolis and the broader Western Parkland city”.
