Transcript - media conference

CATHERINE KING [MINISTER]: Well, thanks everybody, and good afternoon. I’m Catherine King, the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport. Well, today the Government is releasing the preliminary flight paths for Western Sydney International Airport. We’ve done that at the earliest possible opportunity, alongside a noise tool to try and help residents of the Western Sydney area understand the potential impacts of the flight paths on them – or not.

The flight paths have been designed by an expert advisory committee that’s made up of the Civil Aviation Safety Agency, AirServices Australia, the Department of Defence and, of course, the operator of the airport, the Western Sydney Airport Corporation.

We’ve decided to release these early in advance of the environmental impact statement which will happen later in the year to provide time for residents in that area to really get across the information, understand the impacts and to make sure they have all of that information available to them as they’re going forward into that environmental impact statement process.

The flight paths have been designed with a range of principles in mind that were developed back under the previous Government in 2016, and they include obviously safety as the paramount concern. We need to make sure flights can operate safely out of Western Sydney International Airport. We’ve also done what we can to minimise flights over residential areas and to minimise flights at night over residential areas and noise over residential areas.

I encourage people to have a look at WSI flights to have a look at the noise tool and to make sure that they get the information that’s available on that website as well.

I’m happy to take any questions.

JOURNALIST: Can I just –

CATHERINE KING: Yes, of course. Did you get all of that?

JOURNALIST: Yes, I’m just being fussy.

CATHERINE KING: I’m just checking WSI flights, I’ll just repeat it.

SPEAKER: wsiflightpaths.gov.au.

CATHERINE KING: I’ll just say that bit again.

So I encourage people to get on to wsiflightpaths.gov.au to have a look at the noise tool and to look at the flight paths for Western Sydney International Airport.

Happy to take questions.

JOURNALIST: This is from Nine News Sydney. People in the Luddenham and Greendale area will be most affected. Will there be compensation for them?

CATHERINE KING: Well, the first part is us putting out the flight paths at the moment so that people can look at, and obviously those areas that are closest to the runway are going to be the most affected. Through the environmental impact statement, we then look at the broader issues around noise amelioration around houses and we look at then whether there’s property acquisition that might also be needed as part of the flight paths. We look at the environmental effects, we look at the noise effects, we look at First Nations issues, we look at obviously the Blue Mountains and the world heritage area as well, and those are the issues that are looked at through that environmental impact statement process.

JOURNALIST: Just some questions from ABC News. You’ve said there will be consultation with the community. Realistically how much room is there to make changes to the proposed flight paths?

CATHERINE KING: Okay, well, this is a genuine community consultation. But, of course, there are some constraints. Safety has to be the paramount concern when we’re designing flight paths. But, as I said, we’ve done that in relation to making sure those design principles are minimising the impact over residential areas, minimising the impact certainly of noise at night. And that’s what we’re looking at. But, of course, there are always things that we don’t know. And that’s really what it’s about – having those community consultations. There will be – the people who’ve designed the flight paths will actually be out and about in the community. We’ll be holding community information sessions. We’ll also be holding street stalls and providing opportunities for the community to give feedback about, you know, “We think you haven’t got this quite right. We think you need to do something differently,” understanding – providing the opportunity to the community to understand the technical constraints.

It is a fairly busy area. You have RAAF Base Richmond, you’ve got Camden, you’ve got Bankstown. You’ve also, of course, got Kingsford Smith Airport. So, again, they have had to be taken into consideration when designing the flight paths. But this is a genuine community consultation. There is an opportunity for the community to provide feedback on the design of the flight paths.

JOURNALIST: Will the Government pay to soundproof homes near the airport?

CATHERINE KING: That will certainly be part of the environmental impact statement process, which will occur – we’re expecting September is when that will occur. And things like soundproofing homes are part of that process.

JOURNALIST: Is the Government looking at also acquiring more homes in the area?

CATHERINE KING: That would certainly be part of the environmental impact statement process. The reason I have released these flight paths and the noise tool today is to provide plenty of time for people in the community to actually gather information, understand the impacts on them. On many residents they’ll be relieved to find that there are very limited impacts on them as well. And to find that out and to participate fully in the environmental impact statement process.

JOURNALIST: Some residents and community leaders are calling for a curfew to be put in place. Is that something you’d consider?

CATHERINE KING: No. This airport at Western Sydney International Airport has been designed to be curfew free, and that’s been – the entire development of the airport is based on it being curfew free. The reason we are even talking about having a second airport in Sydney is because of the constraints that are currently there on the curfewed airport at Kingsford Smith.

JOURNALIST: If I’m okay just to ask some questions from Channel 10 now?

CATHERINE KING: I’ll just check. Paul, do you have any questions on the phone?

JOURNALIST: Yeah, just a follow-up on the questions about property purchases and soundproofing. Is there an estimate as to how much money might be set aside to deal with that, presuming that there will be some of that under that EIS process?

