White noise: PM gets personal on airport opposition
Anthony Albanese knows what it's like to have the constant drone of aeroplanes above, shaking off opposition to Sydney's first all-hours airport.
After cutting the ribbon of the completed Western Sydney Airport terminal, the prime minister spoke to the more than 48,000 residents in western Sydney and the Blue Mountains who will endure the noise from the pathways of aeroplanes.
He said the government has "gone to a great deal of trouble" to ensure minimum disruption and impact of aircraft noise from the planes above, pointing out his home in inner city Sydney sits about five kilometres from Sydney Airport.
"As the member for Grayndler and as a Marrickville resident, I'm very conscious about these issues," he told reporters from the new terminal on Wednesday.
"We need aviation activity, the truth is that some people have opposed this airport existing.
"Any time you have infrastructure, there'll be some opponents."
On the runway, only four airlines have signed up.
This is despite the airport aiming to cater for five million passengers per year once it opens, and 82 million by 2063.
Air New Zealand announced on Wednesday they will dock in 2027, joining Qantas, Jetstar and Singapore Airlines.
But the airport's chief executive Simon Hickey said they have spoken to more than 30 airlines.
Mr Albanese expects more carriers to join before the $5.3 billion project opens in late 2026.
"The objective here is for this to be a full international and domestic airport," he said.
The terminal's completion marks a significant milestone since construction began four years ago.
The gateway is inspired by the landscapes and flora around the Western Sydney region.
Inside, the ceiling is emblematic of eucalyptus trees with the curly form of its bark intertwined with skylights that aim to show the Australian natural light.
Passengers can also expect baggage to take five minutes to transport from the plane to the carousel, as about five kilometres of conveyor belts line the terminal, Mr Hickey said.
A single terminal will also house international and domestic services under one roof.
Mr Hickey said the airport has been designed to make flying less stressful.
"What reduces that stress is natural light, air and easy way-finding, and we've got all of those elements here," the chief executive said.
"We are standing under a skylight down in the lowest level, giving lots of natural light in your bag pick up area, which normally is a small and pokey place."
The airport will be connected to an underground rail line from April 2027.
Anthony Albanese knows what it's like to have the constant drone of aeroplanes above, shaking off opposition to Sydney's first all-hours airport.
After cutting the ribbon of the completed Western Sydney Airport terminal, the prime minister spoke to the more than 48,000 residents in western Sydney and the Blue Mountains who will endure the noise from the pathways of aeroplanes.
He said the government has "gone to a great deal of trouble" to ensure minimum disruption and impact of aircraft noise from the planes above, pointing out his home in inner city Sydney sits about five kilometres from Sydney Airport.
"As the member for Grayndler and as a Marrickville resident, I'm very conscious about these issues," he told reporters from the new terminal on Wednesday.
"We need aviation activity, the truth is that some people have opposed this airport existing.
"Any time you have infrastructure, there'll be some opponents."
On the runway, only four airlines have signed up.
This is despite the airport aiming to cater for five million passengers per year once it opens, and 82 million by 2063.
Air New Zealand announced on Wednesday they will dock in 2027, joining Qantas, Jetstar and Singapore Airlines.
But the airport's chief executive Simon Hickey said they have spoken to more than 30 airlines.
Mr Albanese expects more carriers to join before the $5.3 billion project opens in late 2026.
"The objective here is for this to be a full international and domestic airport," he said.
The terminal's completion marks a significant milestone since construction began four years ago.
The gateway is inspired by the landscapes and flora around the Western Sydney region.
Inside, the ceiling is emblematic of eucalyptus trees with the curly form of its bark intertwined with skylights that aim to show the Australian natural light.
Passengers can also expect baggage to take five minutes to transport from the plane to the carousel, as about five kilometres of conveyor belts line the terminal, Mr Hickey said.
A single terminal will also house international and domestic services under one roof.
Mr Hickey said the airport has been designed to make flying less stressful.
"What reduces that stress is natural light, air and easy way-finding, and we've got all of those elements here," the chief executive said.
