Western Sydney International Airport

The new Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) will bring significant change to Greater Western Sydney, including both opportunities and challenges. 

It is essential that benefits are maximised and impacts minimised through ongoing consultation with local government and communities across all stages: from design, through construction and operations.

WSROC has been closely monitoring the progress of the Western Sydney Airport since the early 1990s.

In the airport’s current iteration WSROC led two independent technical reviews of Airport impact statements:

◼ Western Sydney Airport draft Environmental Impact Statement 2015 (draft EIS)

◼ Western Sydney International Airport EIS Flight Paths 2024 (Flight Path EIS)

These reviews have been jointly funded by Western Sydney councils and have considered elements including: noise, air-quality, emissions, transport and access, human health, aviation planning, social and economic impacts, surface and groundwater, impacts on the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and biodiversity. 

Issues of particular concern to WSROC members include:

• Noise impacts due to 24/7 operations. The 2024 Flight Path EIS did not follow best practice, using the same substandard methodology as Brisbane Airport’s 24-hour runway – a project requiring federal redress.
• Public transport. WSROC welcomes the North-South Metro and Liverpool rapid bus corridor, but calls for accelerated delivery of the Metro between Tallawong, Campbelltown, and Leppington as well as links to Camden, Fairfield and Penrith.
• Economic development. The airport and surrounding precincts must work with, rather than compete with existing business, commercial and industrial hubs.
• Community consultation. The establishment of robust, ongoing consultation structures for both councils and the community is an urgent need.
• Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. The impacts on tourism, wilderness areas and the UNESCO heritage listing were not sufficiently addressed in the final EIS.
• Environmental impacts. Councils acknowledge efforts to address environmental issues like waste, climate resilience, water quality and biodiversity, however it remains unclear how these outcomes will be achieved.

Policy

To download a complete copy of WSROC’s Policy Paper: Western Sydney Airport, follow the link.

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Previous submissions, reports and advocacy

Reports

◼ WSROC - Review of Western Sydney Airport Draft Environmental Impact Statement - Part A Final (26 November 2015)

◼ WSROC - Review of Western Sydney Airport Draft Environmental Impact Statement - Part B Final (19 November 2015)

◼ Western Sydney International Airport Flight Path EIS – Acoustic Peer Review (December 2023)

◼ Western Sydney International Airport Review of the Health Component of the Airspace and Flight Path Design draft EIS (January 2024)

Submissions

◼ Submission to the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development regarding the Western Sydney Airport draft EIS (December 2015)

◼ Western Sydney Airport draft EIS Submission – Waste and Recycling (December 2015)

◼ WSROC Submission to the Western Sydney Aerotropolis Planning Package (March 2020)

◼ Current and Future Transport Needs of Western Sydney (September 2023)

◼ Submission to the Australian Parliament Senate Inquiry – The Impact and Mitigation of Aircraft Noise (April 2024)

◼ Submission In Response to the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport Preliminary Flight Paths (January 2024)

◼ WSROC Submission to the Western Sydney International Airport Draft Masterplan (September 2025)

For further information, contact WSROC at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.