Western Sydney business leaders call on PM Anthony Albanese to step in and reboot aerotropolis

Western Sydney business leaders and MPs want Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to step in and kickstart the stalled “aeroflopolis” precinct around the new international airport.

A render of Aerotropolis, located in Bringelly in Sydney's South-West. Picture: Supplied

Western Sydney business leaders and MPs want Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to step in and kickstart the stalled “aeroflopolis” precinct around the new international airport.

The calls come after revelations in The Daily Telegraph that despite receiving more than $500m in taxpayer funding, the Western Parkland City Authority had only just started work on the visitor centre.

Business leaders have previously called for the authority to be disbanded and for the state to find another way to fast-track the development. Now, leaders in the region want help from the federal government.

Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue chief executive Adam Leto said Mr Albanese had been instrumental in securing the airport’s site at Badgerys Creek and now needed to ensure it succeeded.

“The federal government has a critical role to play,” he said.

“This is a real opportunity for the Prime Minister to step up, reclaim his legacy and make the airport and surrounding Aerotropolis his own.”

Business leaders have previously called for the authority to be disbanded and for the state to find another way to fast-track the development.

Mr Leto said frustrated business leaders were united in calling for federal intervention, including investing in critical transport infrastructure and a fuel pipeline to the airport to get tankers off the roads.

Almost 40 businesses have signed memorandums of understanding with the NSW government to invest in the hi-tech precinct but complain they have had little communication from the authority and have no idea when land will be ready for them to start building.

In the six years since global defence and aerospace company Northrop Grumman signed the first MOU, nothing has been built and work has only just begun on the visitor centre – described as “a shed with a fancy pergola”.

Almost 40 businesses have signed memorandums of understanding with the NSW government to invest in the hi-tech precinct. Picture: Supplied

Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun said the authority was “an absolute waste of money” and even claimed the funds should be given to councils to get the Aerotropolis under way.

“The organisational structure they put in place costs us millions of dollars a year when it could have been done by us,” he said.

“These multinationals need to know they’re talking to an organisation that can give them a determination in 60 days.”

A render of Aerotropolis, located in Bringelly in Sydney's South-West. Picture: Supplied

NSW Liberal MP Jacqui Munro said Labor needed to do more or risk losing hi-tech businesses to other states.

“Honestly, the signal that people are getting from the NSW government is that it is easier to do business in Victoria or Queensland,” she said.

“And companies are moving interstate because of it.

“That means we miss out on thousands of job opportunities and apprenticeship pathways.”

An authority spokeswoman said claims it was not making progress at the aerotropolis site were “demonstrably untrue”.

“We’re working closely with our growing industry partner network to realise opportunities in the Aerotropolis and welcome further discussion with interested businesses,” she said.

Originally published as Western Sydney business leaders call on PM Anthony Albanese to step in and reboot aerotropolis