The Aerotropolis, including the new Western Sydney Airport, will be a global employment centre attracting international investment and delivering jobs, education opportunities and enhanced liveability for all Western City residents.
Last month saw the turning of the first SOD, a historic moment marking the start of construction of the new airport.
Opening in 2026, the airport makes Western Sydney an international gateway. This will also be the first major airport built in Australia since Melbourne's Tullamarine airport in 1970.
The new airport is the catalyst for the creation of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, delivering record jobs and investment for our region.
I have been a long-term supporter of a second airport at Badgerys Creek along with most economists and business leaders.
Major cities like Sydney need two airports and having an international gateway will drive much needed employment, industry and homes.
Live, work locally
This is vital as Western Sydney grows by another million people over the next 20 years. Today only 49 per cent of Western Sydney residents live and work locally, compared to 91% in the east of the City.
A visit to Incheon International Airport in Korea last year, shows, that with the right planning, an airport becomes a catalyst that enables the development of planned business precincts around the airport.
This bill sees the establishment of an Authority that will be responsible for master planning and master development of an area covering some 11,200 hectares; making investments; entering into commercial arrangements, and generating returns, for the benefit of the Western City.
This will ensure that we unlock value for our constituents, businesses and generate 200,000 jobs in the region. First cab off the rank for the Authority is a 114-hectare parcel of Commonwealth land at North Bringelly.
The Authority will be responsible for transforming this land into a job-intensive central precinct and the nucleus of the new Aerotropolis.
Both the new airport and Aerotropolis will generate jobs. The airport alone will create 11,000 construction jobs and 28,000 direct and indirect jobs in the five years after it opens in 2026.
Deliotte estimates the airport will generate $9B in economic output for Western Sydney by 2050.
The Authority will use this output as a catalyst for further growth and job creation across the Western City - jobs in aerospace, engineering, defence and high-tech manufacturing, in education, economic development and industry.
The recent announcement of a new university campus, a partnership between four leading universities (University of Newcastle, University of Wollongong, University of NSW and Western Sydney University) that focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) teaching and research is an example of the exciting opportunities ahead.
Three levels of government are committed to the delivery of this landmark project and both the NSW and Federal Governments have committed billions to ensure this project is a success.
24-hours as day
The Commonwealth Government has committed $5.3B alone to build the new airport while the Federal and NSW Governments will invest in local infrastructure with $100M towards the development of the business case for the North South Rail and $3.6B towards road improvements under the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan.
The NSW Government remains committed to Western Sydney with infrastructure spending at $23B for the Western and
Central Cities of Sydney.
Delivery of the Aerotropolis supports connections to Western Sydney airport and across NSW. Access to the airport, operating 24 hours a day to global locations, will generate significant economic benefits.
An International Airport and the Aerotropolis will deliver the infrastructure and investment needed to take us from a series of disparate regional centres to a titan of global enterprise, unlocking enormous prosperity from Parramatta to Penrith, Castle Hill to Campbelltown.
For a copy of my speech in NSW Parliament, go to https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/permalink?id=HANSARD-1323879322-103778
Geoff Lee is State Member for Parramatta.
