West gets worldly with Badgerys Creek

By Hannah Edensor

Badgerys Creek will be Western Sydney’s airport, according to the NSW Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres.

The second Sydney airport set to pop up in the outskirts of Sydney will breathe new life into these regions, and Ayres is confident this will also drive more visitor spending to the area.

“This airport will connect Western Sydney to the world, and bring the world into Western Sydney,” he said at the recent Tourism & Transport Forum’s Outlook 2015 conference.

“We’re partnering with some of the best global supply chains in the world, ensuring cultural opportunities such as those in the Blue Mountains are turned into a new gateway into Sydney.”

The tourism business is a big one, and one that brings plenty of dollars into Australia, however due to the location of Kingsford Smith airport, the western suburbs often miss out on a lot of this revenue.

“Western Sydney should have the opportunities to be connected globally,” Ayres stated in his address, adding that with each plane that lands down under, a steady cash flow quickly follows.

“Every A380 brings millions in economic boost and with every one that lands, passengers get off and open their wallets. Being able to drop them into Western Sydney and connect them with places they’ve never seen before is a major transformative project, and we’ve got to get it right.”

Tourism in Western Sydney is something close to the Minister’s heart, with Ayres talking about upping the ante when it comes to taking the tourist’s dollar out west.

“We have a strong Western Sydney tourism focus, and its ability to develop its own initiatives, and back up good strategy with serious dollars,” he said.

And while the heart of Sydney CBD continues to reign king in the event scene, Ayres is keen to make the west a buzzing hub of activity.

“I’m not saying we need to uproot Vivid and drop it in Western Sydney – Western Sydney can do better than that, and create its own events and festivals,” Ayres said.

Ayres also was steadfast in his opinion of making Badgerys Creek airport sans the curfew.

“I’m a strong advocate of this airport not being an airport with a curfew,” he said.

“And if you’re saying you want an airport with a curfew, you don’t really want an airport at all.”

“Western Sydney should have the opportunity to be connected globally, and the enforcement of a curfew is selling the people of Western Sydney short.

“With a curfew, this airport is not going to drive job opportunities, is not going to drive tourism opportunities, is not going to connect the cultural exchange of Western Sydney. This is the only way it can grow against competitive airports.”

Ayres added that off the back of the “painstaking issues” of Sydney’s Kingford Smith airport, getting connectivity right is paramount.

“This opportunity doesn’t happen too often. We’re already working in close collaboration between the NSW Government and the Commonwealth Government to develop roads to enhance infrastructure around the airport.”

Advertise with us

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

airport badgerys creek kingsford smith nsw Stuart Ayres sydney