NEW WESTERN SYDNEY AIRPORT AT BADGERYS CREEK, NSW Name of

NEW WESTERN SYDNEY AIRPORT AT BADGERYS CREEK, NSW
Name of Student
Institution Affiliation
NEW WESTERN SYDNEY AIRPORT AT BADGERYS CREEK, NSW

Table of Contents
Executive summary.........................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Western Sydney Airport location....................................................................................................3
Aims and objectives.........................................................................................................................4
The biophysical attributes of the New Western Sydney airport......................................................5
Climate.............................................................................................................................................5
Vegetation........................................................................................................................................5
Degradation issues related to the development of New Western Sydney airport............................5
Air quality........................................................................................................................................5
Water quality...................................................................................................................................6
Vegetation degradation...................................................................................................................7
Human health...................................................................................................................................7
Fuel damping...................................................................................................................................7
Strategies to mitigate or reduce the degradation caused by development of New Western Sydney
airport...............................................................................................................................................8
Control water quality degradation..................................................................................................8
Control of air quality degradation..................................................................................................8
Minimizing the biodiversity degradation.........................................................................................9
Limiting the health effects on the proposed Western Sydney Airport............................................10
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................11
References.....................................................................................................................................11
List of figures

Fig 1: proposed Airport outline...................................................................................................................4
Fig 2: Proposed Western Sydney Airport site location................................................................................5
Fig 3: Dust control through sprinkling.......................................................................................................10
Fig 4: An illustration of cut and fill technique............................................................................................13

Executive summary
The Western Sydney Airport will offer a direct connection to the rest of the word, hence allowing
many opportunities for the residents and to the local communities. It is expected that the
development will attract investments in western Sydney, which will range from logistics and
manufacturing to education, hospitality and other professional services. The airport will enable
the business to have a faster and appropriate access to the foreign markets. A wide range of
mitigation practices can be adopted to mitigate the impact the proposed Western Sydney Airport
will have on the biodiversity. The threatened species found in Badgerys Creek will be relocated,
if possible. The best way of reducing and controlling the degradation of water quality is by
understanding the potential effect of the airport’s construction and operations. By understanding
these risks.
Introduction
The new Western Sydney Airport which is to be located in Badgerys Creek is a major
infrastructure project which will cater for the growing demand for air travel, specifically in
the rapidly expending western Sydney area. The airport is expected to offer arrange of
economic and social benefits to the business, individuals and the entire community through
the city of Sydney (Garcia, 2016).Phase 1 of the new airport will comprise of a single runway
and the associated facilities , which will be catering for approximately 10 million passengers
annually. It has been decided that a strict set of 40 environmental conditions, which addresses
environmental issues across the biodiversity, heritage and noise, must be adopted for phase 1
of the proposed airport to proceed. This is a detailed set of conditions that were set by the
commonwealth regarding to the development of airports in any country

The suggested conditions were arrived at after an in-depth assessment of the environment impact
assessment and the draft of the proposed airport plan. Also the condition were agreed after a site
meeting with the leaders from the locality was carried out to get issues that were affecting them
directly.
Fig 1: proposed Airport outline
Western Sydney Airport location
The selection of the site for Western Sydney Airport involved evaluating 80 sites in the greater
Sydney region. After the evaluation was done, it was agreed that Badgerys Creek was the ideal
site for the proposed airport. The site is 1780ha of land which is double the size of the existing
Kingsford Smith Airport, the selected site offers proximity to the railway and road transport
links. The site has also been protected from the incompatible urban development by the long
standing planning restrictions. Hence the site allows Sydney to have a curfew-free airport that
will add a lot of value to the economy of the region. The figure below shows the site location.

Fig 2: Proposed Western Sydney Airport site location
Aims and objectives
The aims and objectives of this report are:
1. To outline the biophysical attributes of New Western Sydney airport
2. To describe the energy flows encountered in your ecosystems and ecological successions
3. To find the degradation issues related to the development of New Western Sydney airport
4. To discuss the process that have led or may lead to the degradation
5. To propose the strategies to mitigate or reduce the degradation caused by development of
New Western Sydney airport

