Wherever an airport is built (private or public), the project will need the appropriate permitting from the various levels of government.

You can't justly compare the whole project lifecycle time line (from scoping study, extended scoping study, pre-feasibility study, feasibility study, value improvement studies, notice to proceed, construction, commissioning, etc) in one case to just the construction phase on another. Unfair comparison.

Nor can you compare a multi billion dollar project such as Badgery's Creek with one in the ballpark of $100 million. Again an unfair comparison.

So, no, not the best example.

There was also reportedly some controversy about the Council planning processes for WTB with submissions lodged using pre amalgamation rules just before the new amalgamated Council system came into play enabling a easier process for the airport owner.

Privatising core / monopoly public assets has repeatedly led to price gouging by the private operator - water in the UK, telco and power in Australia, Sydney Airport on its travellers, etc.

Core infrastructure and monopoly assets should never be trusted to private operators.

I was a consultant at Sydney Airport just before it was privatised - management successfully managed the pre-Olympics construction projects and had a world leading safety operational program and IME key leadership folk were evidently highly competent, moving on to be GMs of other airports in their own right (Newcastle, Brisbane, Port Marquarie, etc): there was a significant downgrading in the safety effort and huge loss of operation collective competence / experience post privatisation.

Trotting out the line that governments can't run anything is blatantly not true and actually demeaning to many highly competent folk in the aviation industry.

Yes, sure actual governments and certain folk therein are frustratingly hopeless, but that shouldn't be confused with the good work of many public servants.

You might also recall - regarding the notion that private operators are somehow superior - that one certain ridiculously overpaid airline CEO had run QF into the ground just a few years ago and was begging the government to bail it out with taxpayers' funds (this confirmed in private discussions at that time with a certain MP who is now a party leader). Kinda like the government needing to bail out the banks and other financial institutions post GFC and place guarantees on account balances, etc.


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