Badgerys Creek airport: New bid to limit noise from jet aircraft

EXCLUSIVE: RESIDENTS will be further protected from aircraft noise at Badgerys Creek, with ­single merge points for aircraft movements banned.

• BADGERYS: MAJORITY OF WESTIES ARE ON BOARD

WESTERN Sydney residents will be further protected from aircraft noise from the airport at Badgerys Creek, with the Turnbull government banning ­single merge points for aircraft movements over any residential area.

The move to further mitigate adverse noise impacts, which were already minimal, is contained in a final report on the environmental impacts of the project.

The report, obtained by The Daily Telegraph, reveals the airport will also use “head-to-head” operations — flights in and out from the same direction — to minimise noise during night-time operations.

It also reveals an extension to the noise mitigation issues announced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during the election campaign, when he announced a ban on a single merge point over Blaxland in the Blue Mountains. That ban will now be extended to cover any residential area.

The report is the third of its kind since discussions began on a second Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek more than 30 years ago.

The Final Environmental Impact Statement for the airport, to be handed to Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg today for sign-off, gives the go-ahead for the project on environmental grounds.

It is the final hurdle for the approval of the configuration of the airport, its runway operations, and mitigation protections that must be put in place.

“Head-to-head operations will involve flights both taking off to, and landing from, the southwest of the runway in circumstances where it is safe to do so,” Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher said.

“There is more detailed work to do to analyse weather patterns and assess safety considerations, but indications are that this operating mode could be available greater than 80 per cent of the time.

Half of the people living in western Sydney believe Badgerys Creek airport will be a positive for economic growth and employment Picture: Hollie Adams

“There are already extensive aircraft movements over the Blue Mountains — around 230 a day or a quarter of Sydney Airport’s daily traffic.

“After five years of operations, Western Sydney Airport is projected to represent just over 30 per cent of all flights over the Blue Mountains.”

The report is the third of its kind since discussions began on a second Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek more than 30 years ago. Mr Fletcher said work was under way to prepare the airport site and road building and upgrades had begun in the area. Western Sydney Airport is expected to begin operations in the mid-2020s.

Despite protests against the project, the number of public submissions to the EIS was surprisingly low at 4975.

This was three times fewer than the number received in the same process in 1999, and fewer than the submissions lodged against a McDonald’s in the Blue Mountains in 1997.

Preparations for construction are well under way at the Badgerys Creek site / Picture: Hollie Adams