Badgerys Creek. Head in the sand

An Australian Financial Review editorial said that instead of acting decisively to build a key piece of economic infrastructure ( a second Sydney airport), the federal government has offered only lukewarm support and the NSW government has buried its head in the sand. The political class has become shamefully incapable of making hard decisions in the national interest.

Badgerys Creek. Premier caught out

Premier Barry O’Farrell has been caught out on a key detail of the second Sydney airport debate, falsely claiming that 1.6 million residents would be affected by aircraft noise if a new facility were built at Badgerys Creek. A joint federal and state study of airport options estimated that 52,400 people would be affected, The Australian Financial Review reported

Badgerys Creek. Development site

A decision to abandon Badgerys Creek as the site of Sydney’s second airport could release for eventual development 1700 hectares of commonwealth-owned land, 490 hectares owned by Sydney University, 344 hectares owned by the Medich Corporation and 40 hectares owned by the Damjamovich family, The Australian Financial Review said. On today’s values, and with current Special Use zoning, the Joint Study on Aviation Capacity in the Sydney Region estimated its worth at $50 million to $180 million. With business zonings in place it would be worth much more, the paper said.

Region. Push to persuade Premier

A group of federal Coalition MPs has begun a behind-the-scenes to persuade Premier Barry, O’Farrell, to drop his opposition to a second airport in the Sydney basin, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Region. 'We need our own airport'

The best chance for Western Sydney to reach its potential was Sydney’s second airport to be built at Badgerys Creek, according to Christopher Brown, chairman, of the Parramatta Economic Forum and a member of the Joint Federal/State Commission on Sydney’s aviation needs. “The future of the Australian economy is smart tertiary jobs in export-focused industries and if Western Sydney wants to share in that future then we need our own airport,” he said in The Daily Telegraph.