ANNE STANLEY, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR WERRIWA: Good morning, everybody, and welcome to a really exciting day for Western Sydney with the opening of the freight precinct. It is so wonderful to have everybody here this morning, and the positivity and the jobs that come with Western Sydney Airport. It is my pleasure to hand over to Minister King.

CATHERINE KING, MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT & LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Thanks, Anne. Well, what a day for Western Sydney. The testing is done and Western Sydney, gateway to the world, freight is officially open today – first freight flights coming out tonight, and it's terrific to be here with colleagues to be able to celebrate that.

This is an extraordinary achievement, opening the cargo precinct. This is going to add 33 per cent to the capacity of freight for New South Wales and the country overall. It will add significantly to the opportunities for our farmers, for our producers, for our manufacturing sector to get their goods to the world, but also for those many Australians who use e-commerce, being able to both get their goods out, but also get those goods that you're buying in much more quickly.

There's 10,000 workers who've worked on both the airport and the terminal and the runway and the cargo precinct overall that's creating 10,000 jobs here in Western Sydney. But really, the legacy of this is the thousands of jobs, the thousands of workers who work in the freight and logistic industry who are here going to be able to really see those jobs into the future.

As we've said many times before, we used to see people look into Sydney CBD for jobs and everybody commuting from Western Sydney into the CBD for jobs. What this actually does is it means that Sydney is now looking to the west. The jobs growth is here, with the projections of over three million people being– living here wanting to use these facilities, really, this is a fantastic opportunity for the jobs for the future. Freight and logistics is a great industry to work in, and I'm really delighted with the work that's gone on here to build the cargo precinct, but also the many partners who were here from day one. And we're going to see those first flights out of here tonight with freight regularly – 24/7 airport, and that great economic opportunity for Western Sydney.

SIMON HICKEY, CEO WESTERN SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: From today, WSI is open for business. This 24-hour efficient cargo precinct will help to provide access to Australian businesses to premium global markets. And every hour saved from the supply chain provides opportunity for Aussie suppliers; it provides confidence to international buyers; and a real boost for local jobs and local businesses. Like everything at WSI, this cargo precinct is built for growth, and it will grow in line with demand over the decades ahead. And ultimately, that just means more opportunity for Australian businesses and the community of Western Sydney in terms of great jobs. Welcome to WSI, our new 24-hour cargo precinct, open for business.

PAUL GRAHAM, CEO AUSTRALIA POST: Thank you. I mean, great to be here. It's a day of celebration for Australian e-commerce customers. Twenty-four seven access to be able to move our cargo. So, tonight, our 10 o'clock flight, over 165,000 parcels just today going through that facility. We know that the e-commerce market will more than double in the next 10 years, and this facility is going to allow that growth to happen. Not just in terms of the speed and convenience that consumers are looking for now and that ability to get product, not just domestically within the metropolitan market, but all around Australia and be able to provide that service to any consumer no matter where they live in this great country.

The other thing, as Minister King mentioned, is the creation of jobs. We've got a number of hubs supporting Western Sydney International, including the Kemps Creek facility that we put in place a number of years ago. And they will also grow and see that volume increase and create a- good, long-term, well-paying jobs - both in terms of being able to facilitate those parcels through Australia Post, and in relation to our terrific long-term partnership with Qantas.

Over 100 years we've been moving mail and parcels, and we announced today the 10-year extension of that agreement, both in terms of additional aircraft that you can see behind me - more fuel-efficient, larger capacity, reflecting that growth we're seeing in the e-commerce, reflecting that demand that consumers have for speed and convenience. And making sure that we can make products that consumers want, regardless of where they are in Australia, not just in the large cities, but using this network to be able to move product quicker into regional areas and also remote locations.

So, a celebration for Australian e-commerce customers, a celebration for everyone who's been involved in creating this fantastic 21st-century modern infrastructure. And also a celebration for Australia Post, its team members, as well as for Qantas. Thank you.