The biophysical attributes of the New Western Sydney airport
Climate
The climate of Western Sydney Airport is humid subtropical, which shifts from mild to cool in
winter to the warm and hot climate in the summer. There is no extreme seasonal differences
because the weather in Western Sydney is moderated by its proximity to the ocean. Even
though more contrasting the temperatures are recorded in the inland western suburbs. Regardless
of absence of the wet or dry seasons, in this location rainfall peaks in the first half of the
year and is at its lowest the second half (Glasson, 2017). Precipitation varies across the entire
region, the areas which are adjacent to the cost being the wettest. Site receives an average of 20
thunderstorms annually.
Vegetation
The greater extent of the site at Badgerys Creek consist of the introduced grassland and the
cleared land with smaller areas of the grassy and forest woodland. The condition of the
native vegetation at Badgerys Creek is generally moderate to poor, there some valuable
biodiversity that will either be preserved on the site or they will be protected as the offsets in
the western Sydney area (Press, 2012). The construction of the proposed airport in at Badgerys
Creek will need the removal of roughly 1200ha of the vegetation. Approximately 30% of the
vegetation to be cleared is native vexation.

Degradation issues related to the development of New Western Sydney airport
Air quality
One of the most important consideration as far as the Western Sydney Airport is concerned is
ensuring that the quality of the air is maintained. The project must meet the minimum standards
as set out in the Airports Environmental protection regulation 1997 (Piller, 2014).
The quality of air will be polluted during by the proposed Western Sydney airport in the
following ways:
During construction dust will be produced by the construction machineries which will lead to
direct pollution of air within the construction site and in the neighboring communities.
Asphalt work will be a source of unpliant odor which will also contribute the pollution of the air
within the surrounding.
Water quality
Maintaining good water quality is very important to the health of the surrounding community
and the environment in general. The quality of water will be affected by the Western Sydney
Airport in the following ways:
During the construction phase of the Airport the soil that will be eroded from the site will be
carried to the water sources in the neighboring surrounds water sources and hence causing
excess turbidity which will harm aquatic life, make water less useful and harmful for animal
consumption and finally it will increase the water-treatment costs (Aviation, 2011).

The sediments that will be carried from the airport construction site will clog the ditches, streams
water reservoirs, channel and water intakes. This will lead to overall destruction of the aquatic
habitats (Mahayni, 2015).
The quality of water will also be lowered by the construction runoffs and drainage. During the
site clearing, site runoffs and drainages will remain to be the main sources of potential quality
effect. The site drainage and runoffs may contain increased loads of the suspended solids and
contaminants .The likely sources of pollution from the site drainage will include the runoffs
and the soil from the exposed surfaces , stockpiles and the earth working areas. Release of
cement and grouting materials with rain wash , wash water from the dust suppression sprays
and the lubricants and fuels from the construction vehicles and mechanical equipment
(Therivel, 2013).
Vegetation degradation
During the site clearing a lot of vegetation will be cleared to pave way for the construction of the
runway and other ground handling facilities. It is approximated that the implementation of the
project in at Badgerys Creek will need the removal of roughly 1200ha of the vegetation.
Approximately 30% of the vegetation to be cleared is native vexation.
Human health
There are many health issues related with the proposed airport. For instance the pollution of
water due to the construction drainage and runoff will have a direct impact on the human health
since there is a high possibility of people suffering from water borne diseases. Air pollution
from dust and asphalt work will lead air borne diseases and at the same time it can lead to
respiration related complications (wilker, 2015).

Fuel damping
The need to damp the fuel is very rare to occur. It occurs under special occasions such as in an
emergency. The fuel damped from the vehicles and other mechanical equipment on site will have
a direct impact on the quality of air and water.
Strategies to mitigate or reduce the degradation caused by development of New Western
Sydney airport
Control water quality degradation
The best way of reducing and controlling the degradation of water quality is by understanding
the potential effect of the airport’s construction and operations. By understanding these risks.
Best modern technologies and best design practices can be applied to reduce the chances of
contamination and its effects. The risks from the water quality which will be directing from the
construction of the airport is low and it is unlikely to affect the community in any way.
It was noted from the past health risk assessment that have been carried our around the site that
the water quality is already degraded due to the current land use activities that are carried out
around the airport. Throughout the construction process and during the airport operations , there
should be monitoring of the ground and surface water, to ensure the effectiveness of the
implemented mitigation measures (Glasson, 2017).
Control of air quality degradation
It is very essential to ensure that the quality of air is not compromised by the implementation of the
proposed Western Sydney Airport project.

