E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
ABC NEWS BREAKFAST
27 JUNE 2023

SUBJECTS: PROPOSED FLIGHT PATHS FOR WESTERN SYDNEY AIRPORT

MICHAEL ROWLAND: Now, if you live in Western Sydney, you may want to stop what you're doing and play close attention for a second. Long awaited flight paths for the new multi billion-dollar Badgerys Creek airport have just been made public this morning. Susan Templeman is one of the local MPs in Western Sydney, representing the seat of Macquarie. She joins us from Penrith in Sydney. Good morning to you.

SUSAN TEMPLEMAN MP: Thanks, Michael.

ROWLAND: Just a cursory look at the online tool here this morning shows many people in your seat will be affected by these flight paths?

TEMPLEMAN: We always knew the Blue Mountains would have planes flying over it from Western Sydney Airport. I think as people wake up this morning to see the tool, are like me, they're going to be shocked and upset. And they're going so see that the reality of what was the consequence of Tony Abbott declaring Badgerys Creek would be the new airport for Western Sydney. So it isn't good news. I'm really urging people to take a look because we will need to work together as a community to advocate strongly on the things that are impacting us, to see what changes we can get.

ROWLAND: It is a pretty pristine part of Sydney, one of the great pristine parts of Australia Susan, as you’d well know. Planes flying over the Blue Mountains is the last thing, clearing as you’re saying, people, tourists would want.

TEMPLEMAN: This is World Heritage. This is not just unique in Australia. This is a World Heritage area which is particularly quiet. So, we know that getting information about the noise impacts is really key and one of the things I pushed for, for the last 12 months, is to make sure that we got genuine information that we could use as part of the consultation around the flight paths. What we have is this noise tool that shows you not just the flight path but the quantity that are expected, by 2033, and the noise levels they’ll be at. It's really key that people take a look. I'm very - I have always been very concerned - we've been very vocal on this - myself, the local Blue Mountains  mayor, we've already met this morning with the Minister's office, expressing our  concerns about it. And we will continue to do that. And be guided by our community as to the sorts of things they can see that may alleviate some of this impact.

ROWLAND: You're clearly angry and it's fair to say, a lot of your constituents would be angry as well. But Susan Templeman, realistically, what prospects are there of changing flight paths as part of the consultation period?

TEMPLEMAN: I don't know and that's what we have to work through. And that’s why it’s really key for people to look at what the worst effects are, we need to identify those, and then we need look to see the things are that we can do. I'm very concerned about the impact on the World Heritage. You can see - I'm fighting a cold this morning - I suspect as the day goes on and I talk about this - I'm going to have less and less voice to do  it. But I can tell you, I will be fighting for my community all the way through to when flight paths are finalised.

ROWLAND: We'll let you rest that voice. Thanks for coming on this morning.

TEMPLEMAN: Thank you.