CATHERINE KING: Yes, certainly there is money set aside as part of the Western Sydney International Airport development for both of those things. But that will form part of the environmental impact statement process. And I encourage, again, people to get on to Western Sydney International flight paths to really make sure you’ve got as much information as you need to participate fully in that EIS process.

JOURNALIST: And you mentioned September. Is that when you expect that process, that study, to be released? Is that the timing?

CATHERINE KING: That is certainly the expected timing at this stage. We always said that we would try and release the flight paths early so that people had plenty of time to participate fully in that EIS process. That’s what we’re doing today, and it is expected the EIS – the environmental impact statement – will be available around September and that that process will commence from then. That obviously is then before the Environment Minister, not me, in terms of actually making some of those decisions.

JOURNALIST: And is there a dollar figure on how much has been set aside?

CATHERINE KING: No, not at this stage. Funds have been set aside, but that will depend on what comes out through the EIS process about what homes will need to insulate, whether there does need to be any acquisitions at all. You know, this is a greenfield site, so that’s one of the challenges but also the beauty of a greenfield site is that, you know, there are not, you know, dense residential areas in the same way that you have around airports like Kingsford Smith. But, of course, we do expect that there will be homes impacted that we will need to try and assist as best we possibly can.

JOURNALIST: If I’m okay just to ask questions from Ten News?

CATHERINE KING: Yes.

JOURNALIST: With the compensation, are there any guidelines as to which residents will potentially be eligible?

CATHERINE KING: Again, that forms part of the environmental impact statement process that occurs later this year. This process today is really about releasing the flight paths, providing that noise tool so people can fully inform themselves so they can participate in the environmental impact statement process. And if there is need to insulate homes or to purchase homes, that will form part of that process.

JOURNALIST: Are there any other mitigation measures on the radar, so to speak, other than soundproofing?

CATHERINE KING: Well, obviously the way in which the flight paths are designed themselves really have been designed to try and mitigate noise as best we possibly can. The runway is, you know, there. We’ve got the airport itself, including the runway and the terminal is over 50 per cent complete. The airport is to open late in 2026. But the flight paths have been designed to mitigate noise as best we possibly can given the environment that they are working within.

JOURNALIST: Given that this is the first draft, as you said, how much room do you have in these plans given existing airports such as Richmond, Kingsford Smith, Camden et cetera?

CATHERINE KING: Well, obviously all of those factors have had to be taken into account in the design. There is – you know, there are existing airports, existing flight paths already in that airspace, and all of that has had to be taken into consideration in the design. But that is really what the consultation is about – is providing the community with the information that they need to participate in the environmental impact statement but also to make sure that, you know, where there are consequences that the designers may not have been aware of, that the community has got the opportunity to talk directly with the designers of these flight paths to provide them with information that they may not have been aware of.

JOURNALIST: Are you prepared to lose the World Heritage listing for the Blue Mountains for this?

CATHERINE KING: Well, obviously the World Heritage listing of the Blue Mountains is really important, and, again, that has been taken into consideration in relation to the flight paths design and the way in which the flight paths interact with the Blue Mountains. But, again, the World Heritage listing is very important to the Government, very important to the Blue Mountains, and we’ve designed the flight paths with that in mind. But if there are any issues that need to be raised in relation to that, the environmental impact statement process will allow the opportunity for those to be raised. And they’ll be in consideration for the minister making decisions around that.

SPEAKER: Any more questions, Paul, before we go to some local stuff?

JOURNALIST: No, that’s all good for me, thank you very much.

SPEAKER: Thank you.

JOURNALIST: What do you make of the state government’s decision to deliver only locatable infrastructure at the athletes village here in Ballarat?

CATHERINE KING: Well, again, they’re a matter for the Victorian State Government who are the host government for the Commonwealth Games. Obviously we’re keen that there is a legacy left behind like sporting and social infrastructure. And, you know, I’m sure the Victorian state government, particularly in its partnership with the commonwealth over our most recent announcement of $2 billion for social housing, really will be looking at sites across the state to increase the housing supply as much as we possibly can, because we know that without increasing housing supply we’re going to continue to have a really tight rental market, and that really is impacting significantly for people’s cost of living at the moment.

JOURNALIST: In terms of the federal government’s investment into the upcoming Comm Games, when will we start to see that really kind of tailored, targeted funding for this particular event?

CATHERINE KING: Well, you know, the Commonwealth Games are not a games that the Commonwealth has been part of – we’re not part of the delivery of the Commonwealth Games. We’ve had a small ask on the table from the Victorian government, and we continue to be in negotiations in relation to that. And they’re ongoing.

JOURNALIST: Do you anticipate a timeline for that – those negotiations to be completed?

CATHERINE KING: Again, it’s – you know, I think that’s a matter for the Victorian government. We’ve put an offer on the table and we’ll continue to work closely with them in relation to that. But, again, really, this isn’t something normally the Commonwealth would be involved in. We obviously inherited from the previous government a commitment around the Olympics which we’ve honoured and have delivered on and found the money for. In relation to the Commonwealth Games we’ve said very clearly that our interest is in where the Commonwealth’s interests are in relation to the villages and social and affordable housing. We’d certainly be happy to work with the Victorian government on that.

