Sky is the limit for proposed Badgerys Creek aerotropolis

It will be the location of the new Western Sydney Airport but development at Badgerys Creek will not be limited to just the airport. Future predictions of what the suburb will look like showcase it as a bustling aerotropolis to rival some of the best cities in the world.

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A brand new city attached to Western Sydney Airport will feature 40-storey towers and have a river running through it.

That’s the 2040-2050 prediction of urban planning experts who have released concept designs for the aerotropolis at Badgerys Creek.

As construction on the $5.3 billion airport marches on, Liverpool Mayor Wendy Waller described the images as a “one in 100-year opportunity”.

“I think you will see the heights that are in the conceptual drawing,” Ms Waller told The Sunday Telegraph.

“Why not? It is a new city it is a new space.

“It’s a new area that doesn’t have any constraints on it. While it looks like the Jetsons, that might be what happens.”

Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport is scheduled to open in 2026.

The aerotropolis around the airport will likely support 200,000 jobs, according to NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

This includes a new agribusiness precinct that will link directly with the Sydney Markets and ideally export fresh produce.

Ms Waller said there will be hotels and business housed in towers.

“This is an opportunity that we won’t get again — a one in 100-year opportunity,” she said.

“And if we get this wrong it is going to look really silly. But I don’t believe that’s going to be the case. I think people are quite genuine in wanting to get it right.”

Liverpool Mayor Wendy Waller says the development of Badgerys Creek is a “one in 100-year opportunity”.

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Master plans for the aerotropolis are not due to be released until 2020. They are being done by the Western City & Aerotropolis Authority — which represents state and federal governments.

The Authority has signed memorandum of understandings with various high level industry bodies including the Australian Space Agency and company Vitex Pharmaceuticals.

CEO Sam Sangster said the new city will have a big impact on surrounding areas.

“There will be office space at the aerotropolis but it’s more likely to be in Penrith, Liverpool and Campbelltown,” he said.

“Our primary KPI is about generating 200,000 knowledge jobs and to make that work we need to make sure that those three CBDs are playing a significant role.

“That means we need to significantly push development in each of those CBDs, where we would like to see A-grade buildings being built.”

Mr Sangster said he expects aerotropolis building heights to be lower than in the Urban Taskforce image, but added “the images are great in that they are futuristic thinking”.

“It’s not just another CBD, it’s not just another Chatswood — there is nothing like it anywhere else in Australia right now,” Mr Sangster said.

The site of the Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek. Picture: Toby Zerna

Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson said it is important to make bold predictions for the future of the 11,200ha parcel of land.

He would like it to resemble the Tsukuba science city outside Tokyo in Japan.

“It will be a proudly new city with significant employment as well as retail, amenities and residential buildings,” he said.

“The vision we have developed has a water body flowing through it and has significant greenery and landscape to reflect the parkland city concept.

“The buildings are deliberately futuristic and represent innovative design principles. Many buildings will incorporate rooftop gardens and green walls.”

Planning Minister Rob Stokes refused to comment on any part of this story.