CAM WALLACE, CEO QANTAS INTERNATIONAL & FREIGHT: Thanks, Paul. I just want to add that it's a special and significant day for the Qantas Group. Starting commercial freight operations tonight is a really significant opportunity for us to move into our purpose-built, 24/7 operation. It’s going to really give us the ability to provide innovation and speed for our customers. We've got an amazing long-term 100-plus relationship with Australia Post, which we've re-signed. You can see the logo on our aircraft. We've got larger, more fuel-efficient aircraft. And it's the start of what Qantas Group will be doing at Western Sydney.

So freight operations start today. We'll be growing those operations, but also in October we'll have Jetstar starting passenger services. And soon after that, QantasLink will start services as well. So we're very ambitious about the future here. We think there's strong underlying travel demand as well as cargo demand. Still, an insatiable amount of people want to purchase online, and they're getting more demanding in terms of how quickly those goods are delivered to their house or their apartment.

So, I want to take this opportunity as well to thank the team at WSI, who have just been amazing partners for us and have developed something special and different out here. So, the Qantas Group is looking forward to being here, to delivering freight and passengers in the future. Thank you.

PRUE CAR, DEPUTY PREMIER OF NSW: Well, we've been talking about this for a long, long time, and the day has finally arrived. This is all about jobs for Western Sydney families. For those of us in Western Sydney, we've watched this take form over the past decade and, looking at it, all we can think about is this is going to provide opportunities for our children to work in Western Sydney. That was incomprehensible only a decade ago.

This Western Sydney Airport has led an investment by both the Commonwealth and the state government in Western Sydney that will transform this part of the world. Most people that live in Sydney live in the West and, finally, thanks to this opening and this investment the actual employment centre of Sydney will finally be in Western Sydney. Pretty much all of our issues relate to the fact that most of us get on the M4 or the M7 or the M2 and have to travel away from where we live to go to work. The Western Sydney Airport, starting today, is going to change all that for families in Western Sydney. This is a milestone day for this community.

CATHERINE KING: Great. All right. I might start off if there's any questions to me, and then we'll go through.

JOURNALIST: Question just in terms of, might also be one for Simon, what incentives is the government or the Western Sydney Airport offering to airlines to encourage them to fly to Western Sydney Airport?

CATHERINE KING: Well, the New South Wales Government, which has been terrific, has had an airline attraction fund, and that's been really terrific in being able to get the partners that we've got for passenger, obviously. But the advantage that this airport is that it is 24/7, really creating that opportunity and that attraction alone.

Today, celebrating the first freight flights out, but 25 October the first passenger flight to the Gold Coast. Qantas– Jetstar will be running that, and we're looking forward to seeing that. I know that the rest of the flights are following shortly after that, but I know that also Simon is continuing to talk to a number of other aviation partners who are looking here at what the west has to offer.

We've got a captive audience of over two million people here who love to travel and love to travel across the country to the world, so great opportunities here in the future. We might get Simon to add.

SIMON HICKEY: Thanks, Minister. I’ll just say, we don’t actually talk about our commercial discussions, but what I can say is that this is a magnificent catchment. More than half of Sydney now live west of Parramatta, and they’re in our catchment. This is a local airport for our community and for our people. And of course, 24/7 capability provides an enormous boost to the capability and efficiency that’s available for the cargo– in the cargo precinct. So, we’re really happy to launch today and to welcome our partners through this cargo precinct, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming our first passengers in October just around the corner.

JOURNALIST: Cam Wallace talked about 96 flights a week with Qantas incoming. How many cargo flights do you expect to operate through this precinct per week over the coming months?

