Airservices Australia announced that it will proceed with the airspace and flight path designs for Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI) after minister Catherine King provided authorisation today.
The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts (DITRDCA) presented the preliminary designs in the November 2024 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which takes into account the impact of the new airport on the environment, noise, residential areas and safety.
Controversially, the EIS does not take into account the impact on the existing general aviation industry in the Sydney basin, particularly on Bankstown flying schools that will lose their traditional training area with few alternatives available.
Key to noise abatement measures, Minister King has directed Airservices to introduce reciprocal runway operations at night.
“The Minister’s directive to prioritise the use of Reciprocal Runway Operations and Noise Abatement Procedures at night, when conditions allow, will form a key part of our operating plan for WSI,” said Airservices Australia CEO Rob Sharp.
“Throughout the detailed design process we will be actively engaging with industry stakeholders and communities so they know what to expect when WSI commences operations in 2026.”
In announcing the authorisation, Minister King stressed that the department had made the decision only after consulting the community and stakeholders.
"Today’s authorisation follows extensive community consultation to ensure potential impacts were transparent and communities were well placed to understand and engage, including through more than 50 in-person and online information sessions across Greater Sydney," she said.
"Public feedback from these consultations as well as the 8400 submissions to the draft EIS have informed the additional measures attached to this decision.
"They build on measures already being delivered by the Australian Government, including a noise insulation program for residents who may be most impacted by overflight noise, with applications set to open later this year.
"WSI is already creating thousands of jobs during construction and will continue to deliver long-term employment opportunities, boost economic activity and provide significant transport benefits for Western Sydney."
DITRDCA has been silent on the impact on GA, despite strong objections to airspace designs that will remove much of the Class G airspace in the Sydney basin, prompting CASA's Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR) to propose solutions for the safe transit of traffic to and from Bankstown Airport.
With the industry soundly rejecting the first proposals, the OAR is currently working on an alternative that is expected to be ready for further consultation in the middle of this year.