It’s great to be back here in Western Sydney. 

I begin by acknowledging the original custodians of the Liverpool area, and pay my respect to their Elders, past and present and I extend this respect to all First Nations people joining us today.

Thank you to David Borger from Business Western Sydney, and April Parmerlee from AmCham for the opportunity to address you all. I’d also like to think your presenting partners Simon Hickey from WSI, and Ken Morrison from the Bradfield Development Authority for being part of this event today.

Our government was returned to office with a strong mandate and we are pressing ahead with our ambitious infrastructure agenda.

Western Sydney International - Nancy-Bird Walton Airport - is high on that agenda as a transformational project for this region supported by a $5.3 billion investment from the Australian Government. 

As we all know, while Kingsford Smith Airport is an important transport hub, it is also constrained. 

The new airport is an opportunity to grow aviation capacity for the Sydney basin, and international travel and trade.

It’s the culmination of nearly 60 years of planning since Badgerys Creek was first proposed as the site for Sydney’s second airport back in 1969.

I again visited the site this morning to look at progress of Airservices’ firefighting equipment and have to say it’s a magnificent airport. 

While it will ramp up slowly at the start, it will eventually cater for 10 million passengers.

I know people in Western Sydney love to travel and be engaged with the world. 

It’s so important for the millions of people who live and work out here to have an airport close by that gives them this access.

This is an incredibly exciting time as we shift our focus from construction to getting the airport ready for operation.

I’m happy to report it’s preparing to open for the first freight flights in the middle of next year and the first passengers later next year.

Construction of the terminal, airside and landside packages are complete, with testing and commissioning now underway. 

Getting to this point was a mammoth effort.

An integrated domestic and international terminal will serve as the heart of the airport.

The 3.7-kilometre runway is capable of receiving the world’s largest passenger aircraft and service a dedicated cargo precinct.

Safety is the number one priority in aviation as it should always be. 

The airport’s new flight paths are now being tested with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s oversight. 

Fire services and other emergency procedures are being tested extensively.

The baggage handling systems are also being tested to ensure luggage is handled smoothly and carefully. 

There will continue to be a flurry of activity to get everything ready for opening day.

And airlines are committing to Western Sydney International.

We're seeing genuine interest from carriers across the board.

QantasLink and Jetstar have signed up for domestic services, while Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand will bring international connectivity.

Through our Aviation White Paper, we've increased international air rights, which is one of the key levers we have to improve competition.

And that's what we've done - we've signed a record number of air service agreements during our first term.

We're also working with the NSW Government through the Western Sydney Take Off Fund, which provides direct incentives for international airlines to fly into the airport.

A 24/7 airport with no curfew - that's something new in New South Wales for both freight and passengers.

This is going to completely transform Western Sydney's connectivity to the rest of Australia and the world.

The economic and employment benefits of the Western Sydney International Airport are hard to overstate.

It’s an example of an efficient infrastructure investment that is creating local jobs and unlocking major economic growth and productivity. 

Over $500 million has already been injected into the region through contracts awarded to some 360 Western Sydney businesses. 

This includes local tradespeople and construction companies, caterers, and security guards.

Over half of the workforce was locally employed. 

Almost a third were ‘learning’ workers such as apprentices and trainees.

Once it’s operating, the airport will provide many more long-term jobs closer to home for people in the Western Sydney region.

As a non-curfewed airport, freight operations are also a significant opportunity to grow the economy out here.

An integrated freight precinct is taking shape, with Qantas Group and Menzies Aviation preparing for their operations, signalling how important they know this airport will be. 

We’re seeing an unprecedented scale of airport demand right across the country at the moment. 

Our airports are experiencing significant growth, which post-COVID is great to see. 

Western Sydney International Airport is setting a high bar with the infrastructure that people expect of a modern airport.

The success and growth of Western Sydney is critical to our national prosperity.

Construction activity at the airport has supported manufacturing around the nation. 

The terminals’ roof contained some 40 kilometres of steel sourced from Adelaide, Whyalla, Tamworth and Orange. 

Natural stone was brought in from Newcastle.

And concrete panels, piping, drainage and quarry products were sourced from companies across Western Sydney and other parts of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

While the airport itself is a generational project, it presents wider opportunities too. 

We’re supporting the New South Wales Government to etch the new city of Bradfield on our maps right here, which will stand as a 114-hectare metropolitan centre.

As a centre of commerce, Bradfield is projected to support 20,000 jobs.

It will host advanced manufacturing, research and development, professional services and creative industries.

