Airport pain in the detail

Friday, 20 November 2015

The EIS and Airport Plan for Badgerys Creek show all incoming flights and most outgoing flights will impact Penrith City residents.

Penrith Mayor Karen McKeown said the Environmental Impact Statement fails to explain why this concentration of impacts is proposed and what other options are available for the flight paths to be in different locations or more dispersed.

"The EIS also confirms the airport will operate 24 hours a day and that the majority of planes will take off or land over our City.

"Why are all of the proposed flight paths over Penrith and the lower mountains? Subjecting these communities to 100 per cent of the aircraft movements in and out of the new airport seems glaringly unfair," Cr McKeown said. "To do so without the curfew that protects other Sydney residents is even more alarming."

Council and the community have been given until December 18 to make a submission on the airport proposal.

"We've been pushing for more time. We feel 60 days is not enough time to completely assess the impact the airport will have, talk with our community and respond," Cr McKeown said.

"This second Sydney airport has been on the drawing board for over 60 years - 60 days to decide what it means for our community is an insult."

Cr McKeown said the complex noise modelling methods didn't paint a clear picture for residents.

"Making sense of what the impact will be is hard. Using the Government's modelling tool, with a bit of effort you can work out around 120 planes will fly in over Jamisontown in a 24 hour period at between 4500 and 5000 feet and this can see more than 20 events exceeding 70 decibels per day. 70dBa equates to the noise you experience on the kerb of a busy city street or standing next to a vacuum cleaner. In Erskine Park there will be 50 flights daily at under 2500 feet. And this is considered acceptable?

"But by 2050 the number of planes along just one of the proposed corridors over Penrith will increase to 300 flights per day.

"Penrith and the lower mountains will bear the burden of this airport for Western Sydney. Is this fair?"

"We're also adamant the Sydney Airport Curfew Act should be amended to include the new Airport and offer the same protection for our residents as those enjoyed at Mascot."

Council is funding an in-depth, independent review of the EIS with other affected Councils which will give a much greater understanding of the impacts and inform Council's submission.

"I strongly encourage you to take a look for yourself and if you're remotely concerned, make a submission at westernsydneyairport.gov.au or talk to your local Federal MP," Cr McKeown said.

Information contained within this news release was correct as at Friday, 20 November 2015.