02 December 2008
The Federal Governments declaration that there will be no airport in Badgerys Creek should lead to the immediate abolition of airport-related development restrictions, according to the Urban Taskforce.
These rules prevent approval of new homes, schools and hospitals in areas that might be heavily impacted by aircraft noise.
They also ban any industrial activity that may pose aviation risks.
These restrictions would make a lot of sense if an airport was to go ahead.
But now, both sides of politics have nailed their colours to the wall and said that Badgerys Creek is dead.
If theyre serious, the federal and state governments should order the immediate removal of all airport-related development restrictions in the Badgerys Creek region.
Western Sydney can become the jobs centre of NSW radically improving the lives of the regions 1.6 million residents.
Theres no point holding development activity back to accommodate a future airport, if no-one has any intention of building one.
Business parks, pharmaceuticals, information and communications technology and advanced manufacturing could all be located in land near the Badgerys Creek airport site.
We need to see Silicon Valley style development in the heart of the Western Suburbs.
The Urban Taskforce is a property development industry group, representing Australias most prominent property developers and equity financiers.