NSW: Second airport should be at Newcastle: Democrats

AAP General News (Australia)
12-13-2000
NSW: Second airport should be at Newcastle: Democrats

SYDNEY, Dec 13 AAP - A second international airport should be located in Newcastle
and linked to Sydney by a very fast train, the Democrats said today.

Democrats transport spokesman Senator Brian Greig said his party was opposed to construction
of any new airport in the Sydney basin and pleased the federal government today shelved
Badgerys Creek.

It will instead look at boosting passenger numbers through Sydney's existing Kingsford
Smith Airport (KSA) and upgrade Sydney's Bankstown Airport to cope with overflow from
Kingsford Smith.

But NSW Democrat MP Arthur Chesterfield-Evans said the government's announcement did
not provide a viable medium to long-term alternative.

"It (Newcastle) already has the capacity to handle Boeing 737s and 160,000 passengers
went through the airport during 1998-99, a 30 per cent increase on the previous year,"

he said.

"It currently operates as a joint military and commercial airport as does Canberra,
Townsville and Darwin and the Democrats cannot see any reason why it can't be augmented
to handle larger planes and greater passenger capacity.

"The feasibility of constructing a VFT link between Newcastle Airport and Sydney is
something the Commonwealth should take into consideration when considering the establishment
of a major airport outside the Sydney basin."

Senator Greig said Canberra was not a reliable overload airport because it was often
fogbound and closed for long periods.

"Given that more than 60 per cent of the population live north of the Harbour Bridge,
if the Central Coast and Newcastle are factored in, the commonsense barometer would have
to swing toward Newcastle," he said.

AAP ij/sb/apm/bwl

KEYWORD: AIRPORT DEMOCRATS

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