Western Sydney Airport Experience Centre open for business
The public can now have a front row experience to watch the construction of the Western Sydney Airport, with the opening of a new experience centre
Penrith
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The public will now have front-row seats to witness history in the making with the opening of the Western Sydney Airport Experience Centre.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison was joined by several of his senior cabinet ministers to officially open the new tourism centre today, which will give the community a behind the scenes view at the future and history of the region.
Located on the airport site, Mr Morrison said the new tourism attraction will allow visitors a unique insight into the $5.3 billion airport.
“This experience centre will enable a whole generation of young Australians and young people from western Sydney to come and watch the progress in real time,” Mr Morrison said.
“It invites people to press their faces to the glass and watch as the future unfolds and see that it is their future.”
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said in the next five years of construction the experience centre will allow people to watch as the “gateway to the world” goes from a pile of dirt to an airport twice the size of Sydney airport.
“This will be where plane spotters of the future and runway spotters of today can come and have a look at construction works and wonderful gateway to the world developing,” Mr McCormack said.
“It is not every day that you can come out to a green fill site and watch it develop from scratch and watch it develop into the world’s gateway to western Sydney.”
One of the biggest talking points of the announcement was the economic benefit from the airport, in particular the job growth.
There is expected to be 11,000 jobs during construction and by 2031 30,000 jobs are expected to be generated.
In the next 20 years it is projected that the airport will bring 200,000 jobs to western Sydney.
Federal Finance Minister Mathias Cormann declared that the project was on time and on budget for the opening in 2026, and said the project is evidence of the government’s investment in western Sydney.
“This airport is a once in a generation project and as a government we are investing in this region through jobs and much-needed infrastructure,” he said.
“I think this airport will be the greatest single airport once it is finished in terms of its technology and advancement and we hope to see it thrive and be a catalyst for growth here in western Sydney.”
The Western Sydney International Airport Experience Centre is free to visit and open to the public Monday to Thursday.