Ensuring air quality is maintained is an important consideration throughout the Western Sydney
Airport project. During the construction there is a possibility that some dust will be generated.
The dust will be suppressed by use of water sprays and the vegetation once completed. At the
same time there will be some odour that will produced by the asphalt, but this will be mostly
contained within the airport site.
Once the project is completed, it will incorporate best practices to ensure that the quality of the
air within the Airport and the neighboring surroundings meets the required standards. Some of
the practices that will be adopted include; clean-energy ground support vehicles and the
installation of the pre-conditioned air supply to minimize the burning of fuel by aircrafts
when they are stationed at the gates (Press, 2012).
Fig 3: Dust control through sprinkling

Minimizing the biodiversity degradation
A wide range of mitigation practices can be adopted to mitigate the impact the proposed Western
Sydney Airport will have on the biodiversity. The threatened species found in Badgerys Creek
will be relocated, if possible. The design team of the airport will come up with ways on how
minimize the bat and birds strikes and the environmental conservation area along Badgerys
Creek will also be urbanized to preserve the riparian corridors areas and the other physical
features within the surrounding.
Limiting the health effects on the proposed Western Sydney Airport
There are many health issues related with the proposed airport. For instance the pollution of
water due to the construction drainage and runoff will have a direct impact on the human health
since there is a high possibility of people suffering from water borne diseases. This can be
controlled through adoption of modern technologies and best design practices can be applied to
reduce the chances of contamination and its effects. Air pollution from dust and asphalt work
will lead air borne diseases and at the same time it can lead to respiration related complications.
This can be controlled use of water sprays and the vegetation once completed. At the same time
there will be some odour that will produced by the asphalt, but this will be mostly contained
within the airport site (Glasson, 2017). Once the Western Sydney Airport will be completed, it
will incorporate best practices to ensure that the quality of the air within the Airport and the
neighboring surroundings meets the required standards.

Reducing the construction impacts
Good planning will greatly minimize the construction impacts that will be likely to occurring
during the construction of the Western Sydney Airport. The construction activities are to take
place in three phases which include;
Site preparation works which will include the securing of the construction impact zone,
establishing the construction facilities and site services, undertaking major earthworks and
clearing of vegetation.
Construction of aviation infrastructure will include the construction of the taxiways, air traffic
control, maintenance facilities, and road networks within the site, runways and the cargo
handling facilities
Site commissioning events at the conclusion of the aviation infrastructure works which will
involve the testing and the commission of all the facilities and the infrastructure in readiness
for the full operations of the airport.
Earthworks
The development of the Western Sydney airport need essential earthmoving works. All the site
needs to be levelled. In order to this, earth removed from the higher areas of the site will be
used to fill the lower area a technique which is referred to as cut and fill .This means that the
earthwork will need very little transportation out of the airport site, this will greatly reduce
the impact on the surrounding communities (Glasson, 2017).
The earthwork activities will be carried out in phases whereby the 1st stage of development
about 22 million cubic meters of earth will be leveled and redistributed across the entire
site.

Fig 4: An illustration of cut and fill technique
Conclusion
In conclusion, the site for the development of Western Sydney airport will be in Badgerys
Creek. The proposed airport project will cater for the growing demand for air travel,
specifically in the rapidly expending western Sydney area. The airport is expected to offer
arrange of economic and social benefits to the business, individuals and the entire community.
At the same time the development will come with its impacts on the environment and the
communities such as; Air pollution which will lead to air borne disease and other respiratory
complications, water pollution, biodiversity degradation and noise pollution. A wide range of
measures can be put in place to control the effects that will be caused by the development of
the airport. Modern technologies and best design practices can be applied to reduce the chances
of contamination and its effects
References

Aviation, A. D. (2011). Civil Aviation. Sydnay: Routledge.
Garcia, M. i. (2016). Environmental & Economic Impact on Sustainable Development.
Sydnay: WIT Press.
Glasson, J. (2017). Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment: Principles and
Procedures, Process, Practice, and Prospects. Chicago: Psychology Press.
Mahayni, R. (2015). Commonwealth Government Directory. London: Australian Government
Publishing Service.
Piller, A. (2014). Transforming Distressed Global Communities: Making Inclusive, Safe,
Resilient, and Sustainable Cities. Lomdon: Routledge.
Press, P. (2012). The Consulting Engineers . Perth: Andrew Chadwick.
Therivel, R. (2013). Sydney Into Its Third Century: Metropolitan Strategy for the Sydney
Region. Auckland: Department of Planning,.
wilker, M. (2015). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard): House of Representatives. Chicago:
Printed and published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia.