TravelingPeanut

After months of speculation, the cabinet approved Badgerys Creek (50km/31 miles west of Sydney's central business district) as the location of the second international airport. Construction is set to being in 2016 and the project is estimated to cost $2.5 billion.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/new...-given-goahead

HCSmooth66

Interesting. I have only visited a few times, so I don't really have widespread experience with SYD, but I never felt that the airport wasn't capable of handling the traffic it has. At least not in comparison to airports like LHR. Hope it somehow proves beneficial to me in my efforts to return to Sydney in regular intervals.

cyclogenesis

Groundhog day..

But what about the Badgeries?

Argument against: Does not need it for volume..
Argument for: Curfew at Mascot.. Boy I have been bitten by that plenty of times.. Came to avoid the last flight out as a small delay and you were toast..

atsak

It's a long way from everything though just looking at a map; they'll have to work on the road infrastructure to get people back into Sydney (either CBD or just the most populated areas) proper. It's good for the Western Suburbs of course, and if the roads are good and rail link is good (imagine how much they'll charge to connect you to Cityrail from all the way out there) . . .

Would they use the country trains then or the regular trains or will they build an express line with a dedicated model?

rduer

Agree with the above, I travel 6-8 times a year thru Syd and used to live there, used to work out near Badgery's...not much more than a brickworks and a lot of Kangaroos out there

oldfolky

I think this is a case of believe it when you see it. 2016 seems like a ridiculously early start to building given the plans don't seem to be fully formed. As for rail, the federal government pledged not to fund any rail projects although Albanese said they're would be a branch off the south west rail line so that the new airport would have a connection to the existing one.

Given that it takes 40 minutes from glen field to the CBD (48mins via the airport) a non-express service from badgers creek to the CBD could take well over an hour.
Abbott and his mob are all about roads so I wouldn't expect any better than that.

(Not that we get any better in Melbourne, we're getting the road tunnel no-one wants rather than the rail tunnel people do (plus a widening of the tullamarine freeway wouldn't go a miss either))

Radiant Flyer

They have been talking about this for a few decades... I lived in Sydney 1994 - 1995 and it was often in the news.

oldfolky

Does anyone else think that AU$2.5bn doesn't buy a lot of airport? Heathrow T5 cost GB£4.3bn, Laguardia is spending US$3.6bn on revamping the central terminal. BER cost EUR4.3bn, built on an existing airport and it isn't even functional. How does Abbott reckon he's going to get a fully functioning greenfield airport for AU$2.5bn?

I've lived under some pretty idiotic governments as I've moved around the world but the current Australian LNP one is truly the most moronic.

Himeno

Building another poorly designed airport like every other Australian airport outside MEL and CBR?


They've been talking about an airport for 50 years. I won't believe it until I see it.

relberger

Too bad they decided to do this rather than create rail between CBR and sydney ... which would have eliminated the stupid 30 minute flight between CBR and SYD (as well as canberra/sydney traffic ... tolls ... hourly bus from canberra civic ... you name it).

oldfolky

Believe. I've found an artists rendition of QF1 taking off in 2025

Kiwi Flyer

Why do you think the original costing from decades ago is no longer accurate?

amanuensis

I lived in Sydney 1986-1988 and it was being talked about then too. Given that airport project initial budgets are always lowballed, wouldn't it make more sense for the government to just buy out the people living near the airport who complain about the noise? Planes are much quieter now, so there may not be all that many.

bensyd

You mean high speed rail I presume? I doubt that would have changed much. Dare I say, it would have become a very expensive white elephant.

wallaby

LOL, none of the above with this mob governing.
Motorways with tolls is the only thing they know.