18 May 2012

End of previous chronology

The Parliamentary Library publication Second Sydney Airport: a decade of deferral 2002–2012 lists its final entry as the agreement of state ministers to a National Airports Safeguarding Framework.

Matthew L. James, Second Sydney Airport: a decade of deferral 2002­­–2012, Research paper series, 2012–13, (Canberra: Parliamentary Library, 2012).

21 July 2012

Minister for Infrastructure and Transport announces technical study into suitability of Wilton and RAAF Base Richmond

Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese (ALP, Grayndler, NSW), announces the appointment of experts for a scoping study ‘to assess the impact and viability of an airport at Wilton’. The study will also investigate the potential use of RAAF Base Richmond for ‘limited civil operations’.

Anthony Albanese (Minister for Infrastructure and Transport), ‘Sydney aviation capacity scoping study gets underway’, media release, 21 July 2012.

21 February 2013

Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) President backs Badgerys Creek; WSROC agrees to consult residents

The Board of WSROC agrees to ‘a major community consultation campaign’ to gauge the attitudes of Western Sydney residents towards building an airport at Badgerys Creek. This announcement follows significant opposition to the Badgerys Creek location from WSROC in the past.

Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC), ‘West to have its say on Badgery's Creek’, media release, 21 February 2013.

10 May 2013

Australian Government releases a technical study into Wilton’s suitability and use of RAAF Base Richmond for civil aviation use

The study provides a ‘detailed picture of the economic, social and employment consequences of airport developments at either Wilton or RAAF Base Richmond’ (p. 99). It found that ‘Badgerys Creek has potentially stronger economic benefits than the Wilton site’ (p. 62).

Minister Albanese states ‘that the development of an airport at Wilton is possible, but would involve environmental and engineering challenges’. The minister announces that the Australian Government will pursue further geotechnical analysis of the Wilton site to determine the impact mining subsidence could have.

Anthony Albanese (Minister for Infrastructure and Transport), ‘Release of Wilton technical study’, media release, 10 May 2013.

Australian Government Department of Infrastructure and Transport, A Study of Wilton and RAAF Base Richmond for Civil Aviation Operations (Canberra: Department of Infrastructure and Transport, 2013).

11 August 2013

Federal Opposition Leader announces if elected he will decide on airport location in first term

During the first leader’s debate of the 2013 federal election campaign, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott (LIB, Warringah, NSW) announces that if his party is elected, he will decide on the airport in his first term as Prime Minister.

‘2013 Federal Election Debate’, ABC News 24, transcript, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 11 August 2013.

7 September 2013

Liberal/National Coalition wins the federal election. Tony Abbott sworn in as Prime Minister on 18 September 2013.

17 November 2013

Findings of Wilton mine subsidence report published by media

The Sun-Herald describes the report as having dealt a ‘final blow’ to the Wilton site, the main alternative site to Badgerys Creek.

Jacob Saulwick, ‘Mines ground airport site’, Sun-Herald, 17 November 2013.

14 February 2014

Federal Opposition Leader signals conditional support for new airport at Badgerys Creek site

During an interview, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten (ALP, Maribyrnong, Vic) announces that, conditional to flight curfews and job creation, a new airport at Badgerys Creek should be considered ‘as a very live option’.

Bill Shorten (Opposition Leader), ‘Transcript of doorstop interview’, doorstop interview, 14 February 2014.

17 February 2014

NSW Opposition Leader announces support for new airport at Badgerys Creek site

NSW Opposition Leader John Robertson (ALP, Blacktown) announces his support for a new airport at the Badgerys Creek site providing certain conditions are met, including curfew arrangements, road and rail connections, and broader development for Western Sydney.

John Robertson (Opposition Leader), ‘Let’s get west airborne’, Daily Telegraph, 17 February 2014.

19 February 2014

Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development argues against need for curfew

While approving the Sydney Airport master plan, Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Warren Truss (NAT, Wide Bay, Qld), said he did not feel a curfew would be needed. The Canberra Times summarises the minister’s argument that a curfew will be unnecessary ‘because newer aircraft are quieter’.

Jamie Freed, ‘Second airport will be essential by 2033, says Truss’, Canberra Times, 19 February 2014.

15 April 2014

Australian Government announces Badgerys Creek as the new site for Western Sydney’s new airport

Prime Minister Tony Abbott (LIB, Warringah, NSW) announces that the site for Western Sydney’s new airport will be Badgerys Creek. The initial construction phase is ‘expected to generate around 4,000 jobs’, and further development is anticipated to create 35,000 jobs by 2035. By 2060 ‘the new airport has the potential to drive an increase in Australian gross domestic product (GDP) of almost $24 billion’.

Tony Abbott (Prime Minister) et al., ‘Western Sydney Airport to deliver jobs and infrastructure’, joint media release, 15 April 2014.

16 April 2014

Australian Government announces the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan

Prime Minister Tony Abbott (LIB, Warringah, NSW) announces that over 10 years the Australian Government will provide $2.9 billion and the NSW Government roughly $600 million for upgrades to existing roads and construction of new roads through the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan. Notably, ‘the new plan involves transport links to capitalise on the economic gains from developing an airport at Badgerys Creek’.

Tony Abbott (Prime Minister), ‘Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan: More jobs, better roads’, media release, 16 April 2014.

17 April 2014

Mike Baird (LIB, Manly) sworn in as Premier of NSW, following Barry O’Farrell’s (LIB, Ku-ring-gai) resignation on 16 April.

28 April 2014

New NSW Premier expresses enthusiastic support for second Sydney airport

Premier Mike Baird’s (LIB, Manly) stance significantly differs from his predecessor Barry O’Farrell (LIB, Ku-ring-gai).

Andrew Clennell, ‘Baird's up and away on rail’, Daily Telegraph, 28 April 2014.

28 April 2014

NSW Government releases consultation package for south-west rail link

The proposal includes ‘an extension of the south-west rail link through the Badgerys Creek airport site, but also further south to Oran Park and Narellan and north to St Marys’.

