Mid-sized firms gear up for Western Sydney Airport
Around 700 industry representatives gathered in Penrith on December 6th to discuss how they can make the most of the opportunities created by the new Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek.
WSA Co, the company established by the Turnbull Government to build the airport, outlined procurement processes for the airport’s main works, enabling works and professional services. Attendees interested in contributing to the airport’s delivery included small to medium enterprises involved in engineering, construction, equipment supply, security, accommodation, project management, environment and sustainability as well as larger tier one construction companies.
The number of companies attending the event reflected the enormous industry interest in this project, and its significance both locally for Western Sydney and nationally as one of Australia’s largest transport infrastructure projects.
The new airport offers an unprecedented opportunity for businesses big and small to get involved and reap the benefits of a project that will be a catalyst for economic transformation in the region and is expected to support around 28,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2031.
WSA Co will offer multiple competitive tenders to ensure the best deal for NSW in terms of value for money, schedule and risk allocation. WSA Co has already released tenders for airport enabling works including geotechnical investigation and land survey services earlier this year. The Turnbull Government plans to invest up to $5.3 billion in equity in Western Sydney Airport through WSA Co.
Opening in 2026, Western Sydney Airport will be a full-service domestic and international airport with a single runway and capacity for up to 10 million annual passengers in its early years. The airport will expand in line with demand and a second parallel runway is designed to be added in the future.
Western Sydney’s Window to the World
Western Sydney Airport will provide direct connections to the world, allowing opportunities for residents and the community to enhance Western Sydney’s connection to world economies. The airport site at Badgerys Creek is near the New South Wales Government’s Western Sydney Employment Area, the Western Sydney Priority Growth Area and the South West Priority Growth Area.
Two million people already live in Western Sydney, meaning that it would be Australia’s fourth-largest city and third-largest economy in its own right. Another million people are expected to move into the region by the 2030s.
The airport will attract investment in business in Western Sydney, ranging from manufacturing and logistics to hospitality, education and other professional services. It will give businesses quicker and more convenient access to overseas markets, with exporters of perishable items able to reach markets in Asia the next morning. Tourism will also be boosted, with the airport providing better accessibility to destinations across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
First promised in 1946 and then again in 1986, the project was finally given the go-ahead by the Turnbull administration with 40 environmental stipulations to address community concerns.
Sydney’s existing airport, Kingsford Smith, cannot meet the city’s future aviation requirements alone, even if current restrictions on use were eased or removed altogether, as demand for aviation services in Sydney set to double over the next 20 years and the Badgerys Creek project should become a major hub for additional business activity in its own right.