New educational institutions could also have a home here, with a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

And of course, it will also facilitate the emerging aerospace and defence industries.

The precinct and the community surrounding it will be a permanent asset not just for Western Sydney, but also for our nation.

With the investment delivering compounding dividends for decades to come.

There are myriad opportunities for businesses in the WSI business park as it is developed with Charter Hall.

In addition, the Australian Government has provided $570 million for the Moorebank Intermodal precinct in Western Sydney.

When complete, the integrated industrial precinct will house over 850,000 square metres of modern industrial warehouses and support more than 6,800 jobs. 

It’s also home to Australia’s largest rooftop solar installation with the capacity to generate over 100 megawatts of renewable energy.

Moorebank will further boost the new airport’s freight activity.

Last year, a new Interstate terminal was opened connecting the Moorebank precinct to the interstate rail and road network, including the future Inland Rail project, enabling movement of vital consumer goods between Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

Our investment in Moorebank demonstrates how government leadership and co-investment with industry can deliver world-class infrastructure to create major value for future generations.

We’re investing over $19 billion in Western Sydney, including on projects to ensure the airport and precinct are well connected from day one.

This includes improvements to roads and public transport, which will unlock more housing, employment and education opportunities for surrounding communities. 

Road upgrades to support the new airport that are already open to traffic include:

• expanding the Northern Road to four lanes from Narellan to Jamison Road,
• Upgrading Bringelly Road to four lanes between the Northern Road and Camden Valley Way, and
• constructing the Werrington Arterial Road by upgrading Kent Road and Gipps Street to four lanes between the Great Western Highway and the M4 Motorway.

We’re contributing $13.2 billion through our Infrastructure Investment Program on projects in Western Sydney in partnership with the New South Wales Government.

This includes:

• $1 billion for additional lanes for Mamre Road,
• $800 million for priority upgrades to Elizabeth Drive
• and over $2 billion to deliver the new, toll-free M12 Motorway, connecting the M7 Motorway and The Northern Road. 

When the M12 opens in early 2026, it will serve as the major access route to the new airport.

Strong public transport links are also crucial for connectivity, improving safety and reducing congestion on road networks.

Our over $10 billion investment in the Sydney Metro - Western Sydney Airport Project will deliver a new, state-of-the-art 23 kilometre metro rail service from St Mary’s to the Airport with six new Metro stations.

Construction on the Metro is well and truly underway.

Then there’s $1 billion to develop Fifteenth Avenue as a public transport corridor.

And $200 million for infrastructure for zero emission rapid bus services to connect Penrith, Liverpool, Campbelltown and Blacktown to the Western Sydney International Airport and Aerotropolis.

We want to see these transport links strengthen as the area grows.

Looking forward, the Australian and NSW Governments have committed 
$195 million for a Business Case to inform future decisions on a rail line from Bradfield to Glenfield via Leppington, and from Bradfield to Macarthur.

In addition, we have set aside a further $1 billion to preserve the corridor for the future Bradfield to Leppington and Macarthur lines.

And while we’re talking about preserving corridors and planning for the future, I want to touch on High Speed Rail between Newcastle and Sydney. 

Infrastructure Australia has been working through the business case for Stage 1, and I’m really pleased to say that Western Sydney International and Parramatta are right there in the proposal - six stations from Newcastle through to Western Sydney International.

The analysis shows that when this is delivered, you’ll be able to get from Newcastle to Parramatta in around an hour and fifteen minutes, down from two and a half hours today. From Newcastle to Western Sydney International, around an hour and a half, down from over three hours.

Now, this is a long-term project. But we’re getting on with the work of the first section between Newcastle and Central.

But here’s what matters: as we plan Australia’s east coast transport future, Western Sydney isn’t an afterthought. You’re not tacked on at the end. Western Sydney International and Parramatta are core stations in how we’re thinking about connecting Newcastle to Sydney to Canberra and beyond. 

That’s the recognition this region deserves.

To reiterate, the Australian Government is committed to a 10 year, over $120 billion infrastructure investment pipeline.

This will support housing development and population growth, enhance connectivity, increase public transport capacity, and improve freight efficiency. 

The Government’s investments will ensure the airport has the infrastructure it needs, as well as enabling surrounding businesses and communities to grow and thrive well into the future.

We are on the precipice of a historic milestone with the upcoming opening of Western Sydney Airport.

It’s been really great to share these updates with you and outline our commitment to making it a success.

And I thank all of you who are involved in projects and businesses connected to the new airport for sharing our vision. 

I’ve no doubt you will start to see the extensive benefits of this region-defining project in the near future.

Thank you.