THE NSW government must start building a second Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek after Melbourne announced plans to develop Avalon airport, the NSW Business Chamber says.
Victoria on Monday moved a step closer to opening a second international airport with the signing of a new deal giving the Philippines the rights for the first international flights into Avalon Airport, about 55km southwest of Melbourne's CBD.
"I don't believe that Sydneysiders want to see Australia's global city eclipsed by Melbourne but that is exactly what we are going to get if we don't end the standoff and get on with the job of developing the Badgerys Creek site into a major Airport for western Sydney," NSW Business Chamber CEO Stephen Cartwright said.
"The people of Melbourne and in particular those located around Avalon Airport understand the important role airports play in creating jobs and supporting new enterprises.
"We have to develop the same appreciation for this type of infrastructure if Sydney is to succeed in the Asian Century."
Around Sydney, there are four potential sites - each favoured by different levels of government, business groups and unions.
The federal government is due to hand down a 3200 page report in the coming weeks, examining Wilton, northwest of Wollongong, and Richmond, north of Penrith, as potential sites.
The business chamber and Unions NSW both say Badgerys Creek, about 55 kilometres southwest of the CBD, is the best choice.
However, NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell wants the second airport built at Canberra with a high speed rail link between the nation's capital and Sydney.
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