"We are standing under a skylight down in the lowest level, giving lots of natural light in your bag pick up area, which normally is a small and pokey place."
The airport will be connected to an underground rail line from April 2027.
Anthony Albanese knows what it's like to have the constant drone of aeroplanes above, shaking off opposition to Sydney's first all-hours airport.
After cutting the ribbon of the completed Western Sydney Airport terminal, the prime minister spoke to the more than 48,000 residents in western Sydney and the Blue Mountains who will endure the noise from the pathways of aeroplanes.
He said the government has "gone to a great deal of trouble" to ensure minimum disruption and impact of aircraft noise from the planes above, pointing out his home in inner city Sydney sits about five kilometres from Sydney Airport.
"As the member for Grayndler and as a Marrickville resident, I'm very conscious about these issues," he told reporters from the new terminal on Wednesday.
"We need aviation activity, the truth is that some people have opposed this airport existing.
"Any time you have infrastructure, there'll be some opponents."
On the runway, only four airlines have signed up.
This is despite the airport aiming to cater for five million passengers per year once it opens, and 82 million by 2063.
Air New Zealand announced on Wednesday they will dock in 2027, joining Qantas, Jetstar and Singapore Airlines.
But the airport's chief executive Simon Hickey said they have spoken to more than 30 airlines.
Mr Albanese expects more carriers to join before the $5.3 billion project opens in late 2026.
"The objective here is for this to be a full international and domestic airport," he said.
The terminal's completion marks a significant milestone since construction began four years ago.
The gateway is inspired by the landscapes and flora around the Western Sydney region.
Inside, the ceiling is emblematic of eucalyptus trees with the curly form of its bark intertwined with skylights that aim to show the Australian natural light.
Passengers can also expect baggage to take five minutes to transport from the plane to the carousel, as about five kilometres of conveyor belts line the terminal, Mr Hickey said.
A single terminal will also house international and domestic services under one roof.
Mr Hickey said the airport has been designed to make flying less stressful.
"What reduces that stress is natural light, air and easy way-finding, and we've got all of those elements here," the chief executive said.
"We are standing under a skylight down in the lowest level, giving lots of natural light in your bag pick up area, which normally is a small and pokey place."
The airport will be connected to an underground rail line from April 2027.
Anthony Albanese knows what it's like to have the constant drone of aeroplanes above, shaking off opposition to Sydney's first all-hours airport.
After cutting the ribbon of the completed Western Sydney Airport terminal, the prime minister spoke to the more than 48,000 residents in western Sydney and the Blue Mountains who will endure the noise from the pathways of aeroplanes.
He said the government has "gone to a great deal of trouble" to ensure minimum disruption and impact of aircraft noise from the planes above, pointing out his home in inner city Sydney sits about five kilometres from Sydney Airport.
"As the member for Grayndler and as a Marrickville resident, I'm very conscious about these issues," he told reporters from the new terminal on Wednesday.
"We need aviation activity, the truth is that some people have opposed this airport existing.
"Any time you have infrastructure, there'll be some opponents."
On the runway, only four airlines have signed up.
This is despite the airport aiming to cater for five million passengers per year once it opens, and 82 million by 2063.
Air New Zealand announced on Wednesday they will dock in 2027, joining Qantas, Jetstar and Singapore Airlines.
But the airport's chief executive Simon Hickey said they have spoken to more than 30 airlines.
Mr Albanese expects more carriers to join before the $5.3 billion project opens in late 2026.
"The objective here is for this to be a full international and domestic airport," he said.
The terminal's completion marks a significant milestone since construction began four years ago.
The gateway is inspired by the landscapes and flora around the Western Sydney region.
Inside, the ceiling is emblematic of eucalyptus trees with the curly form of its bark intertwined with skylights that aim to show the Australian natural light.
Passengers can also expect baggage to take five minutes to transport from the plane to the carousel, as about five kilometres of conveyor belts line the terminal, Mr Hickey said.
A single terminal will also house international and domestic services under one roof.
Mr Hickey said the airport has been designed to make flying less stressful.
