The battle for a second airport in Sydney continues after the NSW government opposed the proposal in favour of expansions at Canberra airport.
A second Sydney airport has been on the cards for years in response to increasing capacity and aircraft noise pollution in the Greater Sydney region.
However, NSW premier Barry O’Farrell has refused to back the plan on the basis that it would not resolve issues of aircraft noise. Instead, he believes that expanding Canberra airport and constructing a high speed rail link remains the best option.
But industry groups, including the Board of Airline Representatives Australia (BARA), have vowed to challenge O’Farrell’s position.
BARA executive director Warren Bennett remains convinced a new airport in the Sydney region is the best option. In line with the Joint Study on Aviation Capacity in the Sydney Region report, he says a new site at Badgery’s Creek, Wilton or Richmond would resolve any capacity concerns.
“It just doesn’t work to use Canberra as a major airport. As Minister Albanese put it, putting an airport in Canberra to get to Sydney would be like people flying to New York to get off in Washington,” Bennett told The Nibbler.
Bennett stressed that a decision was now needed so that action could be taken in the coming years.
“A decision needs to be made as soon as possible on the site of the airport and planning needs to commence straight away in order to fulfil the needs of demand in the [Sydney] basin,” he said.
