Richmond - Sydney's second airport?

[Patrick Moore]

Originally Posted by NickN

Planning and infrastructure has always been poor in NSW, especially Sydney.

Look at the M5 and M2 motorways. Who in gods name builds a 2-lane motorway to serve the entire west and south-west in the nations largest city by population?

When they built those motorways, not a single thought was given to what would be required 10 or 20 years on. Now we have the M5 which is a car park every day of the week and the M2 which isn't much better.

I remember hearing from a source a year or 2 ago that it is purposely done like that so developers will always be getting their money from the government for infrastructure.

[Grahame Hutchison]

Andrew, The land at Duffy's Forest may well be a golf course now, but it's amazing what a bulldozer and some bitumen can do. Only some minor changes required to make it into a great GA airport. There is already onsite accommodation (new Hangers), and dams for fire fighting services. They could move the clubhouse to the west a few metres to make a first class terminal facility. A high speed rail link from Palm Beach to the city via the airport, would bring the Northern Beaches out of the public transport dark ages.

Presenting Sydney's 4th Airport - "Duffy's Forest" (or "Hoxton Park North")

[Chris Griffiths]

Grahame,
You would have to change your location details to read...

Location: Sydney's Northern Beaches - Not too Far From YSDF

Cheers

[Grahame Hutchison]

I like the sound of YSDF Chris.

[Adam J]

Thats some quality work there Graham.

As a fellow Northern Beaches resident I would be happy, but remember the debacle of our new hospital just down the road.

Graham we just have to be content to live in "Gods Country" and accept we have no transport, no infrastructure but at least the pollies leave us alone.

Tounge firmly in cheek but I'd love to see this proposal put up can you imagine the melt down from our local councillors. Send it off to the Manly Daily it would be a classic.

[D Chan]

Originally Posted by Dave Powell

Because it costs more, and by developing only the minimum possible capacity it shifts the fiscal problem onto some future Government.

more likely because the politicians only care about their next election and not about 10-20 yrs into the future.

Building airports on top of water is a very costly exercise. There are potential issues of 'sinking' as well.

[Russell D]

Wow i like the way you did that Grahame. But I'm still a little confused. "YSDF" would be great for GA similar to YSBK, but how would that help YSSY to better cope?

I thought the search for a second airport was more along the lines of finding space to create a domestic airport so that Sydney could be perhaps primarily International.

[Grahame Hutchison]

Russell, this is the cunning foot in the door strategy. The above was Plan A only, once established Plan B is for the Parallel Runways 16/34 be extended to handle domestic traffic. This location would service Sydney's north and the central Coast, and the high speed rail link would be extended north to Wyong.

[Russell D]

Ahh ok cheers Grahame. I thought you were implying that but i wasnt 100% sure, so just wanted to check. Yeah cause when I checkout out "YSDF" on GoogleEarth, i noticed the 16/34 runways could be extended in future. Also, you might be able to get 03/21 out to 800ish metres by extending it westwards.

[Gerard M]

Doesn't look like the Govt is giving anything away about Richmond as yet.

Badgerys Creek is no longer an option.

At this time the Government will not be speculating about any other particular locations
or sites for additional aviation capacity which will be in or out of the aviation strategic plan.
These locations will be developed as part of the work overseen by the Steering Committee and
undertaken by Australian Government and NSW officials.

For those interested, here is a link to the PDF. P.192 refers discusses the issue of a second airport