Second airport pops up on radar, and airlines favour Richmond
Matt O'Sullivan
June 20, 2009
THE Federal Government has given the strongest indication yet that it will push ahead with plans for a second Sydney airport.
In a rebuke to the Macquarie-controlled Sydney Airport's growth forecasts, the Transport Minister, Anthony Albanese, has challenged its ability to handle a more than doubling of passengers over the next 20 years.
Airlines including Qantas and Virgin Blue want the Government to make the Richmond RAAF base the airport site.
Yesterday Mr Albanese approved Sydney Airport's 20-year master plan but said that did not mean he accepted it could handle the projected growth in traffic to 427,000 aircraft movements a year by 2029.
"The national interest dictates that Sydney will need new airport capacity," he said.
The federal and state governments are expected to begin a joint study to identify potential sites and investment for boosting airport capacity. It will also consider the future of the Badgerys Creek site, which has been ruled out as an option for a second airport. Although Bankstown Airport has also been struck off the list, Mr Albanese has not made a final ruling about Richmond as an option.
The Board of Airline Representatives, on behalf of carriers serving Australia, said it favoured Richmond because sites outside the Sydney basin, such as the Williamtown RAAF base at Newcastle, "are not feasible".
"The airport must be located as near as possible to [the Sydney] market to, firstly, meet passenger demands and, secondly, to minimise the cost of the required transport," the board said. It also disputes Sydney Airport's claims of being able to handle passenger growth over the next 20 years.
Qantas has not previously said which site it prefers but has given its approval to the board's submission to Mr Albanese.
will sydney actually be able to handle such a rise in figures like theyre saying?
plus if badgeries is gone as is williamstown where exactly are they going to go?
i thought that richmond didnt have enough expansion space?