{"id":2948,"date":"2026-05-01T13:48:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T13:48:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/2948\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T13:48:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T13:48:18","slug":"minns-hits-the-brakes-as-new-airport-takes-off-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/2948\/","title":{"rendered":"Minns hits the brakes as new airport takes off"},"content":{"rendered":"

Standing in the sandstone \u00adarrivals hall of the new \u00adWestern Sydney International Airport, Premier Chris Minns was dared to dream \u2013 but there was no new vision for more infrastructure in sight.<\/p>\n

Speaking at The Daily Telegraph\u2019s Future Western Sydney event<\/a>, the Premier, who has been under pressure this week over warnings the state\u2019s infrastructure pipeline will fall off a cliff within the decade, built a case for not overspending to correct the problem. <\/p>\n

Mr Minns \u2013 who will have the political win of opening the airport and the Powerhouse Parramatta in this term of government \u2013 explained he had no plans to announce further mega-infrastructure projects, save for a possible surprise in the lead-up to the 2027 election. <\/p>\n

He cautioned the government could not spend beyond its means, suggesting \u201cwell-meaning\u201d but \u201cnaive\u201d \u00adinfrastructure projects could get the state \u201cinto serious trouble\u201d.<\/p>\n

When asked for his vision for the future of Western Sydney, the Premier did not mention a single new project.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to inject a note of reality or caution when it comes to spending,\u201d he \u00adoffered instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to be somewhat wary of undoubtedly well-meaning but sometimes naive promises made about new projects without identifying how they\u2019ll be built and how they\u2019ll be paid for.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Premier said that while he did not have \u201cblanket \u00adopposition to new builds\u201d nor intended to end the infrastructure pipeline, his first consideration would always be the budget bottom line.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat it means is that when a new infrastructure idea is \u00adadvocated, the question on everybody\u2019s lips should be: \u2018Look, it sounds great, but tell me how we\u2019re going to pay for it\u2019,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not being a killjoy or a party pooper when you ask these fundamental questions \u2013 it\u2019s essential in ensuring that infrastructure is sustainable and that there is a long-term plan for deliverable projects.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re entitled to keep a few tricks up our sleeve for the election campaign, and we\u2019re gonna have an exciting agenda for Western Sydney, particularly around infrastructure.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I want to go into that election with the promise to the people of NSW that if we say we\u2019re going to do it, we will do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Telegraph\u2019s \u00adFuture Western Sydney \u00adsummit brought together leaders including Mr Minns and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to discuss the future for the west.<\/p>\n

Twelve years before Friday\u2019s event, The Telegraph\u2019s Fair Go For The West campaign had launched the argument for the $5.3bn airport that will open later this year.<\/p>\n

The Daily Telegraph editor Ben English said that when the campaign began, the airport was a paddock and people thought the idea of a second Sydney airport was \u201cdead and buried\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis majestic structure is testament to the power of \u00addebate and persuasion,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDreams can come true. Ambitions can be realised. Obstacles can be overcome. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt is vital at this point, with so much about to happen, that private, corporate and government sectors do not allow such generational momentum to flag.\u201d <\/p>\n

In a landmark address at the summit, Mr Albanese said it was now clear that the nation\u2019s economic and social centre of gravity had shifted to Sydney\u2019s western suburbs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe opening of Western Sydney International is nothing less than an ambitious and timely reimagining of Sydney. A city that no longer has its focus locked on the CBD and harbour but is increasingly looking here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mr \u00adAlbanese failed to spell out his vision for the growing region but promised the upcoming May budget would be his \u201cmost ambitious\u201d yet<\/a>, with plenty for Western Sydney and a focus on cost-of-living relief for families.<\/p>\n

Mr Albanese also said the speculation that he was about to make changes to the capital gains tax discount and negative gearing in the upcoming budget was \u201cwrong\u201d and that he would not be curbing the aspiration of mum and dad housing investors.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know there\u2019s been a bit of speculation, all of it wrong,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen people see what we\u2019re actually going to do in the budget, people will be able to make their own assessments but I can assure you it is aimed firmly and squarely at aspiration.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also speaking at the event, federal opposition leader Angus Taylor warned the current government was \u201csquandering\u201d the growth that would undoubtedly come with the opening of the Western \u00adSydney airport by failing to \u00adinvest in new transport infrastructure. <\/p>\n

