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After a half-century of abortive studies, plans and statements of intent, the federal government will on Monday sign off on what it says is the final piece of paper clearing the way for construction to begin on Sydney’s second airport at Badgerys Creek.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher will sign off on the final version of the airport plan and declare construction ready to begin.
“All the approvals are now in place,” the Prime Minister said. “This is the most significant step taken by any government on this project.
“We can now get on with building the airport”.
The signing makes official changes to a draft airport plan released last year and makes permanent changes made to the conditions of its operation made following the release of an environmental impact statement for the site, about 50 kilometres west of Sydney’s CBD.
The government’s most recent plans do not make provisions for a rail line to the airport when it opens in the mid 2020s.
But Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher said the airport was being built around a future rail link.
“The airport will be rail ready, meaning that space will be reserved for a station corridor, set aside for rail tracks and the terminal and other developments are planned around these,” Mr Fletcher.
Options canvassed by the federal and NSW government include extending the South West Rail Link or building a dedicated airport express rail service.
Other infrastructure upgrades totalling more than AU$3.5-billion are underway including widening of the Northern Road between Narellan and Penrith.
The plans incorporate final changes to the airport’s environmental conditions. After an earlier plan included a single merge-point for planes flying above the foot of the Blue Mountains sparked outrage, revised plans have ruled out single merge points over any residential area.
The plans do warn of increased noise in some rural-residential areas such as Greendale and Silverdale.
Stage one of the airport, including a single runway, is expected to be operational by the mid 2020s, according to the plan. It will cater for up to ten million passengers each year.
The federal government forecasts a need for a second, parallel runway by 2050, by which time forecast demand for the airport will reach some 37 million passengers each year.
The final plan forecasts the airport’s carrying capacity will increase to 82 million passengers by 2063.
The vexed issue of where to place Sydney’s second airport has led to several premature declarations of imminent construction.
An airport at Badgerys Creek was first promised in 1946. Federal aviation minister Peter Morris in 1986 released a glossy brochure titled “The Decision” and referred to 40 years of indecision by previous governments.
Sоurсе: stuff.co.nz