"What reduces that stress is natural light, air and easy way-finding, and we've got all of those elements here," the chief executive said.
"We are standing under a skylight down in the lowest level, giving lots of natural light in your bag pick up area, which normally is a small and pokey place."
The airport will be connected to an underground rail line from April 2027.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese yet to secure critical meeting with Donald Trump ahead of G7 trip
Anthony Albanese will visit Fiji, and the United States prior to heading to Canada to attend the G7 conference where the Prime Minister is facing intense pressure to secure his first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump. Mr Albanese will fly out of Canberra on Friday morning for Nadi, Fiji where he is set to speak to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. The meeting can be seen as a concerted effort for Australia to cement its relationship with its Pacific allies amid increasing aggression from China. It will also canvas the impact of climate change on the region, which island countries in the bloc describe as their biggest existential threat. 'Visiting Fiji so soon after the election is a deliberate decision to reinforce my government's Pacific priorities and to exchange views with my dear friend Prime Minister Rabuka, a respected Pacific statesman,' Mr Albanese said. The Labor leader will then travel to Seattle on the US West Coast to meet with business leaders, with the talks set to focus on emerging technologies such artificial intelligence. His arrival coincides with the end of AI Con, which is being attended by tech giants including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services. Mr Albanese will back-end the six-day trip by attending the G7 leaders summit in Kananaskis, Canada, where he it is hoped he will finally meet with Mr Trump. Demands for a face-to-face meeting substantially increased on Thursday after the Pentagon announced it would be reviewing the AUKUS defence agreement to ensure it still 'aligned with the President's America First agenda'. Whether Australia will be able to obtain a tariff exemption will be another key discussion point. The US has also made strident calls for Australia to lift defence spending from the current levels of about 2 per cent of GDP to 3.5 per cent, with Labor committing funding to ensure funding increases to 2.5 per cent by 2029/30. While Australia is not a member of the G7 – which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the US, and the European Union – Mr Albanese was invited to attend the summit alongside the likes of India, Indonesia, South Korea and Ukraine. Mr Albanese is also expected to have bilateral talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. Key discussions will include securing global supply chains, the future of advanced technologies like AI and the role of critical minerals, which Australia hopes to be a global player in. Supply of critical minerals could also play a role in securing a tariff exemption with the US, with the Albanese government investing $1.2bn in establishing a Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve, which includes stockpiling critical elements depending on global market. Mr Albanese said he was 'honoured' to have been invited by Mr Carney. 'I look forward to working productively with world leaders to discuss how we tackle some of the most challenging issues facing Australia, our region, and the world,' he said.
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Albo yet to secure crucial Trump meeting
Anthony Albanese will visit Fiji, and the United States prior to heading to Canada to attend the G7 conference where the Prime Minister is facing intense pressure to secure his first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump. Mr Albanese will fly out of Canberra on Friday morning for Nadi, Fiji where he is set to speak to Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka. The meeting can be seen as a concerted effort for Australia to cement its relationship with its Pacific allies amid increasing aggression from China. It will also canvas the impact of climate change on the region, which island countries in the bloc describe as their biggest existential threat. 'Visiting Fiji so soon after the election is a deliberate decision to reinforce my government's Pacific priorities and to exchange views with my dear friend Prime Minister Rabuka, a respected Pacific statesman,' Mr Albanese said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will meet with Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka in Nadi on Friday. NewsWire / David Beach Credit: News Corp Australia The Labor leader will then travel to Seattle on the US West Coast to meet with business leaders, with the talks set to focus on emerging technologies such artificial intelligence. His arrival coincides with the end of AI Con, which is being attended by tech giants including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services. Mr Albanese will back-end the six-day trip by attending the G7 leaders summit in Kananaskis, Canada, where he it is hoped he will finally meet with Mr Trump. Demands for a face-to-face meeting substantially increased on Thursday after the Pentagon announced it would be reviewing the AUKUS defence agreement to ensure it still 'aligned with the President's America First agenda'. Whether Australia will be able to obtain a tariff exemption will be another key discussion point. The US has also made strident calls for Australia to lift defence spending from the current levels of about 2 per cent of GDP to 3.5 per cent, with Labor committing funding to ensure funding increases to 2.5 per cent by 2029/30. While Australia is not a member of the G7 – which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the US, and the European Union – Mr Albanese was invited to attend the summit alongside the likes of India, Indonesia, South Korea and Ukraine. Mr Albanese is also expected to have bilateral talks with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. However Mr Albanese has yet to secure a meeting with US President Donald Trump, amid a Pentagon review into the AUKUS defence partnership. NewsWire/ Philip Gostelow Credit: News Corp Australia Key discussions will include securing global supply chains, the future of advanced technologies like AI and the role of critical minerals, which Australia hopes to be a global player in. Supply of critical minerals could also play a role in securing a tariff exemption with the US, with the Albanese government investing $1.2bn in establishing a Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve, which includes stockpiling critical elements depending on global market. Mr Albanese said he was 'honoured' to have been invited by Mr Carney. 'I look forward to working productively with world leaders to discuss how we tackle some of the most challenging issues facing Australia, our region, and the world,' he said.