JOURNALIST: As the federal member for Ballarat, what do you want to see come out of the Commonwealth Games? I mean, I know the countdown, we’re under 1,000 days now and it’s fast approaching, what do you want to see?

CATHERINE KING: Well, of course I want to see the fantastic games. I want to see Ballarat put on the map nationally and internationally so that people know what a fabulous place it is to visit, to live. I want to see a boost in our economy. I was just at Creswick just last Friday and you can already see the work that’s underway in relation to the bike riding there. The senior citz there were already saying straight away that they are looking forward to trying to provide their facilities for lunches and for a base for people to come and have a cup of tea and to warm up and actually use that as an economic opportunity. I was talking to one of the businesses there who was saying, you know, “We’re just starting to gear up and think about what it’s going to mean to have so many people in our area.”

I think this is going to be an incredible opportunity for us to really showcase our area and there’s going to be lots of short-term jobs that come out of it and I think lots of long-term interest in our region.

JOURNALIST: Just a quick question on the Western Renewables Link, you’ve said in the past how important it is to get the social licence right. Do you think at the current time and with the current arrangements that’s possible?

CATHERINE KING: Well, I think that the Western Renewables Link has been poorly handled. I’ve said that right the way from the start, you know, from almost I think it’s almost been two and a half to three years since we first became aware of this project. And I think that it is important as we build a renewable future, as we build the new transmission lines to get renewable energy into our grid and to make sure we achieve net zero that we do work with communities about what those impacts are.

I think there are lots of lessons for transmission lines right the way across the country when it comes to the Western Renewable Link, lots of things to say this is not how you might consult with communities. But, of course, we’re now – the regulatory approval was given by the previous government for this project. We’re now in the planning process when it comes to that and we await the outcome of that planning process. I’ll participate in that as the local member for Ballarat to advocate for my community to get the best outcomes we possibly can from that project.

JOURNALIST: Do you think still there’s a future of alternative options, such as going underground?

CATHERINE KING: I don’t think that that has been – you know, certainly in terms of the options that I’ve heard that’s certainly not one that’s being considered currently.

JOURNALIST: Just some questions about roads. Obviously, we’ve had a lot of rain over the last couple of days and bringing back problems we’re all familiar with. What kind of work is going on to improve infrastructure so we don’t have to just keep filling in potholes?

CATHERINE KING: Yeah, well, there is actually a House of Representatives inquiry into this very issue right at the moment – trying to look at, you know, how do you – what are some of the new materials, new technology that you might use to really futureproof and build resilience into our road network. And I’m really looking forward to what that House of Representatives inquiry comes up with. Because there is a lot of technology there. There’s a cooperative research centre on road surfaces. I’ve been down – actually out of Melbourne University I think – to have a look at some of the work that their PhD students are doing on how you actually understand how water interacts with roads differently. So I think there’s lots of work being done, but, really, we’ve got to, you know, build that resilience into our road network.

The investments we make, whether it’s at the federal level, the state level and the local level, all of us want that money to stretch as far as it possibly can. And I think learning, you know, from overseas countries, learning from our researchers will be pretty critical in going forward in terms of making sure we’ve got more resilient roads.

JOURNALIST: Those solutions typically come at an extra cost. Will the Commonwealth be a leader in creating better infrastructure?

CATHERINE KING: The Commonwealth already invests billions of dollars in local roads through financial assistance grants to local councils, through Roads to Recovery, bridges renewal, the Black Spots program and a heavy vehicle program. And that happens to councils right the way across the country. We’ve actually in this last budget topped up by $250 million money that goes directly to councils for local roads. And we’ll continue to invest with local government in ensuring that there’s money available to improve local roads but also making sure that we get the information out to local councils, out to state governments about where that – you know, where the research is, what the best road surfaces are and ensuring that they’re built into the funding agreements that we have with councils and the state government.

JOURNALIST: With the upgrades [indistinct] to Ballarat, you need multiple rounds of reconstruction. Do we need to change what we’re doing currently?

CATHERINE KING: Well, I think the good thing about the portfolio that Murray Watt has in terms of emergency that he has built in is twofold: the first is we’ve now said that councils can actually better – when they’re building back after a disaster they can actually build back better. And that was – you know, under previous arrangements you couldn’t do that. You had to build back exactly the same as you were doing previously. So under the disaster recovery arrangements you can now build roads back to floodproof them.

There’s also $200 million available every single year to build in resilience into our disaster infrastructure. So that provides opportunities for things like weirs, things like making sure that we’ve got bridges that are heightened, those sorts of things, and we’ve had the first round of that announced most recently. And I know there will be lots of councils particularly but lots of state governments wanting to work to really build that resilience into infrastructure. Every time we have a flood, every time we have a disaster we learn something. We learn, you know, how we might better build resilience in. And that’s really what that disaster recovery resilience fund is about.

JOURNALIST: Thank you.