Today the Minister for Infrastructure authorised the preliminary flight paths for Western Sydney Airport.
I am pleased to see some new measures have been added to the flight path conditions, by the Minister for Infrastructure and the Minister for the Environment.
The measures include:
A Ministerial directive prioritising the nighttime RRO modes
This directs air traffic controllers to use Reciprocal Runway Operations (RRO) and the Reciprocal Runway Operations-Noise Abatement Procedures (RRO-NAP) as the default night mode. This will direct traffic away from the Blue Mountains and reduce noise impacts, including in the mid-Mountains
Noise monitoring starting January 2026
Airservices Australia will soon commence consultation on the locations for the community noise monitoring program.
A dedicated Community Engagement Forum on flightpaths, airspace and noise issues
This group will operate with airspace experts to ensure meaningful responses in the early years of the airport’s operation, in addition to the WSI Community Aviation Consultation Group (CACG).
Environmental monitoring program
To monitor potential impacts of WSI aircraft noise on environmental values such as fauna and First Nations cultural values particularly in the Greater Blue Mountains Area, prepared by an expert, informed by consultation with First Nations knowledge holders.
These initiatives respond to submissions from Macquarie residents to the Final EIS. The suggestion to send flights further west before they cross the Great Western Highway, RRO-NAP, was put forward by many Mountains residents and me in submissions, to limit noise at night including for Linden and Faulconbridge communities.
The noise monitoring and comprehensive environmental program was advocated for by key environmental groups and Blue Mountains City Council. I will work with them as we understand the detail, depth and breadth of this program.
And the specially established forum for raising and addressing noise and flightpath issues acknowledges that these will be a focus of community concern once flights begin.
Since starting this fight in 2015, I have been aware of key decisions along the way that have determined the flight paths.
The decision on the orientation of the new runway in 2016 by the Liberal Government was a key factor in influencing flight path design and it has been a battle to mitigate that.
My advocacy helped achieve the dumping of the merge points in the Blue Mountains, greater sharing of noise across other areas, the adoption of RRO, and more recently the RRO-Noise Abatement Procedure to keep aircraft away from the most populated areas of the Blue Mountains.
I acknowledge the Minister’s statement that the measures announced today represent the most comprehensive of their kind for any airspace development in Australia.
However, I remain of the view that I have long held, that there will be profound impacts on my community as a consequence of the WSI flight paths.
I am committed to fighting for fairness for Macquarie. Between now and when the airport opens, I will continue to seek opportunities for improvements to these flightpaths.
And once the planes begin flying next year, I will be standing side by side with my community as we continue our fight for a fair deal.
ENDS
