Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman, has welcomed significant changes made to the Western Sydney International Airport’s (WSI) proposed night-time flight paths, saying the revisions will be an enormous relief for many Blue Mountains residents.

Ms Templeman said the changes to the Reciprocal Runway Operations (RRO) will see up to 80 per cent of night-time flights leaving the Western Sydney Airport diverted away from the residential areas in the Blue Mountains, resulting in a substantial reduction in noise households will experience during the night.

“The proposed changes mean that jet aircraft following the RRO flight path will no longer cross the Great Western Highway at Linden. They will fly further west, south of Katoomba, before they turn north.” Ms Templeman said.

The changes have been released for consultation by the Federal Infrastructure and Transport department in response to submissions received to the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the preliminary flight paths for WSI.

“Of all the feedback I’ve had from residents, the overwhelming worry was the lack of nighttime protections,” Ms Templeman said.

“This was particularly the case for residents of Linden, Faulconbridge and the mid-Mountains, because of the point chosen by the flightpath designers to cross over the Great Western Highway.

“I have said right from the beginning that I would be a tireless advocate for our community and encouraged residents to strongly express their views through the EIS process.

“I’d like to thank residents who heeded the call and took part in the EIS. If you attended a meeting, filled out my survey, or made a formal submission about this issue, it has made a difference.

“The changes announced to the RRO flight paths, which will operate 80 per cent of the time when the airport opens, are a direct result of that consultation process and our concerns being heard.

“Since Labor formed government in May 2022, I’ve kept this issue on the agenda and have continued to raise it at every opportunity.”

Ms Templeman says this amendment to night-time operations, that see the majority of nighttime flights avoiding the Blue Mountains, is a stark difference to the 24/7 flight paths with a single merge point over Blaxland that shocked residents in 2015.

In light of these changes, Ms Templeman says the Department of Infrastructure will be undertaking additional consultation with residents.

“It can’t be overstated how significant these changes are. The revision is substantial enough to warrant the Department to engage in further consultation and, as always, I encourage residents to provide feedback to the Department and to me, via email or take part in the upcoming meetings.”

“While this is a win, there are many more issues that I believe need to be addressed, and I will continue to express my concerns about the impact of daytime flights and other nighttime modes of operation over my electorate and argue for additional protections for people and our environment.”

ENDS