During Senate Estimates several weeks later, the Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development Mike Mrdak stated that the NSW Government announcement was on the basis that ‘New South Wales will meet the cost of the rail extension’.

Jacob Saulwick, ‘Six stations proposed for train line to second airport’, Sydney Morning Herald, 28 April 2014.

13 May 2014

2014–15 Australian Government Budget includes measures related to Western Sydney Airport

The Budget confirms the funding for the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan announced on 16 April 2014, with further details on the Plan outlined on p. 13 of the Budget infrastructure ‘glossy’.

Additionally, the Budget announces $77.8 million over 4 years to ‘establish a dedicated Western Sydney Infrastructure Unit (the Unit) in the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development to progress the development of a second major airport at Badgerys Creek’.

Australian Government, Budget Measures: Budget Paper No. 2: 2014–15, 176–7.

18 August 2014

Australian Government issues Notice to Consult to Sydney Airport Group

Sydney Airport Group has the Right of First Refusal under the 2002 Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport Sale Agreement. The Notice to Consult ‘is the first phase under the Right of First Refusal provisions’ and provides a ‘clear timeframe for consultation, decision and action’.

Warren Truss (Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development), ‘Western Sydney Airport: Notice to Consult Issued Today’, media release, 18 August 2014.

4 January 2015

Media speculates that Western Sydney Airport may threaten Blue Mountains World Heritage status

An article in the Sun-Herald argues that ‘UNESCO repeatedly rejected Australia's nomination of the Blue Mountains for World Heritage status between 1999 and 2000 citing plans for Badgerys Creek that were being considered by the Howard government’. According to the article, UNESCO had not been informed of the decision to proceed with the airport at Badgerys Creek and would request further information.

Kirsty Needham, ‘Second airport risks Blue Mountains' World Heritage status’, Sun-Herald, 4 January 2015.

28 March 2015

Liberal/National Coalition wins NSW election, led by Premier Mike Baird.

22 May 2015

Infrastructure Australia identifies shortfall in future airport capacity

Infrastructure Australia (IA) is an independent statutory body established to provide infrastructure advice. In its Australian Infrastructure Audit 2015, IA argues that Kingsford Smith was ‘at or near capacity during peak periods’. The report analyses projections showing that passenger demand might double by 2035, and argues that ‘meeting this projected demand is likely to require an expansion of airport capacity beyond Sydney Airport’.

Infrastructure Australia, Australian Infrastructure Audit: Our Infrastructure Challenges Report, (Sydney: Infrastructure Australia, 2015), 103, 152.

30 June 2015

Airports Amendment Bill 2015 receives Royal Assent

The Bills Digest notes that the Bill ‘provides for the determination of an airport plan for Sydney West Airport (SWA) to be located at Badgerys Creek’ (p. 3). It includes special planning processes, a requirement for a further Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to be finalised before the airport plan can be determined, and provides options should the operators of Sydney Airport decline to develop and operate Western Sydney Airport.

Airports Amendment Act 2015 (Cth).

Matthew James and Sophie Power, ‘Airports Amendment Bill 2015’, Bills Digest, 131, 2014–15, (Canberra: Parliamentary Library, 2015).

15 September 2015

Malcolm Turnbull (LIB, Wentworth, NSW) becomes Prime Minister after internal party challenge.

19 October 2015

Draft EIS and draft Airport Plan released for public consultation

Describing the draft EIS to the House, Minister Truss states ‘the environmental impact statement itself says that there will be no houses – none at all – in the Badgerys Creek region which will experience noise levels which triggered the installation of insulation around the Sydney and Adelaide airports’. The minister argues the draft EIS ‘indicates that noise at major centres like Penrith will be roughly equivalent to a car travelling on a suburban street’. The draft Airport Plan is primarily concerned with Stage 1 development, which consists of the concept design and the details of specific developments which ‘would cater for the predicted demand for the first five years of operation to around 2030’ (p. 7).

Warren Truss (Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development), ‘Western Sydney Airport's draft Airport Plan and draft EIS’, media release, 19 October 2015.

19 October 2015

Secretary confirms rail will not be retrofitted back into the site

During Senate Estimates, Senator Alex Gallacher (ALP, SA) asks if a rail line through Western Sydney Airport will be built simultaneously with the initial airport development. Secretary Mrdak notes ‘in our airport plan we envisage the first stage, including the works on site, for a corridor through the airport site. We are not envisaging retrofitting rail back into a site later in the future’. Further discussions indicate the ‘first stage’ for apportioning the cost of linking Western Sydney Airport to the rail network is for the NSW Government to ‘identify and go through their corridor reservation process’.

Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, Estimates, Official Committee Hansard, 19 October 2015, 194.

13 November 2015

Australian and NSW Governments announce scoping study into rail options

The announcement states that the scoping study will ‘consider rail as part of the broader transport network needed to support an airport and Western Sydney’s growth’.

Warren Truss (Acting Prime Minister, Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development) et al., ‘Federal and NSW Governments join forces on future rail transport for Western Sydney’, joint media release, 13 November 2015.

24 November 2015

Minister Truss states Western Sydney Airport will not hinder aerial firefighting

In response to a question from Louise Markus (LIB, Macquarie, NSW) about the potential for Western Sydney Airport to interfere with fire management in the nearby Blue Mountains, Minister Truss says ‘if anything, having the airport close by will make it easier to undertake backburning and fight any bushfires which may break out’. The minister further states that under Civil Aviation Safety Authority rules, aircraft involved in emergency procedures are given priority.

Warren Truss, Answer to Question without notice: Second Sydney Airport, [Questioner: Louise Markus], House of Representatives, Debates, 24 November 2015.

2 December 2015

Minister Truss claims flight paths may only be determined closer to final EIS

In response to a question from Fiona Scott (LIB, Lindsay, NSW) about the impacts of proposed flight paths from the draft EIS, Minister Truss claims these are ‘proof of concept’ and ‘indicative only’. The minister states:

The flight paths themselves will only be determined as part of a new environmental impact assessment much closer to the time when the airport begins operation – probably around 2022 or 2023.

