SYD/BNE/PER airports are at capacity now
Not quite true. They are at capacity for a few hours a day, then there are many hours where they are not. Special events such a nasty wx increase the impact of lack of infrastructure and artificial items such as movement caps, but they are in the big picture rare enough.
But in the modern world with carbon taxes, you have to wonder about which is more important noise sharing or being green?
"It's all about the runways stupid" is as true as it ever was.
I think this is just an attempt to undermine the decision on a new airport in SY. It's politically unacceptable for all the NIMBY reasons, it's possibly unaffordable and whilst there is still 'spare' capacity there will be no real will for anything else. Gatwick has a single runway and moves just about as many people as Sydney. Reasons for this is the 'peaks' last much longer than Sydney and generally on average each movement is a larger type.
Perth and Brisbane will never reach the efficiency/through put of Gatwick due to the nature of the beasts. But essentially runways and improved ground infrastructure would make massive differences, but who's going to pay for it and is there economic value in making the investment.
The way to get these 'monopolies' to do something is to build a competitor, but who's going to pay for that and where do you build them?
The 4 major London airports compete for routes offering great "deals" to airlines but this is not true in any Australian context (excluding the Avalon adventure). It would be much smarter to require the current owners to do X Y and Z via regulation and direct input into the master plans by a government agency. If the owners don't want to do it, then they need to get out of the business.
Unfortunately major infrastructure such as roads, rail, ports and airports should be built and owned by the government for the good of all not the profitability of a few. The few pieces of eight that were received for these national assets were no where near a fair deal for the punters. Look at some of the regional reallocations from the FAC to regional councils/operators there was absolutely nothing in it for the public. But I suspect all this waffle is simply preaching to the choir.