SIMON HICKEY: In terms of the number of aircraft that we're going to see, we've signed up Qantas and we've signed up Menzies and Dnata Aviation, they're all our cargo terminal operators. And they're working with different operators to ensure that they have, you know, good business to go forward. Obviously, with Qantas there’ll be 12 aircraft positioned here from today, and so they'll be in and out through the night. And then that will continue to grow over time. Usually with freight, we know what that schedule looks like usually about a week out because it's more flexible in terms of how it operates than scheduled passenger services.

JOURNALIST: One for Qantas or AusPost. You mentioned 165,000 parcels just today. Can you tell us exactly how many flights are taking off from here today, and what's the total haul?

PAUL GRAHAM: Yeah. We'll have a freighter tonight that will go into Brisbane, and then a sector down into Melbourne and then do Sydney. Before that was a difficult flight because, obviously, you had the curfew in Sydney so that aircraft was basically in Sydney overnight. We'll be able to now utilise that aircraft, the larger aircraft – 165,000 parcels, so you can imagine that. We are looking to expand that. We've got plans as part of our 10-year agreement with Qantas to add new aircraft, bigger aircraft, more fuel-efficient aircraft, and greater capacity. And that’s building into the doubling of the e-commerce market we will see happening and extending soon.

JOURNALIST: Is it just the one flight? Because I understand there are several flights taking off tonight.

PAUL GRAHAM: We'll have several flights and, again as I mentioned, the schedules change week to week, allowing for fluctuation, reflecting the volumes that we have. And obviously, as we get towards peak season from October onwards, we will ramp up the number of aircraft. Likewise, part of our agreement with Qantas is we have access to all the belly space for all the passenger flights, so that's an enormous amount of volume that we can move. And I'm glad to say that we are seeing our business continue to increase as a result of growth in e-commerce. What it really means for customers is the ability to get product to them quicker, more convenient, and we know that's exactly what they're looking for.

JOURNALIST: Minister King, if I can?

CATHERINE KING: Yes, okay.

JOURNALIST: There’s obviously been ongoing discussions down here with locals concerned about noise and thing like that. Now that it’s, essentially, game on from tonight, will there be any ongoing assessment of anything like that as we now get going?

CATHERINE KING: Yeah. So in fact, the noise amelioration plan for Western Sydney International Airport is really state-of-the-art. We worked very hard to put that in place and, obviously, understand the impacts of noise on the community. But Airservices Australia do continue monitoring in relation to that. We've got going through the Parliament at the moment, a new noise– aircraft noise ombuds scheme and we're trying to get that through, so opportunities to provide for people if they are having issues, but that's part of the sort of overall ecosystem. We always know that, particularly with a new airport, we’re always continuing to talk to the community about its impacts, and with the airport itself.

JOURNALIST: Question for Simon. Simon, you talk about the international benefits, I know there are a number the Kiwi companies you’re in partnership with. Texel Air and Air New Zealand when you get to the passenger side of things. I mean, what kind of trans-Tasman benefits is that going to bring?

SIMON HICKEY: So, the Tasman is one of our busiest routes actually, and it’s a close connection between New Zealand and Australia, really, forever. And so that will continue and that will grow. There's a big community of New Zealanders who live here and, of course, one of the strongest demands in aviation is visiting family and relatives. If you've got a visit that new grandkid, you're getting on the plane and you're coming. So, not only will we see cargo operate across the Tasman going forward, but we will see Air New Zealand are coming on board. Now, within a hundred days of their first flight, just the day after we opened, they’re launching their services. And so we'll continue to see that strengthening across the Tasman, which is right, you know, in this region.

JOURNALIST: Simon, just in terms of new operators, when do you expect Saudia Cargo to start flights here? I mean, September seems to be a date.

SIMON HICKEY: So, we haven't announced that. What we've got is our launch customers, which were announced previously, and particularly for the passengers. Obviously today, we've got Team Global Express are here as well, and so they're a new partner that we haven't announced previously. What we're really celebrating is really the start of Qantas starting here in force, so that's going to have a domestic operation to start with. And so, you know, that's fantastic. All the cargo terminal operators really signed on at a different time and they're working through their fit out, but that’s in the detail. We're talking to airlines and they're talking to airlines around the world, and we'll continue to see that growth going forward.