… if there are places in the surrounds of the Badgerys Creek airport that are subject to levels of noise above the trigger points that have been applied in other airports, such as the Kingsford Smith airport, that led to insulation being installed, those same kinds of standards will apply to residents in the Badgerys Creek area.

Warren Truss, Answer to Question without notice: Second Sydney Airport, [Questioner: Fiona Scott], House of Representatives, Debates, 2 December 2015.

16 December 2015

WSROC resolves official position on proposed Western Sydney Airport

The WSROC officially resolved that the proposed airport must:

• be supported by state of the art infrastructure and public transport from the outset of airport operations. Most specifically a heavy rail link connecting to the main Western Line;
• operate under the same curfews as Kingsford Smith Airport – whether day time only or 24 hours;
• be supported by stringent environmental controls including protection of the UNESCO listed Greater World Heritage Area; and
• ensure equitable outcomes for all WSROC residents by designing flight paths that limit the noise exposure of any single community.

WSROC, ‘WSROC votes for airport equality’, media release, 16 December 2015.

8 February 2016

Secretary confirms 24 hour flights planned from inception

During Senate Estimates, Mike Mrdak (now Secretary of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development) confirms that:

Badgerys Creek has been planned from inception to be 24-hour operation. The land use around the site, the high noise areas, have been protected from development since the 1980s to enable 24-hour operations … All of the planning, given the geographic location of the site, for the past 30 or more years has always involved showing people operations over those areas.

Mrdak notes that the draft EIS received roughly 4,800 public submissions, many of which raised issues around the noise impact upon the Blue Mountains.

Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, Estimates, Official Committee Hansard, 8 February 2016, 13.

17 February 2016

IA names projects related to Western Sydney Airport as ‘High Priority Initiatives’

IA’s Infrastructure Priority List 2016 mentions Western Sydney Airport several times in various capacities. The list names the following as ‘High Priority Initiatives’:

• Western Sydney Airport (p. 34)
• identification and preservation of a rail corridor connecting Western Sydney Airport to the Sydney rail network (p. 39)
• identification and preservation of a fuel corridor for Western Sydney Airport (p. 38).

IA argues that transport of fuel by road tankers would add to congestion on Sydney roads and at the airport itself.

Furthermore, IA names a public transport connection to Western Sydney Airport as an ‘Initiative’. IA argues that bus connections ‘should be viewed as a potential complimentary [sic] investment to preserving a rail corridor’ (p. 74).

Infrastructure Australia, Infrastructure Priority List 2016: Project and Initiative Summaries, (Sydney: Infrastructure Australia, 2016).

2 July 2016

Liberal/National Coalition wins the federal election, led by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

15 September 2016

Australian Government releases Western Sydney Airport EIS

The EIS for Western Sydney Airport is released and finalised for the Minister for the Environment and Energy to approve and/or impose conditions. The EIS outlines ‘key principles that will apply to the comprehensive airspace and flight path design process for single runway operations’, including that ‘aircraft arrivals will not converge through a single merge point over any single residential area’ (p. 21). The EIS also sets out options for evening operations, and outlines the process for the determination of final flight paths.

Paul Fletcher (Minister for Urban Infrastructure), ‘Environmental Impact Statement for Western Sydney Airport released’, media release, 15 September 2016.

16 September 2016

Speculation on closure of RAAF Base Richmond

As described in Second Sydney Airport: a decade of deferral 2002­–2012, RAAF Base Richmond had been proposed as a temporary alternative site for Western Sydney Airport in the 2000s.

Air Marshall Leo Davies says the Royal Australian Air Force has a preference for RAAF Base Richmond to close, though the Sydney Morning Herald reported that ‘he stressed this was part of a broader plan that had not yet been put to the government’.

Defence Minister Marise Payne (LIB, NSW) is reported to say ‘the Government is not considering the closure’ of RAAF Base Richmond or RAAF Williams in Victoria.

David Wroe, ‘Defence targets air force bases for closure’, Sydney Morning Herald, 16 September 2016.

11 October 2016

Member for Macquarie criticises EIS on environmental and economic grounds

In a speech to the House Federation Chamber, Susan Templeman (ALP, Macquarie, NSW), criticises the EIS as it ‘fails to lock in the policy commitments made by the minister of no merge points across the mountains and no night-time flights over residential areas’. Templeman also expresses concern that the EIS has not adequately addressed the impact of future automation and robotics in assessing potential job generation.

Susan Templeman, Constituency Statements: Macquarie Electorate: Western Sydney Airport, Federation Chamber, Debates, 11 October 2016.

17 October 2016

Minister for Urban Infrastructure makes commitments on noise

In response to a question from David Coleman (LIB, Banks, NSW) the Minister for Urban Infrastructure, Paul Fletcher (LIB, Bradfield, NSW), outlines a series of commitments made in response to consultation on the draft EIS. This includes ‘a commitment that there will be no single merge point over any residential community’. The minister also notes that ‘our preferred option is for head-to-head operations to the south-west of the airport – the more lightly populated area – between 11 pm and 6 am where safe to do so’.

Paul Fletcher (Minister for Urban Infrastructure), Answer to Question without Notice: Western Sydney Airport, [Questioner: David Coleman], House of Representatives, Debates, 17 October 2016.

20 October 2016

Member for Chifley criticises EIS for not addressing UNESCO concerns

In a speech to the House, Ed Husic (ALP, Chifley, NSW) outlines his opposition to Western Sydney Airport and argues the EIS has ‘one critical flaw’. Husic argues ‘one of the biggest reasons why the Blue Mountains was heritage listed [by UNESCO in 2000] – no airport – is not mentioned by this EIS’.

Ed Husic, Adjournment: Western Sydney Airport, House of Representatives, Debates, 20 October 2016.

21 October 2016

Prime Minister and NSW Premier announce ‘City Deal’ for Western Sydney

The City Deal includes pledges to target additional infrastructure development. The government states that the deal ‘will drive a new economy in the emerging Western City that incorporates the areas immediately around the Western Sydney Airport, and the broader region’.

Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister) et al., ‘Jobs boom from a strong Western Sydney economy’, joint media release, 21 October 2016.

9 November 2016

Member for Macquarie criticises consultation processes

In a speech to the House Federation Chamber, Susan Templeman (ALP, Macquarie, NSW) criticises the consultation process surrounding the draft EIS and final EIS.

Susan Templeman, Constituency Statements: Western Sydney Airport, Federation Chamber, Debates, 9 November 2016.

11 November 2016

Environmental conditions placed on Western Sydney Airport development

Section 96B (2) of the Airports Act 1996 requires the Infrastructure Minister provide the Environment Minister with a draft airport plan. The Environment Minister then must consider the plan in conjunction with the EIS.

Following review of the EIS and the draft airport plan, the Minister for the Environment and Energy, Josh Frydenberg (LIB, Kooyong, Vic), specifies 42 environmental conditions that must be included in the final Airport Plan and complied with as part of the approval for the development of Stage 1 of the Airport.

Josh Frydenberg (Minister for the Environment and Energy), ‘More than 40 strict environmental conditions set for proposed Western Sydney Airport’, media release, 11 November 2016.

24 November 2016

Media reports no plans for rail line upon airport opening

A Sydney Morning Herald article notes:

The government’s most recent plans do not provide for a rail line to the airport when it opens in 2025. But they leave open the way for rail services to eventually be built by extending the South West Rail Link or building a dedicated airport express rail service from an unspecified “key transport hub” in the Sydney basin.

Matt O’Sullivan, ‘Reality check: runways not paddocks’, Sydney Morning Herald, 24 November 2016.

12 December 2016

Australian Government releases Western Sydney Airport Plan

The Government announces the Airport Plan and states that it ‘authorises the construction and operation of Stage 1 of the proposed airport at Badgerys Creek’. Stage 1 is planned to be operational in the mid-2020s and will include a single runway with facilities to cater for 10 million passengers. The Government argues that the Airport Plan was considered against the EIS ‘and strict conditions have been placed on the airport’s development’.

Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister) et al., ‘A blueprint of the Western Sydney Airport’, joint media release, 12 December 2016.

12 December 2016

WSROC expresses concerns following Australian Government approval of Western Sydney Airport

WSROC President states ‘If an airport is to be built in Western Sydney, for Western Sydney, then we must ensure quality of life is maintained. Currently, we do not have enough certainty that this will be the case’. Criticisms include the lack of specific operating limitations, noise abatement strategy, and knowledge of flight path locations.

WSROC, ‘Detail needed on airport noise, jobs and transport’, media release, 12 December 2016.

23 January 2017

Gladys Berejiklian (LIB, Willoughby) sworn in as Premier of NSW, following Mike Baird’s resignation.

14 February 2017

Media reports that Western Sydney residents support Western Sydney Airport

The Daily Telegraph reports some findings of an online survey commissioned by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development. The survey ‘found a whopping 81 per cent of voters were either in favour of the airport (56 per cent) or were neutral about it (25 per cent)’. Both the characterisation of the survey’s findings and the survey’s methodology were later criticised by Susan Templeman (ALP, Macquarie, NSW) (see entry for 13 September 2017 below).

Jason Tin, ‘You’re Plane Wrong!’, Daily Telegraph, 14 February 2017.

27 February 2017

IA’s Infrastructure Priority List 2017 retains Western Sydney Airport and associated projects, adds further options

In addition to the projects identified in the Priority List 2016, IA identifies 2 more proposals.

The report identifies the Northern Road upgrade as a ‘Priority Project’ (p. 28). Population growth and the operation of the Western Sydney Airport is expected to exacerbate congestion in the south-west of Sydney.

Additionally, IA nominates the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan as a ‘Priority Initiative’, noting that Western Sydney Airport will strain future infrastructure in the area (p. 82).

Infrastructure Australia, Infrastructure Priority List 2017: Project and Initiative Summaries, (Sydney: Infrastructure Australia, February 2017).

20 March 2017

Minister Fletcher answers questions on survey gauging community support for Western Sydney Airport

In response to questions from Susan Templeman (ALP, Macquarie, NSW), Minister Fletcher provides a series of answers relating to survey methodology and data. Further answers were provided by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development during Senate Estimates.

The survey was reported in the media in February 2017. An overview from the department shows it was conducted in late 2016 with 503 residents across Western Sydney.

Paul Fletcher (Minister for Urban Infrastructure), Answer to Question in Writing: Western Sydney Airport, [Questioner: Susan Templeman], Question 684, House of Representatives, Debates, 20 March 2017.

2 May 2017

Sydney Airport Group declines to build and own airport; Australian Government confirms it will build Western Sydney Airport

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull confirms the Australian Government will build the new airport following an announcement by the Sydney Airport Group (owner of Kingsford Smith Airport in the eastern suburbs of Sydney) that it will not ‘take up the opportunity under its “right of first refusal” to build and operate the new Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek’.

Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister) et al., ‘Turnbull Government to build Western Sydney Airport’, joint media release, 2 May 2017.

9 May 2017

Australian Government announces Western Sydney Airport Corporation (WSA Co) will build and operate new airport

During his Budget Speech, Treasurer Scott Morrison (LIB, Cook, NSW) announces:

We will establish the Western Sydney Airport Corporation to build and operate the new Western Sydney airport, creating 20,000 jobs by the early 2030s and 60,000 in the longer term.

We will inject up to $5.3 billion in equity over the next ten years into this company.

Earth moving works will commence on the 1800-hectare site in the second half of next year and Western Sydney Airport will be delivered in 2026.

Scott Morrison (Treasurer), Budget Speech 2017–18.

11 May 2017

Senator Bernardi questions financial arrangements of Western Sydney Airport

Senator Cory Bernardi (Australian Conservatives, SA) asks the Minister for Finance, Mathias Cormann (LIB, WA), about the financial arrangements for Western Sydney Airport as an ‘equity vehicle’. In response, Minister Cormann confirms that ‘we are developing an asset that will have a value on our balance sheet’ and ‘the reason it is treated as equity is that it is assumed to generate returns to the government over time’. Senator Bernardi criticises the equity arrangements in the Senate later that day.

