THE DEBATE SHOULD NOT BE ABOUT A SECOND SYDNEY AIRPORT, BUT MORE TO THE POINT, A SECOND NSW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
Queensland has 3 inter' airports but the Gold Coast is not referred to as "Brisbane's second airport".
The logical position for another NSW inter' airport is the Hunter region. Already many travellers from north of the Hawkesbury choose to use Williamtown for their interstate travel and the Hunter region is growing in population and commercial activity.
In 1999, a consortium of ABIGroup/IRL put forward a proposal for an International airport on Kooragang Island (an island formed by the North and South arms of the Hunter river) which is mid way between Newcastle city and Williamtown. That airport was to be funded by private enterprise; that proposal was immediately "shot down" by the State and Federal labor MP's who had a monopoly on lower Hunter electorates. The greens of course, got in on the act - migratory birds / frogs etc.
Kooragang island is now most likely not an option due to industrial development in recent years.
So that brings us to Williamtown. Established prior to WW2, for the RAAF to protect the port and steel infrastructure. The steel works no longer exist and I doubt we would be the subject of a surprise attack from the east!
Now, what is the strategic / operational need for the RAAF to remain at Williamtown? The RAAF people would argue that it is imperitive for them to rush around in their F18's in the most traffic dense airspace in the country and they need to be near Sydney and to reside in beautiful Port Stephens.......it is time for the RAAF to be relocated to a more strategically appropriate location, therefore allowing Williamtown to be developed as "the second NSW International airport.
What benefits does Williamtown have?
it is in a "relatively" isolated location which would be easy to quarantine from residential development and has approach paths over water to the east and mainly farmland to the west.
it is close to freeway and rail infrastructure - a fast train to Sydney would be needed eventually. The terrain would already allow fastrail to the Central coast.
a good proportion of international tourists visit the Hunter region - golf resorts / wine country / whale watching etc. Why should they not begin the tours from the Hunter? it is only a matter of marketing.
because of the sparce residential in the area
it could (and should now) operate without a curfew.
because of the close proximity to freeway / rail , it would be an ideal major airfreight terminal.
the weather is generally benign with few fogs through autumn/winter; the fogs slide down the Hunter valley from the nw so CAT3B approach on RW30 would fix that.
All that is needed in this sorry debate is logical and informed consideration.
The big question is
, are our politicians capable of that , and courageous enough to make a decision based on good policy rather than politics??
Role on .....