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Fears Australia faces ‘missed opportunity'
Australia could miss out on its next great invention plus significant economic benefits, with one prominent business leader calling for an increase in research and development spending so we no longer lag behind other developed countries. Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black says the Albanese government should help boost public and private spending into research and development from 1.7 per cent of GDP to 3 per cent. As it stands, Australia is dragging behind the other OECD countries which on average invest 2.7 per cent of GDP into funding and developing innovating ideas. Australia was also significantly behind the United States and South Korea which invest 3.59 per cent and 5.21 per cent respectively. As a result, the country was missing out on the economic returns, with Mr Black pointing to analysis from the CSIRO which found that every dollar invested in R&D offered a $3 return to GDP. 'They're doing that because they see that the economic return, the dividend to their economy associated with these types of investment makes it worthwhile,' he said. More and better innovation also had the power to make 'life better' too, said Mr Black, pointing to world-leading Australian inventions such as the cochlear implant, Google Maps, pacemakers and even Wi-Fi. Business Council of Australia chief executive Bran Black is calling for more investment in R&D. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia 'If we talk about these types of inventions – being able to hear, being able to see your child, being able to navigate your way through cities and towns with confidence – that is genuinely a reflection of how our society has changed as a consequence of good old Australian R&D,' he said. 'R&D when done right changes the way we live, every single day.' While sectors such as agriculture, health, renewables and the resources sector were areas where Australia had 'existing advantages,' he said there was also 'scope for opportunity' in more left field areas like quantum computing. Figures released by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources tip Australia's technology sector is set to contribute $244bn a year to the economy by 2031, a rapid increase from the current $167bn. Increasing Australia's quantum capabilities is set to amplify the growth of the sector. 'Who would have thought that Australia would be at the absolute forefront of global research with respect to this cutting edge technology, and yet we are,' he said. Speaking to the importance of R&D, Mr Black said analysis from the CSIRO found Australia stood to receive a $3 boost to GDP for every dollar invested in R&D. NewsWire/ Nicholas Eagar Credit: NewsWire The push for a higher spend on R&D comes as Labor seeks to unite union and business leaders for a productivity roundtable which will be held at Parliament House in August. Mr Black said boosting Australian innovation was a key way to expose Australia to new market, create new jobs and develop emerging industries. In addition for a 5 per cent target on increased funding from the public and private sector, the BCA is also calling for a better tax incentives to encourage domestic and international to invest in Australian projects, plus a publicly accessible National Researcher Directory to help connect industry with research expertise. 'Ultimately what that means is that R&D is an excellent way of driving productivity (and) productivity is the main determinant for how we can deliver real wages growth across our economy,' he said. Labor is undertaking a strategic review into its R&D processes, with the government set to receive the recommendations by the end of the year. Former industry and science minister Ed Husic also acknowledged in October last year that R&D funding in Australia was at a 'sorry state,' and said the government was 'very focused on fixing up our languishing national R&D spend'.