Mathias Cormann (Minister for Finance), Answer to Question without Notice: Budget, [Questioner: Cory Bernardi], Senate, Debates, 11 May 2017.

26 May 2017

First meeting of the Forum on Western Sydney Airport

The Forum on Western Sydney Airport was established ‘to ensure the views of the community are taken into account throughout the airspace and flight path design process for the Stage 1 airport development’. Membership of the forum includes representatives for the community, state and local government and the airline industry, as well as an independent chair.

The forum’s composition and processes are later criticised by various ALP Members of Parliament, such as Susan Templeman (ALP, Macquarie, NSW) in February 2017 and Ed Husic (ALP, Chifley, NSW) in May 2017.

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, Forum on Western Sydney Airport; Forum on Western Sydney Airport Factsheet.

7 June 2017

World Heritage Centre releases statement

The statement notes stakeholder concerns about the impact the airport may have on the Greater Blue Mountains Area (GBMA) World Heritage property.

The potential impact that the airport development (including its airspace and flight path design) may have on the GBMA's Outstanding Universal Value is of ongoing interest to the World Heritage Committee.

World Heritage Centre, ‘World Heritage Centre Statement on the Greater Blue Mountains Area’, media release, 7 June 2017.

13 September 2017

Member for Macquarie describes study criticising airport community consultation process

In a speech to the House Federation Chamber, Susan Templeman (ALP, Macquarie, NSW) describes an independent study, stating that it warns that ‘unless the government changes its approach there will be ongoing negative impacts on the health and wellbeing’ of Macquarie residents. Templeman also criticises the department’s consultation processes for including residents of Inner West suburbs such as Marrickville which are ‘outside the area that the Government thinks will be impacted by 24/7 flights’.

Susan Templeman, Constituency Statements: Macquarie Electorate: Western Sydney Airport, Federation Chamber, Debates, 13 September 2017.

27 October 2017

No plans for initial fuel pipeline

During Senate Estimates, the Executive Director of the Western Sydney Unit of the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Brendan McRandle, confirms that the EIS assumes that fuel would be trucked to the airport, rather than transported by pipeline. McRandle states that the EIS ‘worked on the basis that there’d be trucked fuel coming to the airport for probably the first five or six years’. The EIS modelled ‘up to 43 B-doubles a day’ would be required, ‘but we recognise that a fuel pipeline is needed at some point in the airport’s growth’.

Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, Estimates, Official Committee Hansard, 27 October 2017, 10–12.

26 February 2018

Senate Estimates reveal positive return on investment will take 20–‍‍‍‍25 years; money committed to noise abatement around Western Sydney Airport

During Senate Estimates, the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development’s Western Sydney Unit confirms that ‘it’s 20 or 25 years at least after the airport begins operation before it starts to make a return’.

Additionally, the Western Sydney Unit confirms that $75 million for ‘noise amelioration’ has been included in a broader ‘preparatory activities’ budget of $445 million.

Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee, Estimates, Official Committee Hansard, 26 February 2018, 62–3.

March 2018

Western Sydney Rail Outcomes Report released

The Scoping Study Outcomes Report addresses questions concerning the rail needs for Western Sydney more broadly, and the best options for connecting the Western Sydney Airport to rail networks.

Information about the process, including the community consultation, is available on the NSW Government website.

Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities, Transport for NSW, Western Sydney Rail Needs Scoping Study: Outcomes Report, March 2018.

4 March 2018

Western Sydney City Deal is signed

The Western Sydney City Deal (announced 21 October 2016, see above) is a partnership between the Australian Government, NSW Government, and 8 local councils. It includes 38 commitments, including a shared objective to connect rail to Western Sydney Airport in time for opening via the North South Rail Link, a commitment to establish rapid bus services to Western Sydney Airport, and the development of Badgerys Creek Aerotropolis ‘as a world-class city precinct that supports jobs growth’.

Commonwealth of Australia, Western Sydney City Deal, March 2018.

8 May 2018

2018–19 Australian Government Budget includes funding for visitor and information centre

The Australian Government announces it will provide $5 million to WSA Co ‘towards the construction of a visitor and information centre on the Western Sydney Airport site’. The centre ‘will include an exhibition space, presentation and consultation facilities, and public viewing access to the Western Sydney Airport site works’.

Australian Government, Budget Measures: Budget Paper No. 2: 2018–19, 148.

17 May 2018

Grant of Airport Lease

The airport site is formally leased to WSA Co for 50 years, with the option to extend the lease by 49 years. WSA Co takes over management of the site from the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities.

Western Sydney Airport Corporation, Corporate Plan 2017–2018, 17.

29 May 2018

Chair of WSA Co outlines proposals for advanced technologies at Western Sydney Airport

In comments to the Aerotropolis Investor Forum reported in the Sydney Morning Herald, Paul O’Sullivan, Chair of WSA Co, discusses the use of ‘advanced technologies’ which will ‘cut processing times for passengers’. O’Sullivan argues the use of biometrics and artificial intelligence will make Western Sydney Airport the country’s ‘first digital airport’. O’Sullivan notes ‘the airport hopes to cut average turnaround times for domestic aircraft by 10 minutes to 35 minutes’.

Matt O’Sullivan, ‘AI boost for ‘first digital airport’’, Sydney Morning Herald, 29 May 2018; Annabel Hepworth, ‘Robots and biometrics at ‘first digital airport’’, The Australian, 29 May 2018.

30 June 2018

WSA Co awards multiple contracts for Western Sydney Airport

WSA Co awards the contract for ‘Early Earthworks’ to CPB Contractors Lendlease Joint Venture. This includes initial earthwork to level the site for airport construction, along with constructing access roads and drainage.

WSA Co awards the ‘Delivery Partner’ contract to Bechtel. Bechtel ‘will work closely with WSA Co to manage airport construction and ensure the project is safely completed on time’.

WSA Co also awards a separate contract to Bechtel to assist in management of the airport design project.

