Second Sydney Airport

The Second Sydney Airport is a proposal for a second airport for commercial aircraft to supplement or replace the existing Kingsford Smith Airport in Sydney, Australia. Estimated to cost between $6 and $8 billion governments of the past 30 years have been avoiding the issue. [cite web
url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s44579.htm
title=Government delays decision on second Sydney airport
work=7.30 Report
date=17/8/1999:
publisher=www.abc.net.au
accessdate=2008-07-23]

Since the construction of Kingsford Smith, aviation in Australia has grown by massive amounts. Between 1987 and 1999-2000 domestic flights though Sydney more than doubled to nearly 27 million and international passengers increased from 8 million to 15 million in the same period. Almost half of all scheduled flights in Australia land or take off at Kingsford Smith, and the airport dealt with 45% of international passengers in 1998.cite book
author = Philip Laird
title = Where We Are Now
work = Back on Track
publisher = UNSW Press
year = 2001
page = pages 29
isbn = 0 86840 411 X ]

Planning for a second airport for Sydney commenced in the 1970s with the Major Airport Needs of Sydney (MANS) intergovernmental group established to select a site. In 1983 the newly elected Labor Federal Government hoped for quick decision, but it was not until 1986 that recommendations were made: Wilton or Badgerys Creek.cite book
author = Philip Laird
title = Where We Are Now
work = Back on Track
publisher = UNSW Press
year = 2001
page = pages 30
isbn = 0 86840 411 X ] The Hawke Government decided upon Badgerys Creek, built in 1989 it also made the decision to permit the construction of the third runway at Kingsford Smith. This resulted in a great deal of political fallout, and the Keating Government made limited moves towards the new airport at Badgerys Creek.

At the 1996 election John Howard announced that he would explore the option of a second airport at Holsworthy, but rejected it in 1998 and confirmed Badgerys Creek as the preferred site in 1999. Commentators doubted if a major second airport for Sydney would ever be built, with a report given to the government in 1999 recommended that regional air travel be shifted to Bankstown Airport, a new general aviation airport be built at Badgerys Creek, a fast train between Sydney and Canberra established, and investigation made on extension of the fast train to Melbourne and Brisbane.

In December 2000 the Federal Government decided not to build the second airport, shelved the first train project, while keeping regional airlines at Kingsford Smith and expanding Bankstown and Canberra airports. [cite web
url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s223624.htm
title=Government scraps plans for second Sydney airport
work=7.30 Report
date=13/12/2000:
publisher=www.abc.net.au
accessdate=2008-07-23]

The issue rose again in 2008 when the Rudd Federal Government was elected. Convinced capacity at the current airport will be exhausted it begun a search for a new site. It is believed various options, including a freight-only airport operation will be considered. Camden, converting part or all of Richmond and Canberra are all to be investigated for feasibility. Bankstown and Badgerys Creek, according to sources are not to be put forward. [cite web
url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23645809-5001021,00.html
title=Search on for second Sydney airport
work=The Daily Telegraph
date=May 05, 2008
publisher=www.news.com.au
accessdate=2008-07-23]

Wattle Grove Hoax

In August 1996, as part of an annual Foundation Day competition consisting of hoax, scavenger hunt and fundraising components, students from New College at the University of New South Wales hand-delivered personalised letters purporting to be from the Federal Airports Corporation to the residents of the Sydney suburb of Wattle Grove. The unsigned letters claimed that residents' properties were to be compulsorily acquired at 82.3% of market value of land and holdings in order to make way for Sydney's second airport [cite episode
title = ABC Radio News 20:00
airdate = 1996-08-08
series = ABC Radio News
serieslink = Australian Broadcasting Corporation ] . The federal minister for transport declared the hoax a "disgraceful attempt to upset and deceive the residents of Wattle Grove" in a late night statement and the Australian Federal Police were called in to investigate. The Federal Airports Corporation also held an emergency meeting and printed a statement disavowing the letters in The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper [Citation
author=Federal Airports Corporation
title=Federal Airports Corporation Statement
newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald
year=1996
date=August 1996] . The hoax received national radio, television and newspaper coverage. Student representatives eventually delivered a faxed confession to the police and Registrar Crystal Condous was interviewed by federal officers during the celebrations the following day. When the students apologised and it was revealed that the hoax was conducted to raise money for charity (Our Lady of Snows soup kitchen) [ [http://www.recordkeeping.unsw.edu.au/About/foundationday.html UNSW Foundation Day Exhibition] ] the matter was dropped.

ee also

* Sydney Airport

References

External links

* Parliamentary Library: [http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/chron/2003-04/04chr02.htm Second Sydney Airport — A Chronology]