Sunday, February 16, 2025

Blue Mountains Mayor to fight new airport flight plan

Blue Mountains Mayor, Mark Greenhill, has vowed to fight the proposed Western Sydney Airport flight paths plan released yesterday by the Federal government, which he says will affect around 40,000 residents and threaten the region’s World Heritage National Park.

The long-awaited preliminary flight paths were announced on Tuesday, nearly five years after construction of the airport began.

Mayor Greenhill says the flight paths show a complete disregard for the people of the Blue Mountains as well as the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area.

“Our quality of life in the Blue Mountains is clearly threatened. Planes will be flying over our homes and our World Heritage National Park 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No curfew. The people of the Blue Mountains deserve better,” he said.

The new airport will initially have capacity for up to 10 million passengers a year, but is expected to eventually handle more than 80 million passengers annually.

The Mayor, who has been a long-time opponent of the airport, said the community should make no mistake that the World Heritage listing for the Blue Mountains was under threat.

“The City of the Blue Mountains is a special place of unsurpassed natural values. We’re one of only two cities in the world within a World Heritage Listed Area and the Blue Mountains National Park has the highest visitation of any National Park in Australia,” the Mayor said. 

“If our World Heritage Listing is pulled because aircraft noise adversely impacts the World Heritage values of the Blue Mountains, then the four million tourists a year who come to the Blue Mountains will evaporate – and so will the jobs they create.”

The Mayor called on the Federal Government to give the people of western Sydney and the Blue Mountains the same protection as those in eastern Sydney.

“This airport is to be the first in the state to operate with no curfew. Why should one Sydney airport bear the burden of no curfew and not another?”

“Blue Mountains City Council opposes flight path activity being concentrated over the lower to mid Blue Mountains and the impact on our local community, quality of life and the environment. I will continue to fight for our Blue Mountains community and environment with every ounce of energy I have.”

Mayor of Blacktown City Council, Tony Bleasdale OAM has expressed his “significant concerns” about the impact of flight paths on local residents.

“The protection of residents from noise is a concern I take very seriously. This is particularly significant, given that Western Sydney Airport will operate without a night time curfew on flight movements,” said Mayor Bleasdale.

“Council has been promised an official briefing and we will seek to fully understand the impact on the City of Blacktown… I am concerned that the 415,000 residents in Blacktown City will only be offered one public consultation meeting to allow them to engage with the process of determining flight paths.

“There must be enough consultation to allow residents to fully understand the negative impacts of aircraft noise on them and to understand the mitigations the Commonwealth proposes.” 

Construction on the airport at Badgerys Creek is now more than 50% complete and is due to open in late 2026. 

Residents can access an online tool that allows them to check the likely aircraft noise impact on their homes at https://wsiflightpaths.aerlabs.com/. 

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