Western Sydney Airport Corporation, ‘Western Sydney Airport Contracts Mean Local Jobs’, media release, 30 June 2018.

August 2018

Release of Western Sydney Aerotropolis Land Use and Infrastructure Implementation Plan: Stage 1 Initial Precincts

The plan ‘sets out a planning framework to support all levels of government and spread the benefits of population and economic growth across Greater Sydney’ (p. 4). The plan prioritises the planning and development of 3 initial precincts, including a precinct at the Western Sydney Airport’s entrance.

NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DEPI), Western Sydney Aerotropolis Land Use and Infrastructure Implementation Plan: Stage 1 Initial Precincts, (Sydney: DEPI, 2018).

18 August 2018

Independent report casts doubt on jobs figures

An independent report claims ‘the overall jobs claims – such as 8,700 aviation jobs by 2031 – are vastly exaggerated’.[3] The report argues the potential high use of automation, trends in part-time and casual aviation employment, and ‘highly unrealistic’ projections for the business park to accompany Western Sydney Airport mean the employment benefits of the airport are less than have been claimed by the airport’s proponents.[4]

The report argues that high speed rail would make a second Sydney airport ‘redundant’ by diverting passengers and freeing capacity at Kingsford Smith for freight.[5]

Media reporting in the Blue Mountains Gazette notes that a panel of federal, state, and local politicians from a variety of parties all voiced their support at the report launch.

Damien Madigan, ‘Jobs for the West report slams Western Sydney Airport jobs claims’, Blue Mountains Gazette, 20 August 2018.

24 August 2018

Scott Morrison becomes Prime Minister after internal party challenge.

27 August 2018

Sydney Airport Master Plan to 2039 released

The updated Master Plan for Kingsford Smith Airport reflects the Australian Government’s commitment to build Western Sydney Airport.

Sydney Airport, Sydney Airport Master Plan 2039, (Sydney: Sydney Airport, 2019).

21 September 2018

Airports Amendment Bill 2018 receives Royal Assent

The Bill was first introduced in December 2016. According to the Parliamentary Library Bills Digest, the purpose of the Bill is to ‘adjust processes relating to the preparation of master plans and major development plans for federally-leased airports’. This includes a lengthened cycle for master plan submission, a new noise forecast requirement, and changes in requirements for major development plans.

Airports Amendment Act 2018 (Cth).

24 September 2018

Construction on Western Sydney Airport begins

Initial earthworks commence and are due to be completed by the end of 2019.

Scott Morrison (Prime Minister) et al., ‘Breaking ground on Western Sydney Airport’, joint media release, 24 September 2018.

4 March 2019

Prime Minister announces that Western Sydney Airport will officially be named Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says ‘It is fitting that having recognised Charles Kingsford Smith at Sydney Airport that we now recognise Australia’s greatest female aviation pioneer, Nancy-Bird Walton in the naming of Western Sydney Airport’. The Prime Minister notes that ‘Nancy-Bird was the first female pilot in Australia, and the Commonwealth, to be licenced to carry passengers and began her career flying nurses to the outback to provide medical services for children and their mothers’.

Scott Morrison (Prime Minister) et al., ‘Nancy-Bird Walton immortalised at Western Sydney Airport’, joint media release, 4 March 2019.

23 March 2019

Liberal/National Coalition wins the NSW election, led by Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

2 April 2019

2019–20 Australian Government Budget includes funding for rail connecting with airport

The 2019­­–20 Federal Budget allocates $3.5 billion for the first stage of the Western Sydney North South Rail Link, which will connect the Western Sydney Airport to the rail network.

Australian Government, ‘Part 2: Expense Measures’, Budget Measures: Budget Paper No. 2: 2019–20, 131.

Alexandra Smith, ‘Budget 2019: State cashes in with road, rail boost to get billions’, Sydney Morning Herald, 3 April 2019.

18 May 2019

Liberal/National Coalition wins the federal election, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

18 June 2019

NSW Government allocates $2 billion to North South Rail Link

The 2019­–20 NSW budget allocates over $2 billion over 4 years for the planning and construction of the first stage of the North South Metro Rail Link, which will link Western Sydney Airport to the existing T1 Western train line at St Marys. Construction is ‘expected to start in 2021 and with completion in 2026 in time for the opening of the airport’, subject to completion of the business case.

NSW Government, Budget Paper No. 2: 2019­­–20, 3, 12.

23 July 2019

Member for Macquarie describes independent study criticising noise modelling in EIS

In a speech to the House Federation Chamber, Susan Templeman (ALP, Macquarie, NSW) describes a study measuring the noise generated by planes at Sydney Airport at heights nominated by the EIS for Western Sydney Airport. Templeman claims the study shows that the noise at the airport ‘is likely to be three to four times louder than the estimates in the EIS claim for the lower Blue Mountains’.

A document from the Forum on Western Sydney Airport dated 6 December 2019 appears to show the timeline for how the forum and Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development engaged with the authors’ concerns. An answer to a Question on Notice in Senate Estimates asked in March 2020 includes the department’s formal response to the study, which included commissioning a review of the study which criticised the study’s methodology. One of the authors of the study later made a submission to the Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee defending the study’s methodology and findings.

Susan Templeman, Constituency Statements: Western Sydney Airport, Federation Chamber, Debates, 23 July 2019.

August 2019

WSA Co awards major earthworks contract to a joint venture of CPB Contractors and Lend Lease

A joint venture of CPB Contractors and Lend Lease is awarded the major earthworks contract. The major earthworks contractor is responsible for moving 25 million cubic metres of earth and also has some design and construction responsibilities. In September 2020, following a corporate acquisition, the major earthworks contractor became CPB Contractors and Acciona.

Western Sydney Airport, ‘Major earthworks’.

22 October 2019

Productivity Commission releases report into Economic Regulation of Airports

The report makes several recommendations specific to Western Sydney Airport, including around jet fuel infrastructure.

Productivity Commission (PC), Economic Regulation of Airports, report no. 92, (Canberra: PC, 2019), 40, 286.