JOURNALIST: Do you hope for more passenger airlines– airlines flying passengers both with cargo before the opening?

SIMON HICKEY: We are talking to airlines around the world and domestically, obviously, and their– when they might start operations. Everyone is very interested. Having us actually having a start date, having commitments from current– our launch partners has been terrific. We're talking to many airlines around the world and I'm confident that we'll have more announcements going forward. But what we're really focused on is making sure we have a fantastic launch with our launch customers, which is Qantas, Jetstar, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines. I couldn't dream of a better set of launch customers to start airport– greenfield airport.

CATHERINE KING: Thanks, everyone.

JOURNALIST: Minister King, we’re got some questions from my colleagues in Canberra.

CATHERINE KING: Okay. Non-aviation ones?

JOURNALIST: Yes.

CATHERINE KING: Okay, sure.

JOURNALIST: Yeah, these are from my colleagues in Canberra. Does the Prime Minister need to explain his dinner at a luxury mansion hosted by Felix Lee whose father is accused of deceiving the ATO?

CATHERINE KING: Yeah look, the Prime Minister undertakes these sorts of fundraising dinners all the time, they’re par for the course.

JOURNALIST: Given what's alleged about Mr Lee, do the Australians have a right to know more details about what’s transpired.

CATHERINE KING: I think the Prime Minister’s already addressed that question.

JOURNALIST: One on fuel excise. On Sunday the Prime Minister told Insiders that the government will have some more announcements about fuel in coming days and weeks as well. Will the cut for the fuel excise be extended?

CATHERINE KING: Well obviously, the fuel excise changes and the road user changes are coming off at the end of August. Obviously, we continue to watch the circumstances internationally very, very closely. But we continue to have significant supply here in Australia – more fuel now than we’ve had at the start of the conflict in February, which is a huge testament to all of the work the government and the fuel companies have done to see that happen. We’ve also obviously announced that there’s an increase to security of fuel here in Australia through storage. There’s money committed in the budget to do that. And we’ve been talking to, whether it’s airports, whether it’s transport, whether it’s been trucking companies, about what that might look like as we go forward into the future. And I know there’ll be some announcements around that.

JOURNALIST: As a Senior Victorian in Labor, what is your reaction to the leadership moves against Premier Jacinta Allan? Is she the best person to lead Vic Labor to the election in November?

CATHERINE KING: Well, I've worked very closely with Jacinta Allan, both as Infrastructure Minister and as Premier. She is a friend of mine. She holds the neighbouring seat in Bendigo to mine in Ballarat. She’s been a friend of mine for a long period of time. I’ll leave decisions about what the Victorian Parliamentary Party does – that’s a matter for them. But I would say, she’s been someone who’s put in her all, through her entire career, who has been focused on improving the state of Victoria, and she’s always got my support.

JOURNALIST: Last one just on tariffs. The Opposition Leader has urged the PM to call Donald Trump to secure an exemption for Australia in the wake of the new tariffs on Australian exports. Does the PM plan to call Mr Trump?

CATHERINE KING: Well I think, you know, Angus Taylor's Johnny-Come-Lately to these issues, so where’s he been for the last few weeks. You know, seriously, he’s got a few problems on his hands that he needs to deal with. The Prime Minister has been doing an extraordinary job with the way in which we have increased trade and trade relations, and you don’t do that through megaphones. I find that you do that by the steady, hard, purposeful work that governments do to ensure that our trading relationship – relationships in our region that we've had to rebuild, and substantially rebuild when we came into government. And I know the Prime Minister and our Trade Minister Don Farrell, our Foreign Affairs Minister and Defence Minister are working each and every single day to make sure that whatever we do is in the national interest and the interest of the economy. Thank you.