GOVERNMENT MOVES CLOSER TOWARDS WESTERN SYDNEY AIRPORT

Work described by Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Warren Truss, as a crucial step in planning for the proposed Western Sydney airport was undertaken in late January 2015.

Geotechnical analysis of the northern parts of Commonwealth-owned land at Badgerys Creek took place over about a week from 20 January – a team of engineers profiled the subsoil and rock at several locations.

Mr Truss said a drilling rig drilled several boreholes to a depth of 20 metres, and pits up to five metres deep were dug by an excavator – the samples were taken away for analysis.

“This is part of the critical planning work to develop detailed construction plans and cost estimates for the first stage of a Western Sydney airport, which will be among the nation’s most impressive and exciting civil engineering projects over the next decade,” Minister Truss said.

“At the end of last year (2014) the government commenced its new environmental assessment, which we aim to have concluded by the end of this year.”

In April 2014, the government decided that Badgerys Creek would be the site of an airport for Western Sydney. Work is underway to develop a commercial proposal for an airport which is expected to operate from the mid-2020s.

Mr Truss said an airport for Western Sydney would be a major boost for the local economy and create thousands of jobs during construction, and a pipeline of jobs once the airport started operating.