4 December 2019

ANAO releases audit report on Western Sydney Airport Co Limited procurement activities

The ANAO finds that WSA Co’s procurement activities have ‘mostly been open and competitive’, that early poor practices have been addressed, and that ‘value for money outcomes were, in large part, demonstrably obtained’.

Australian National Audit Office, Western Sydney Airport Procurement Activities, Audit report, 16, 2019–2020, (Canberra: ANAO, 2019), 6.

11 March 2020

Major earthworks at Western Sydney Airport begin

The new phase involves moving 25 million cubic metres of earth to lay the platform for the construction of the runway, roads, and terminal.

Scott Morrison (Prime Minister) et al., ‘Major earthworks at Western Sydney International Airport kicks off’, joint media release, 11 March 2020.

3 June 2020

Australian and NSW Governments pledge a further $3.5 billion of funding towards Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport rail

The funding is part of a new agreement between the Australian and NSW Governments. The press release links the project with the Australian Government’s Jobmaker plan.

The first stage of the North South Link had been referred to as ‘Sydney Metro Greater West’ in documents such as the NSW Government 2019–20 budget; in this month it became referred to as ‘Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport’.

The 2020–21 Budget papers (released in October) categorise this funding under the heading ‘COVID-19 Response Package – Infrastructure Stimulus’ and note the Australian Government contribution will be $1.8 billion.

Scott Morrison (Prime Minister) et al., ‘New agreement keeps Sydney Metro (Western Sydney Airport) JobMaker project on-track’, joint media release, 1 June 2020; Australian Government, Budget Measures: Budget Paper No. 2: 2020–21, 263.

July 2020

Australian Government releases updated Western Sydney Airport Plan

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications website states that the updated plan authorises ‘environmental mitigation and utility works in areas of Badgerys Creek and Oaky Creek that adjoin the Airport site. A small number of other minor and administrative changes were also made’.^[6]

Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications (DITRDC), Western Sydney Airport: Airport Plan July 2020, (Canberra: DITRDC, 2020).

5 August 2020

IA adds further project connected to Western Sydney Airport to Priority List 2020

IA releases a mid-year update to the Infrastructure Priority List. It adds the M12 Motorway, which will include an interchange connecting to Western Sydney Airport, as a ‘High Priority Project’.

Infrastructure Australia, Infrastructure Priority List 2020: Update to the February 2020 Infrastructure Priority List, (Sydney: Infrastructure Australia, 2020), 3, 10.

21 September 2020

ANAO releases audit report criticising purchase of ‘Leppington Triangle’ land

On 31 July 2018, the Australian Government purchased a 12 hectare parcel of land for roughly $30 million. The land is adjacent to Western Sydney Airport and known as the ‘Leppington Triangle’. It was purchased as part of the preparation for a second runway at Western Sydney Airport, which is estimated to be required around 2050.

On 30 June 2019, the Department of Infrastructure valued the land at roughly $3 million. The discrepancy in valuation caused the ANAO to make enquiries to the department. The ANAO determined that ‘it was unable to conclude on key aspects of the transaction based on the information provided to it by the department’. Therefore the ANAO executed a performance audit of the transaction.

The ANAO finds that:

The Department of Infrastructure did not exercise appropriate due diligence in its acquisition of the Leppington Triangle land. Aspects of the operations of the department fell short of ethical standards.

An appropriate acquisition strategy was not developed.

The valuation approach inflated the value of the land, which in turn led to the Australian Government paying more than was proper in the circumstances.

Decision-makers were not appropriately advised on the land acquisition. Formal briefings omitted relevant information, such as: the purchase price; that the price exceeded all known market valuations of the land; and the method of acquisition.

The department noted the report and agrees with the recommendations (see Appendix 1 of the report).

Australian National Audit Office, Purchase of the ‘Leppington Triangle’ Land for the Future Development of Western Sydney Airport, audit report, 9, 2020–21, (Canberra, ANAO, 2020).

9 December 2020

Senate committee to inquire into Western Sydney Airport project

The planning, construction and management of the Western Sydney Airport project is referred to the Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee for report by 30 June 2022. An ALP press release claims credit for the inquiry and links it to the ‘dodgy Leppington land deal [which] saw a $26.7 million overspend on a piece of land valued at only $3 million’.

The Committee’s homepage links to the terms of reference, submissions, public hearings and report.

‘The planning, construction and management of the Western Sydney Airport project’, Parliament of Australia website.

18 February 2021

IA finds that costs exceed benefits for Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project

The project proposes a new rail metro line between St Marys and the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, with stops at the airport’s Business Park and Terminal. IA’s review of the project’s business case notes that the business case finds that patronage of the metro line would be ‘relatively low’ for the first 15 years of operations, and IA finds that the benefits of the project ‘may be overestimated’.

Infrastructure Australia, Project Business Case Evaluation Summary: Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport, (Sydney: Infrastructure Australia, 2021).

29 April 2021

Opposition and crossbench parties call for investigation into offsets purchase

The federal ALP and Greens call for an investigation into $30 million of environmental offsets purchased by the Australian Government for the Western Sydney Airport. The NSW ALP and NSW Greens similarly push for a wider inquiry into the NSW offsets scheme, including the Western Sydney Airport.

Lisa Cox, ‘Coalition must “urgently explain” more than $30m it paid for western Sydney airport offsets, federal Labor says’, The Guardian, 29 April 2021.

2 May 2021

Independent Community Commissioner appointed

The NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes (LIB, Pittwater) appoints Roberta Ryan as the Independent Community Commissioner for the Western Sydney Aerotropolis. The commissioner’s role is to provide ‘an independent avenue for small landowners in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis to have their issues and concerns heard and addressed’.

NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DEPI), ‘Independent Community Commissioner’.

7 May 2021

NSW Transport Department refers offset purchases to NSW ICAC

Reporting in the media notes that Transport for NSW refers its purchases of environmental offsets in western Sydney, including for Western Sydney Airport, to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) for investigation.

Lisa Cox, ‘NSW transport department refers its own western Sydney environmental offset purchases to ICAC’, The Guardian, 7 May 2021.

