Badgerys Creek: NSW and federal governments set to back northern rail line
PREMIER Gladys Berejiklian and the federal government are set to back a northern rail line out of Badgerys Creek airport up to the western line near St Marys.
NSW
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PREMIER Gladys Berejiklian and the federal government are set to back a northern rail line out of Badgerys Creek airport up to the western line near St Marys.
It is understood the governments will soon commit to the north-south rail option that recognises the airport will mostly service the needs of the Western Sydney community.
The Premier visited Seoul’s Incheon Airport “aerotropolis” yesterday, an extraordinary development of a city around an airport that features everything from a casino to a golf course, with tens of thousands of homes being built nearby.
The Premier said she had similar visions of a city around the new Western Sydney Airport, which is set to be built by 2026.
Ms Berejiklian announced that mid next year the government would host an Aerotropolis 2026 summit in Western Sydney and invite global players in a bid to build ideas for how a city could be constructed around Badgerys Creek.
The event will target industries such as defence, aerospace, freight and logistics, agribusiness, health, education and tourism.
“The aerotropolis we want to create in western Sydney will be in part modelled on the experiences here at Incheon and also some of the best other aerotropolis’ in the world,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“What we learned here from the authorities is they took too long in getting the planning approvals and legislation in place. We’ll make sure we avoid those hurdles in NSW,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“They also told us they would have liked to see better synergies between residential, commercial and industrial around the airport.
“This Incheon precinct is regarded as one of the best in the world in terms of aerotropolis’.
“The airport itself employs 50,000 people. That does not include the people who work in freight hubs. Or in the precinct.
“That is our vision for western Sydney. We will be building a new city around the Western Sydney Airport.
“It will be a new aerotropolis and what I’m excited about is we already have one defence firm (Northrop Grumman) coming in from North America (committing to invest) $50 million.
“This will change lives ... Previously all things led to the Sydney CBD. Those days are over. We need to think about the three cities strategy. Sydney, Parramatta and this new precinct.”
Ms Berejiklian indicated she believed a rail line to the airport should be built after the airport’s construction.
The government has reserved corridors for possible rail links.
“I’m keen for there to be rail to the airport but the question is when,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The feedback we got about this airport is there are two rail lines coming into the airport but they told me the most popular way to get in is by bus.
“Traditionally you build the airport first and then as demand increases you cater for the rail line. But I’ll remain open minded.
“You make sure you reserve the corridor. The station pit for the rail line will be built during airport construction.
“We want to make sure we provide the rail line when people are going to use it.”
She said an announcement with the federal government on whether the rail line headed east or north-south would occur soon.
“Some major airports around the world take up to 10 years to build a rail line. I’m not suggesting for a second that’s how long we take,” she said.
“You need to make sure you’re investing the dollars where they’re needed most, when they’re needed most.
“We’ve got so many priorities in NSW, we need to make sure we get everything done in the right order, and we will do our homework.”
Asked whether Badgerys Creek could truly replicate Incheon, the Premier said: “I don’t see why we shouldn’t think big in terms of the amount of industry there.
“I’m really excited by R and D. There’s an opportunity for western Sydney to be a major freight hub of NSW, the major defence hub, the major engineering hub, agribusiness hub.”
Ms Berejiklian has visions of scientific industries like “robotics” being drawn to the airport precinct.
The Premier pointed out state and federal governments had already committed $1 billion to road infrastructure for the airport.
She said Incheon authorities were set to develop a residential area of tens of thousands of homes “in the opposite direction to the runway” and the NSW government should consider that.
Incheon also has a “special economic zone” around the airport and the premier said she would be willing to work with the federal government on this at Badgerys Creek.
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