SYD wants the WEST

WEST


Sydney airport is aboard in the West: It will be a true international destination

• EXCLUSIVE JOHN LEHMANN EDITOR-AT-LARGE
• THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
• DECEMBER 02, 2014 12:00AM

The future of Western Sydney




SYDNEY Airport Corporation boss Kerrie Mather has sent a strong signal the company wants to operate Western Sydney’s new airport as a true international destination.
“We believe we are uniquely placed to deliver the new Western Sydney airport and grow aviation for the benefit of Sydney, NSW and Australia,’’ she told The Daily Telegraph.
Asked whether international flights would be offered, she said: “Two million people live in Western Sydney, which is comparable in size to Brisbane and Perth — the government has indicated they expect it to be a full service airport.’’

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The positive comments come after Sydney Airport Corporation chairman Max Moore-Wilton publicly campaigned against the immediate need for a second Sydney airport, triggering concerns he would attempt to delay its operation at Badgerys Creek.
The company, which runs the Kingsford Smith Airport, has a right of first refusal over operating the new airport and has been locked in confidential negotiations with the federal government since October.



Sydney Airport Corporation boss Kerrie Mather.



Ms Mather said it had been “fantastic” to meet Western Sydney business and community leaders to “discuss how we can best harness this opportunity so that it delivers maximum benefit’’.
“It is exciting to contemplate the positive impact the proposed new airport will have on the prosperity of Western Sydney,” she said.
“Greater Western Sydney has a wealth of history and culture that we are only starting to showcase to international visitors and there’s no doubt that the proposed airport will support tourism growth.”
She also said international and local design firms should be invited to express their interest in creating an inspirational, world-class facility.
“A design would need to work in the mid-2020s when the airport is to commence operations and in future decades when it will likely handle many millions of passengers a year,’’ she said.
The negotiations are expected to be completed by next July, but the government is believed to be on the verge of kicking off a new environmental assessment for the Badgerys Creek site.
Sydney Business Chamber Western Sydney director David Borger said it was “terrific” Sydney Airport Corporation was engaging with the fast-growing region and focused on offering a full range of aviation services.
He said business leaders were “very keen to see the results of the negotiations as soon as possible”.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said the airport would create 4000 jobs in the short-term during the construction phase and at least 60,000 extra jobs once it was operating