Western Sydney airport would boost local economy, report says.
An airport in Badgerys Creek would pour $6.6 billion into the western Sydney economy, a report says. The infrastructure would inject $11.6 billion across Sydney with baseline projections indicating 3800 small businesses could be created by 2050.
In Parramatta alone it would add $599 million to the city's almost $15 billion economy, the report commissioned by the NSW Business Chamber shows.
Urban policy expert Dallas Rogers, of the University of Western Sydney, said large infrastructure projects generate growth through new local and regional markets.
"Local businesses will need to change and grow with the airport as it is built and services commence," Mr Rogers said.
He said it was important to ensure western Sydney shared in the project's benefits. "NSW's recent history with public‐private infrastructure projects shows they require careful planning if the benefits are to be shared at the local level," he said.
The chamber's report showed the air transport sector would grow to $6.4 billion and the business services sector (car hire, travel agencies) would see an extra $1.7 billion in output.
Up to 28,000 jobs could be generated in western Sydney by a Badgerys Creek airport by 2050 with more than 1100 jobs in Parramatta and Holroyd, the chamber report forecasts.
NSW Business Chamber western Sydney director and former Parramatta mayor David Borger said an airport would generate employment across industries including freight, tourism and industrial development and could create incentive for a new business park.
He said the region's jobs shortage is expected to rise to 400,000 by 2050. "That is an absolute crisis," Mr Borger said.
"The challenge is to create jobs close to home . . . and an airport in western Sydney will go some way to help that."
Mr Borger said a western Sydney airport would more easily connect one of the largest regional economies in the nation directly with other Australian cities through to other global cities in the Asia‐Pacific.
But Mr Rogers said the devil will be in the detail of a Badgerys Creek airport proposal.
"What is the funding model and how will the private sector be engaged?" Mr Rogers said. "How will local community and business concerns be acknowledged and addressed "How will the state government ensure western Sydney shares in the short‐term and long‐term economic and employment benefits?"
He said an airport proposal needed to balance local environmental issues, like aircraft noise and resident concerns, with the economic and employment benefits.
The federal government has said a decision on the location of Sydney's second airport could be made as early as December.
Related Articles:
- Largest Ever Government Infrastructure Investment - Western Sydney
- NRAS Sydney Apartments | Glenmore Park
- Western Sydney Infrastructure | $23 million predicted investment for family & tourism amenities at Bungarribee Park by 2019
- NRAS Sydney Townhouses | Ropes Crossing
- Three Thousand State Public Servant Jobs Moving To The West
- Check out these images of our site visit to Plumpton this week!