Damning submissions to a parliamentary inquiry into “critical transport infrastructure” surrounding the airport revealed it could become a white elephant at the foot of the Blue Mountains for “decades” as a result of a lack of immediate demand and the need for short-term transport fixes.

University of Sydney Transport Professor, David Levinson, argued “while we might expect the WSA and Aerotropolis will eventually be successful, this may take decades”.

“Additional infrastructure investments in the absence of changes in demand will not magically make that happen, but will drain resources from solving real problems.”

The Transport expert said projects that could be “justified well after development begins to materialise in the Aerotropolis area are hard to justify before”.

“While there is always a chicken-and-egg problem, and some capital may need to be ventured to ensure gains, given the large amount of infrastructure already being built in advance of development, and the uncertainty, the risk of a China-like ghost city remains,” he said.

“Transport and land use investments should be generally concurrent, transport with no development will be unused, and development without sufficient transport will be slow and inconvenient.”

Professor Levinson said the aerotropolis core and surrounding city centres should rely on flexible, fast buses and T-way services in an effort to provide cost-effective transport infrastructure once the airport opens, before long-term planning on future metro and heavy rail services are expanded.

“There is so much uncertainty surrounding the airport,” he said. “There won’t be demand for 24-hour passenger flights when the airport opens.

“The majority of international travellers will still want to fly in and out of Sydney Airport in the east.

“It will be a long time for demand at WSI to catch up, if it does at all.”

Fears from the planning expert comes as a leading infrastructure consultant raised concerns the current transport plans are “not optimal” to support the new Western Sydney Airport and Aerotropolis into a successful employment zone.

Transportation Associates boss Peter Thornton argued the metro line from St Mary’s to the new airport could become an “orphan” by using “scarce capital” that could be used for other projects to “bind the three major centres of greater metropolitan Sydney together much more effectively”.

“I do not believe it is currently being used optimally to support both the Commonwealth’s objective to make the airport successful, nor the state’s objectives in creating a new major employment zone,” Mr Thornton said.

FEARS AIRPORT WON’T BE ACCESSIBLE

Blacktown state Labor MP Stephen Bali dubbed Western Sydney Airport the “poor cousins” compared to the Eastern suburbs as a result of lacking transport connections, and said the new airport must connect to all major Western Sydney CBDs.

He called for the extension of existing rail corridors from Tallawong Station to Marsden Park, and the creation of a new rail corridor linking Parramatta to Aerotropolis via the Western Sydney Motor Sports parks and employment hubs.

The western Sydney MP said also called for a transport route to link Richmond, Penrith, Badgerys Creek and through to Campbelltown.

Qantas Group told the NSW Government convenient and affordable transport connections to and from the new airport “underpinned” the success of the project and the Western Sydney Aerotropolis.

Qantas executives said the state and federal governments should ensure public transport was convenient and affordable for commuters, including no station access fees, regular and reliable train services and an integrated bus network; and that fees or tolls on road are minimised wherever possible.

YouTube creator Sharath Mahendran, otherwise known by his channel name, Building Beautifully, said the airport presented “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for the Western Sydney region and that it was “perhaps the most significant project ever to be constructed in the region”, issuing calls to extend the Sydney Metro West from Westmead to the Aerotropolis and airport precinct.

While Urban Taskforce boss Tom Forrest issued “strong” support for the airport, the group said the government needed to prioritise construction of roads near and around the airport; execute three Sydney Metro train line extensions; and create a multi-agency task force which works with Infrastructure NSW and to ensure building deadlines are met and to address infrastructure bottlenecks.

The taskforce also called for the extension of the Sydney Metro West through to the new airport, and that the federal government allocate funding to the Western Sydney Housing and Jobs Enabling Infrastructure fund.

CITY’S WEST WILL BE ‘ISOLATED’ FROM OWN AIRPORT

A Western Sydney council has slammed the lack of infrastructure delivery to the new airport which has left their residents “isolated” from the Aerotropolis.

Campbelltown council called out the state government for not delivering on previously committed transport links, including the short rail extension from Glenfield to the Western Sydney International Airport.

“This would unlock a connection from Western Sydney International Airport to the existing Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport and provide a direct link to Sydney,” council said.

Meanwhile, neighbouring Camden residents will be left without “meaningful” public transport for the next 20 years until the Metro rail construction to southwest Sydney starts in 2041.

