Western
Sydney Infrastructure Plan: More Jobs, Better Roads
For over 50 years, politicians on
all sides have talked about a second airport for Sydney. The talk is over, the
decision has been made. There will be an airport at Badgerys Creek.
Australia needs this airport,
because without a new airport, we run the risk of the existing Kingsford-Smith
Airport reaching capacity. Sydney’s airport is the gateway to Australia’s
largest city. It accounts for 40 per cent of international arrivals and 50 per
cent of international air freight every year. Studies have shown if no action
is taken on a second airport, Australia would lose out on 80,000 additional
jobs and $34 billion worth of economic activity by 2060.
So this is the right decision for
Australia and the right decision for Western Sydney, because over the next
decade and a half, Western Sydney’s population is expected to increase by 50
per cent from 2 million to 3 million.
A new airport in Sydney, with
supporting infrastructure, will make life easier and make the economy stronger.
But, the roads in transport links must be ready and operating long before the
airport is completed in 2025. That’s why our approach is “roads first, airport
second”.
Today, the government announces a
$ 3 billion in Western Sydney roads. This is on top of the $2 billion the
Commonwealth government is already investing in the West Connex and North
Connex projects. These investments will relieve pressure on the existing infrastructure
and unlock the economic capacity of the region by easing congestion and cutting
travel times.
Together, these initiatives will
generate tens of thousands of jobs—our plans for making life better for all the
people of Sydney, but also build a stronger economy that will benefit everyone
everywhere. |
