PHOTO: Western Sydney International Airport
The forthcoming $5.3 billion Western Sydney International Airport, situated in Badgerys Creek and approximately 45km from the CBD, is set to create significant noise pollution in certain suburbs. Unlike other airports in NSW, this facility will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week without a curfew when it opens in 2026.
Recently, the Federal Government unveiled the airport’s preliminary flight plans, revealing that homes in Sydney’s south-west and north-west will experience the greatest impact from aircraft noise. The areas most affected include Greendale, Luddenham, Twin Creeks, Penrith, Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Prospect Reservoir, Windsor, and Orchard Hills.
Erskine Park properties will also experience a notable number of flights, ranging from 20 to 49 over the area in 2033. The anticipated noise levels are expected to exceed 70 decibels, a threshold that can hinder conversations indoors with closed windows and even lead to hearing damage.
The suburbs most affected by noise pollution from the new airport are as follows:
- Penrith
- Mount Druitt
- Windsor
- Prospect
- Orchard Hills
- Bankstown
- Erskine Park
- Greendale
- Blue Mountains
To assist residents in understanding the potential disruptions caused by aircraft noise, an online Aircraft Overflight Noise Tool is available. This interactive tool enables users to input their address and view details such as expected flight altitudes, daily aircraft numbers, and predicted noise levels at their requested location.
Concerns have also arisen regarding the impact of curfew-free flight plans on communities in the Blue Mountains. Some flight paths to Brisbane or Cairns are projected to traverse the Great Western Highway, north of the main residential areas in the Blue Mountains. These flights bound for Queensland are scheduled to depart from the southwest end of the airport, take a right turn around Silverdale, and pass over the Blue Mountains region.
Mark Greenhill, the Mayor of the Blue Mountains, expressed worry about the disturbance caused by aircraft noise to residents and the potential consequences for the World Heritage-listed area. He emphasized that the flight paths demonstrate a lack of regard for the people of the Blue Mountains and the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, stressing the potential threat to their quality of life, tourism, and job opportunities.
During periods of lower air traffic demand at night, a third runway direction will be utilized if wind conditions are calm. Flights between 11pm and 5.30am will primarily operate from the southwest of the airport, aiming to minimize noise for densely populated communities in western Sydney.
Catherine King, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, and Local Government, assured that the airport will seek to reduce flights over residential areas at night. However, she noted that the airport was always intended to operate without a curfew. The Department of Infrastructure will organize community information and feedback sessions, as well as community information stalls across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains in the coming months. The development of the preliminary flight paths aligns with Airspace Design Principles formulated based on community input.