Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts. Will the minister please update the House on the news that construction of a world-class passenger terminal is underway at Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport and how the delivery of this project by the Morrison government is delivering jobs for Western Sydney and backing our economic recovery?

Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lindsay for the question. She is a passionate champion of Western Sydney and, of course, Western Sydney airport. She brings a strong background in community housing in Western Sydney. Last Friday, she and I were able to join the Prime Minister, the Premier of New South Wales and others at Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport to announce the start of construction on the terminal.

This will be a bold and confident building, reflecting the confidence and aspirations of Western Sydney. Western Sydney, of course, would be the third-largest economy and the fourth-largest city in Australia if it were a standalone city. This Western Sydney airport project is almost one-quarter complete. Twenty-two of 26 million cubic metres of earth have now been moved. Contracts have been signed for the terminal and for the airside civil engineering, including the runway and taxiway, and shortly the landside civils contract will be signed. This project means jobs for Western Sydney—over 11,000 direct and indirect construction jobs through the life of this project, with half of the current workforce coming from Western Sydney. By 2031, the airport will deliver 28,000 direct and indirect jobs. Airports around the world are proven job generators.

The Commonwealth government—the Morrison government, the Liberal-National government—is working with the Perrottet government, the Liberal-National government in New South Wales, with an integrated plan to leverage Western Sydney airport to attract businesses and jobs and to create the third city, the Western Parkland City. It has transport connections like the $11 billion WSA metro, with six stations, 23 kilometres and 14,000 jobs; the M12, a $2 billion project; the Northern Road, for $1.6 billion; and the planning vision for a liveable city where people can live close to jobs, the Aerotropolis. Western Parkland City Authority and the Western Sydney City Deal are bringing together the Commonwealth and New South Wales governments and eight local councils.

We are backing Western Sydney. The Western Sydney airport was in the too-hard basket for the six long years of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd government, but, when we came to government in 2013, we took a decision in 2014 to proceed with this airport. Not for us the meandering between Wilton and RAAF Base Richmond and the various other possibilities; the Liberal-National governments of the Commonwealth and New South Wales are backing Western Sydney. Labor took Western Sydney for granted. We are backing Western Sydney. (Time expired)