Mr Taylor said it was crucial that transport links such as new metro lines be extended to connect the major Western Sydney hubs of Penrith, Liverpool and Campbelltown to the new airport and the rest of the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cSadly, a lot of that slowed down and we\u2019ve lost a lot of that initial momentum we had. We have to get it back. It\u2019s so crucial,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m watching this get squandered in front of our eyes. I don\u2019t think the rezoning is happening fast enough \u2026 we don\u2019t even know if it\u2019s going to be Metro or heavy rail.\u201d<\/p>\n

Business Western Sydney executive director David Borger said the city was not ready for the massive changes that were about to happen to the west when the new international airport opened.<\/p>\n

He said one of the biggest \u00adissues the west needed to \u00adsurmount was the need for hotel rooms for the influx of people the airport would bring.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople don\u2019t realise how big this opportunity of this airport, of the aerotropolis, actually is,\u201d Mr Borger said.<\/p>\n

The Daily Telegraph\u2019s Future Western Sydney series is supported by Western Sydney International Airport, Powerhouse Parramatta, ClubsNSW, Coronation Property, Transurban, Walker Corporation and Western Sydney University.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Standing in the sandstone \u00adarrivals hall of the new \u00adWestern Sydney International Airport, Premier Chris Minns was dared…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2891,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[468,4012,483,3995,23,133,2038,4011,3989,4001,3998,3994,4007,4030,1933,4032,4009,3993,3999,4019,4025,4018,3986,4027,4017,3997,3985,4028,3987,4026,4010,4006,4004,4015,4024,4020,3996,3990,4000,4014,355,120,4031,4016,4002,4023,4005,247,4022,3992,3336,4013,3988,4003,2481,4021,4029,4008,3991],"class_list":{"0":"post-2948","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sydney","8":"tag-angus-taylor","9":"tag-anna-caldwell","10":"tag-anthony-albanese","11":"tag-arrivals-hall","12":"tag-australia","13":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","14":"tag-capital-gains-tax","15":"tag-cost-of-living-relief","16":"tag-crucial-transport-links","17":"tag-david-borger","18":"tag-deliverable-projects","19":"tag-editor-ben-english","20":"tag-election-campaign","21":"tag-exciting-agenda","22":"tag-executive-director","23":"tag-federal-opposition-leader","24":"tag-fundamental-questions","25":"tag-generational-momentum","26":"tag-government-sectors","27":"tag-growing-region","28":"tag-heavy-rail","29":"tag-hotel-rooms","30":"tag-infrastructure-announcements","31":"tag-infrastructure-idea","32":"tag-infrastructure-pipeline","33":"tag-infrastructure-projects","34":"tag-initial-momentum","35":"tag-international-airport","36":"tag-jennifer-westacott","37":"tag-landmark-address","38":"tag-leader-angus-taylor","39":"tag-long-term-plan","40":"tag-madeleine-bower","41":"tag-majestic-structure","42":"tag-massive-changes","43":"tag-matthew-benns-harrison-finlay","44":"tag-mega-infrastructure-projects","45":"tag-metro-lines","46":"tag-michael-miller","47":"tag-naive-promises","48":"tag-new-south-wales","49":"tag-oceania","50":"tag-opposition-leader-angus","51":"tag-political-win","52":"tag-premier-cautions","53":"tag-prue-car","54":"tag-social-centre","55":"tag-sydney","56":"tag-sydney-university","57":"tag-telegraph-editor","58":"tag-the-premier","59":"tag-transport-infrastructure","60":"tag-transport-links","61":"tag-walker-corporation-ltd","62":"tag-western-suburbs","63":"tag-western-sydney-series","64":"tag-western-sydney-summit","65":"tag-western-sydney-university","66":"tag-westpremier-chris-minns"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2948"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2948\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}