25 May 2021

Media articles publish quotes from the Leppington Triangle consultancy report

A report by Sententia Consulting on the Leppington Triangle purchase is quoted in media, but is unavailable to the public. The report reportedly finds that officials had ‘no experience in acquisition of land for public purposes’ and ‘did not undertake all reasonable steps’ to determine a responsible cost of the purchase.

Kevin Nguyen, ‘Report finds failures within government department over Western Sydney Airport land deal’, ABC News, 25 May 2021; see also Bernard Keane, ‘How to beat the Leppington rap: first review, then review, and then… er, you get the picture’, Crikey, 30 September 2021.

4 June 2021

WSA Co awards terminal construction contract; unveils design

The construction contract for the terminal at Western Sydney Airport is awarded to Multiplex Construction Pty Ltd.

Further detail on the terminal design is provided in the associated WSA Co media release.

Paul Fletcher (Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts) et al., ‘Terminal contract awarded for Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport’, joint media release, 4 June 2021.

7 June 2021

ANAO declines to audit federal offset spending on Western Sydney Airport

Following a letter from Senator Sarah Hanson‑Young (GRN, SA) on 10 May 2021, the Auditor-General for Australia notes ‘the ANAO is not a corruption investigation body and does not investigate matters of alleged corruption or fraud’. The Auditor-General notes the ANAO conducted an audit into the federal offsets scheme under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, and consequently, ‘I do not propose to conduct an audit in relation to the federal government's spending on offsets for the Western Sydney Airport’.

Auditor-General for Australia, ‘Western Sydney Airport offsets’, letter, 7 June 2021.

2 August 2021

FOI documents reveal environmental offset plans

A Guardian article discusses government departmental correspondence regarding environment offsets for Western Sydney Airport, which was obtained by a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

The FOI documents show officials from the then Department of the Environment and Energy (DEE) questioning aspects of the plan to offset the destruction of Cumberland Plain woodland and other habitat by managing and protecting Defence Establishment Orchard Hills, which the Guardian article describes as ‘a defence-owned site in western Sydney that is used to store explosives and run training exercises’. The Guardian finds that DEE officials ‘noted the site already had heritage protections’ and questioned how the quality of the habitat would be improved ‘given that it was already being managed’.

Lisa Cox, ‘Environment officials questioned use of land government already owned as offset for western Sydney airport’, The Guardian, 2 August 2021.

6 August 2021

Independent Community Commissioner releases Western Sydney Aerotropolis report

To inform the report, the commissioner met with over 100 landowners impacted by the rezoning of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, from May to July 2021. The report makes a total of 40 recommendations that focus on communications and engagement, zoning and proposed acquisitions impacting landowners, and improving ongoing governance.

Independent Community Commissioner, Recommendations for a fair and equitable way forward for small landowners in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, (Sydney: NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, 2021).

September 2021

Australian Government releases updated Western Sydney Airport plan

Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications (DITRDC), Western Sydney Airport: Airport Plan September 2021, (Canberra: DITRDC, 2021).

22 September 2021

Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport receives planning approval

The Australian Government grants approval for work on the rail link to be conducted within the boundary of Western Sydney Airport. The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development,  Communications and the Arts website notes that the updated plan provides ‘authorisation for the sections of the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport rail line to be built on the Airport site’. This followed the NSW Government planning approval, which was received in July 2021.

NSW Government Sydney Metro, ‘Final planning approval received for Western Sydney Airport metro’, media release, 22 September 2021.

29 September 2021

Australian Federal Police finds no evidence of criminal conduct in Leppington Triangle purchase

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) finalises Operation Verraten, the investigation into the purchase of Leppington Triangle. The AFP finds no evidence of criminal conduct.

Australian Federal Police, ‘AFP Statement in relation to the Leppington Triangle investigation’, media release, 29 September 2021.

5 October 2021

Dominic Perrottet (LIB, Epping) sworn in as Premier of NSW, following Gladys Berejiklian’s resignation.

October – November 2021

NSW Government releases response to Community Commissioner’s report

NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment releases Aerotropolis: Responding to the issues in response to the Community Commissioner’s report.

Several documents are released in response to the Community Commissioner’s report. These include the Explanation of Intended Effects, the Luddenham Village Discussion Paper, and the Phase 2 Development Control Plan.

NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE), Aerotropolis: Responding to the Issues, (Sydney: DPIE, 2021).

DPIE, ‘Aerotropolis Responding to the Issues Report’, DPIE website.

21 November 2021

Construction on terminal begins

WSA Co states that the airport is ‘on track to open to international, domestic and air cargo services in late 2026’.

Western Sydney Airport Corporation, ‘Work officially starts to build Australia’s best airport terminal’, media release, 21 November 2021.

December 2021

NSW Government releases Master Plan Guidelines

NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment releases Master Plan Guidelines: Guideline to Master Planning in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis. Under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Western Sydney Aerotropolis) 2020, there is an ‘optional master planning process for certain land within the Western Sydney Aerotropolis’ which provides landowners with ‘the opportunity to access an alternative development approval pathway in defined circumstances’.

NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment (DPIE), Master Plan Guidelines: Guideline to Master Planning in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, (Sydney: DPIE, 2021).

20 December 2021

WSA Co awards contract for the construction of the landside precinct

The Aerowest joint venture is awarded the contract for the construction of the landside precinct. Aerowest will be responsible for integrating motorway and rail access to the airport as well as constructing carparks, bridges, and operational buildings. The joint venture is composed of BMD Constructions Pty Ltd and Seymour Whyte Constructions Pty Ltd. This is the last major contract to be awarded for the construction of the airport.

Western Sydney Airport Corporation, ‘Final major contracts awarded for Sydney’s new airport’, media release, 20 December 2021.

22 December 2021

NSW Government awards first major contract for Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport metro line

A $1.8 billion contract is awarded to CPB Contractors and Ghella to build new twin metro rail tunnels.

NSW Government Sydney Metro, ‘New Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport line takes off’, media release, 22 December 2021.