Labor pushes second Sydney Airport plan

March 23, 2004

Labor pushes second Sydney Airport plan
ABC Online, Australia

The Federal Opposition says it will push ahead with a
second airport for Sydney in the southern highlands if
elected later this year.

Opposition's Transport spokesman Martin Ferguson says
the Federal Government's approval of a proposed master
plan for Sydney Airport will not cater for an expected
tripling of air traffic over the next 20 years.

"Sydney is congested, we have to take pressure off
Sydney airport ... and also the growth of Sydney
generally," he said.

"We're the only party that is prepared to be honest
about this, everyone knows the Howard Government is
misleading Sydney about the need for a second airport
for electoral purposes."

Acting New South Wales Premier Andrew Refshauge has
labelled the Federal Government's proposal
"outrageous".

The proposal will allow passenger movements to triple
over the next 20 years, and the Federal Transport
Minister John Anderson says it proves there is no need
to build an expensive second airport in a location
that is not suitable.

But Dr Refshauge says a second airport site needs to
be found to service Sydney.

He says the master plan is completely unacceptable.

"The final decision by the Federal Government is a
very bad decision," he said.

"It trashes the lives of people who are living under
the flight path and does it not just for a couple of
days ... but for the full time into the future. 

"The only way to stop this is to vote for Mark Latham
at the next Federal election."


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