M12 Motorway: NSW Planning Minister approves construction of $1.2b Western Sydney Airport link

The NSW Planning Minister has sealed the fate of $1.2 billion plans for the M12 Motorway — linking the M7 and Luddenham to Western Sydney Airport.

Billion-dollar plans for the M12 motorway — featuring a new dual-carriageway motorway between the M7 and The Northern Road via the Western Sydney Airport — have been given the tick of approval.

The 16km motorway will be constructed from the M7 at Cecil Hills with two lanes in each direction to The Northern Rd at Luddenham, with future expansion plans to allow for six lanes.

Motorists will be able to access the green-lit motorway at a series of interchanges and intersections including links at the M7, two signalised western Sydney Airport Interchanges, linkages at Elizabeth Dr and Cecil Rd, as well as the The Northern Rd.

A Transport for NSW planner forecast construction of the project is expected to begin in 2022 and conclude in 2025 — before the first plans touchdown at the Western Sydney Airport.

Artist impression of the proposed M12 Motorway which includes the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport train line.

“Western Sydney Airport and planned development associated with the Aerotropolis, employment lands and the South West Growth Area is expected to drive population growth in western Sydney, with about one million additional people living in the region by 2031,” a planner for the project said.

“This population growth and land use changes will significantly increase traffic, placing increasing demand on the existing local and regional road network.

“Road network modelling indicates that, with the expected growth, many roads in the existing network would be at or near capacity in the future. Without the project, ageing, narrow or lower-order roads would perform a traffic function that is better suited to motorway infrastructure.”

The Transport for NSW planner argued without the M12 Motorway, motorists would witness increased congestion, travel times, reduced travel time reliability and more traffic incidents.

A NSW Planning assessor said the M12 Motorway was “an integral part of the NSW Government’s transport infrastructure strategy to build new infrastructure and improve road travel reliability to the Western Sydney Airport and surrounding development”.

The planner said surrounding residents raised concerns around noise, vibration, biodiversity impacts, flooding, design, traffic, as well as property and heritage impacts.

NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Christian Gilles

“The project is in the public interest and should be approved subject to conditions, as it will support the growth associated with the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and provide access to the Western Sydney Airport,” the Planning representative said.

“The project has an estimated capital investment value of $1,800 million and would contribute around 600 full time jobs during peak construction to the economy.”

Planning Minister Rob Stokes approved the motorway development on April 23.