Google Maps plots Badgery's Creek Airport (aka Sydney West SWZ)

How about "Sydney Alan Joyce Airport" or "Sydney Geoff Dixon Airport"?

Easy to say 'if you don't like airport noise, MOVE' when you aren't the one who will be subjected to the disruption. 

People built in the area under the assurance no airport would be built there. 

Perhaps removing the curfew at Sydney should be considered before resorting to a whole new airport. 

Seriously? Have you even bothered to find out its pathing, and specifically, the fact that it's been oriented to overfly non-residential areas?

The site has been a designated airport site for years. Anyone stupid enough to duped into building/buying in the area under assurances that no airport would be built deserve to be overflown.

If you're so concerned about overflying, why on earth are you suggesting curfew removal at SYD, where overflying affects far, far more residences than at SWZ?

Because, like the people eager to see an airport over the Western Suburbs don't actually live there, I don't live under the flight path of Sydney Airport. 

Actually, I'm not affected by either. I used to be under flight paths. 

It's rather ridiculous that a major international airport like Sydney isn't 24/7. Furthermore, there are ways to increase capacity, such as filling the 40% spare slots that exist presently. 

HSR between Sydney and Melbourne (world's fifth busiest air corridor) would also free up many peak hour slots for other routes. 

With the HSR linking Canberra along the way to Melbourne, we could easily develop the capital's airport as a second international entry point for NSW. HSR would enable development of Canberra and ensure travel times of 45 minutes between the two cities.

Have you ever been to Badgery's Creek? On a good day it's between an hour and an hour and a half from there to the city. The M5 and M4 are nightmares. 

Because, like the people eager to see an airport over the Western Suburbs don't actually live there, I don't live under the flight path of Sydney Airport.

Actually, I'm not affected by either. I used to be under flight paths.

Have you even read the studies? The overflown areas are almost entirely industrial or parkland (or Prospect Resevoir). The residential overflying is almost nonexistent, and in any case people can be compensated.

It's rather ridiculous that a major international airport like Sydney isn't 24/7. Furthermore, there are ways to increase capacity, such as filling the 40% spare slots that exist presently.

Please tell overflown residents, hundreds of thousands of them, about how they should be overflown at OMG o'clock because anything less than 24/7 operation is "ridiculous".

I grant that spare capacity exists, but tapping it is increasingly difficult and it is not a long-term option.

HSR between Sydney and Melbourne (world's fifth busiest air corridor) would also free up many peak hour slots for other routes. 

With the HSR linking Canberra along the way to Melbourne, we could easily develop the capital's airport as a second international entry point for NSW. HSR would enable development of Canberra and ensure travel times of 45 minutes between the two cities.

Oh, high-speed rail again. Yes, the Feds should totally go burn a  hundred billion bucks on an inferior solution. The aviation industry can profitably do everything HSR does while being a giant subsidy black hole, and then some more. Like, you know, fly people to Bali to get smashed over there.

Have you ever been to Badgery's Creek? On a good day it's between an hour and an hour and a half from there to the city. The M5 and M4 are nightmares.

So? Mascot is a nightmare to get to if you don't live in the City, St George or the Eastern Suburbs. There's the additional benefit of it being near Leppington, where the South West Rail Link is being built.

Ben: when I lived out in western Sydney there were plenty of people who thought Badgery's Creek was a great idea. The problem is, those who didn't want it were much more vocal than those who did (and the media seemed more interested on reporting on anti-BC than pro-BC).

David - I lived in the West a long time. Most people truly were (and are) opposed to the airport. It brought Labor MPs down in 1996 when Liberals campaigned strongly on the issue. 

Even today, there is a lot of concern about the airport. The fact that, in the event of an accident or need to dump fuel, aircraft could poison our city's largest water supply at Warragamba. Never say never - if it ever happened then we have a real crisis on our hands. 

Furthermore, the area is prone to heavy fog during morning periods 1 in every 3 days. 

The smarter solution is to build the HSR to Melb via Canberra ($55bn cost for that part of the east coast line) and open the capital to development. Canberra airport can be made international (expansion will cost less as all the infrastructure basics are set up) and the journey to Sydney would be 50 minutes - less time than it would take to get from BC to the Sydney CBD in good traffic. 

HSR is more than transportation. It spreads urban development and provides opportunities to address housing affordability. If flying and training the remainder of the journey works in Europe, then why not Australia? 

The Chinese have built HSR to reduce air travel between major cities (thereby cutting pollution and freeing up slots for a growing international air market). Why shouldn't we?

Just because BC costs less than the option above, doesn't mean it is better for our future. BC is short sighted. O'Farrell at least sees this and has the vision to propose something that will benefit us all to a much greater extent. 

Ben: I'm totally with you on high-speed rail. I'm personally pro-HSR, but sadly, I have to accept the reality that it will probably never be built - and if it did, it's likely end up a piecemeal project rather than deliver the full route that is needed to make worthwhile.

And in the ideal world, yes, I'd go HSR and an international-grade Canberra - not because BC is a bad idea, I still think it's very well-geared to the outer-west – but because we could get a massive head-start on the cost of the HSR line by using the money it'd cost to build BC on the HSR instead.

(Okay, in the super-ideal world we'd have all three!)

David: Unfortunately you are right that HSR won't get off the ground, and if so, it will be a piecemeal effort. 

I recall a number of airlines stating they would have reservations about landing at BC a couple of years back when the issue flared up in the papers. 

Which airlines have changed their minds? What flights are being proposed for BC? 

All else aside (and I know this is a trivial point in a world dominated by economics), isn't it a wonderful thing to fly across Sudney Harbour before touching down at Mascot after a long Asia/Middle East/Pacific leg? Coming home is always an emotional experience - especially when I see the bridge and the skyline. 

Im sure I'm not the only one who has an emotional response when flying over the world's most beautiful Habour city?! 

BC just could never offer that. 

I have a simple solution if people of western Sydney object to an airport at Badgery's Creek. Ban anyone in western Sydney from flying. If you don't want to put up with aircraft noise then don't expect the enjoyment and convenience of flying.

Of course I joke but that is something people have to understand. We all want travel so we must all put up with noise. People of western Sydney have had it easy for too long while 130,000 people around Sydney Airport suffer. Regardless of who purchased what property nobody should think they have some sort of entitlement above everyone else.

If government used the same logic as opponents to new airports then they would never build motorways and rail services. There will always be someone who says I purchased this property expecting to maintain quiet surroundings.

Sydney Airport opened in 1935. People living under flight paths knew what they were getting into when they bought their homes. 

This is simply not the case for Western Sydney residents. They were told there would be no airport there by both major parties since the mid 90s. 

The current airport is not at capacity, and full capacity figures are based on the airport having a curfew. In this day and age, Sydney should be a 24/7 airport. 

As for the comment about banning people from flying, it would be useful to know where flyers are travelling once they land and from where in Sydney they are coming. Are people of Western Sydney flying to the extent it calls for a brand new airport?