PM Transcripts

Transcripts from the Prime Ministers of Australia

Turnbull, Malcolm

Period of Service: 15/09/2015 - 24/08/2018
Release Date:
12/12/2016
Release Type:
Media Release
Transcript ID:
40659
A Blueprint of the Western Sydney Airport

The Airport Plan for the Western Sydney Airport has been finalised.

Determining the Airport Plan authorises the construction and operation of Stage 1 of the proposed airport at Badgerys Creek.

After decades of studies and planning, all the approvals are now in place.

This is the most significant step taken by any Government on this project – meaning we can now get on with building the airport so it is ready to take its first passengers by the mid-2020’s.

An economic game-changer for Western Sydney, the airport will be the first capital city greenfield airport project Australia has seen in decades.

A Western Sydney Airport will deliver real benefits to the Western Sydney economy. It will create jobs, encourage investment and be a source of economic growth for many years to come.

Stage 1 of the airport, which will be operational in the mid-2020s, will comprise a single runway and facilities to cater for 10 million passengers per year. A second parallel runway is expected to be required by around 2050. As Western Sydney’s population grows further, reaching three million in the 2030s, a Western Sydney Airport will be crucial in delivering aviation services to residents of Western Sydney.

Minister for the Environment and Energy Josh Frydenberg has considered the Airport Plan against the findings of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and strict conditions have been placed on the airport’s development. These conditions are binding for the developer and operator of the airport.

We are working with all levels of government to ensure we maximise the benefits of a newly-created airport precinct.

The airport will be integrated into strategic planning for greater Sydney as part of a City Deal for Western Sydney to deliver affordable housing, jobs and better transport for the region, creating a more liveable and sustainable city.

The Australian and New South Wales governments are working together to map out road and rail linkages to the airport site. Construction on our $3.6 billion Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan is well underway. This is tailored at improving road networks across Western Sydney, ensuring that, by the time it opens, the Western Sydney Airport is serviced by world class land transport infrastructure. Rail options are currently under consideration, as is the preservation of a rail corridor on the airport site.

This Airport Plan provides a blueprint for this airport development – which will transform and create opportunities for Western Sydney and bring important benefits for the entire Sydney region and the nation, now and in the future.

We will continue to work with the community to make sure we get this once-in-a-generation opportunity right, optimising the wide range of benefits the airport will bring.

For more information on the airport visit www.westernsydneyairport.gov.au.

40659