“Without integrated transport strategies, residents will suffer from intergenerational disadvantage due to poor job access and long commutes,” Camden Council representatives said.

The isolation fears come as Penrith Council bosses say they have their doubts around the government’s ability to pull off the aerotropolis and surrounding infrastructure, saying some of the objectives ‘will now be impossible’ to complete in time for the airport’s opening.

Penrith City Council penned a submission to the inquiry voicing their concerns over the aerotropolis’ lagging progress and questioning the government’s commitment to funding.

Topping their list of concerns was the future of the Rapid Bus project, a network “essential” in “shaping travel behaviour and public transport usage in western Sydney”.

“Despite the NSW Government’s commitment of $302 million to the Western Sydney Rapid Bus project, there is concern this funding will not deliver a fully integrated public transport network by the airport’s 2026 opening,” the submission read.

TRANSPORT WILL ‘TAKE TIME’ TO BUILD

The future of a “smart, connected, and vibrant” Aerotropolis would “take time” according to NSW Government submissions, despite more than a decade of planning.

The state government promised $60 million to support investigations for a future rail connection between Bradfield, Leppington and Glenfield, and between Bradfield, Campbelltown and Macarthur.

“Potential future extensions to the St Marys-Bradfield line are future-proofed through the provision of stub-tunnels at St Marys and Aerotropolis stations,” their submission stated.

The future bus services are projected to run “as soon as possible” and “mostly make use of existing infrastructure” with future road upgrades tabled over a 30 year period.

While Transport Minister Jo Haylen said it was “important that Western Sydney International Airport and the Aerotropolis have public transport links ready to go on day one so we can get the greatest public benefit from these projects”.

“That’s why the Government is ensuring that there will be critical public transport services available for when the airport opens.

“Building a project like this without the supporting infrastructure would be a massive missed opportunity,” she said.

“It would just be kicking the can down the road and make it even more expensive to do in the future.”

Meanwhile, a Transport for NSW spokesman confirmed new bus services will begin operating in 2026, and “provide public transport connections to the airport precinct”.

“Services will connect key activity centres including Liverpool, Penrith and Campbelltown, as well as Leppington and Mount Druitt, to the Airport and Bradfield City,” the Transport official said. “In order for services to be running before the Airport opens in 2026, the new services will mostly make use of existing infrastructure, including the bus infrastructure that has been provided through the recent upgrade of The Northern Road.

“There are already bus priority lanes along The Northern Road – approximately 10 km - which enable improved bus travel times and reliability.”

The Transport for NSW spokesman said the new services would be the first step towards a future Western Sydney Rapid Bus network.

“(Services) will be staged to ensure sustainable development that meets the needs of Western Sydney communities while getting the best value for money”.

Meanwhile, a future rail connection between St Marys and Tallawong, via Schofields and Marsden Park and future rail connections between Bradfield and Leppington and Glenfield, and between Bradfield and Campbelltown and Macarthur are in the early stages.

FEAR GOV WILL NEED TO SUBSIDISE FLIGHTS

A leading economist has warned western Sydney airport could become a “white elephant that never really took off”, similar to Brisbane’s 24-hour international airport.

University of Queensland Professor John Quiggin said the introduction of a parallel runway at the curfewless Brisbane airport is yet to see the demand it was designed for, with the Queensland Government now subsidising flights in a bid to keep the lights on.

Last month, NewsCorp revealed the Queensland Government was bankrolling up to 50 flights a week between 10pm and 6am, via its $200m Attracting Aviation Investment Fund.

“There has just not been that passenger growth to justify the second runway and no curfew, so they are doing whatever they can to build up that demand and pulling out all stops”.

The underwhelming appetite for air travel as seen in Brisbane, hints that freight operations will be essential in making Badgerys Creek worthwhile,” Professor Quiggin told The Sunday Telegraph.

“If it goes ahead it won’t be a destination for international flights and I expect they hope the airport will support itself in some sense, so a freight connection with the right infrastructure is important to making the airport worthwhile.

“It doesn’t have to be a white elephant, it makes good sense to have the airport but the obstacles to actually building it have proved impossible to overcome so far.”

Western Sydney Airport is expected to operate international flights 24 hours a day.

The Federal Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Department was contacted for comment.