A major works contract for the Western Sydney Airport will be awarded in 2019, according to WSA Co, the new government-owned corporation tasked with building Sydney’s long-awaited second airport.
The new WSA Co website reveals that the new airport will be built via a single package of works contract, covering design and construction, expected to be awarded in 2019.
“At a minimum, the main airport works for the Stage 1 development will include: earthworks to move and redistribute 22 million cubic metres of soil on the Badgerys Creek site; a 3.7-kilometre runway, aprons, taxiways and other appropriate aviation facilities; a multi-level terminal with a floor area of up to 90,000 square metres; drainage and utilities; car-parking facilities for around 11,500 cars; and on-site roads,” the website details.
The contract will be awarded after an expected two-stage process comprising an expression of interest from which shortlisted companies will then be issued with a request for proposals.
WSA Co’s formation was announced jointly on August 7 by Minister for Urban of Infrastructure Paul Fletcher and Minister for Finance Mathias Cormann, with the government appointing four directors to the WSA Co board, led by chair Paul O’Sullivan.
“Mr O’Sullivan’s business leadership expertise makes him highly credentialed to lead the company delivering Western Sydney Airport,” the Ministers’ statement reads.
“His deep experience leading an infrastructure business as it established market share against a long established incumbent will be of great value as Western Sydney Airport is planned and constructed before commencing operations by 2026.”
The former Optus chief executive is joined on the WSA Co board by former Qantas chief information officer Fiona Balfour, Ernst & Young veteran Tim Eddy, and civil engineer and aviation infrastructure and airports expert (and current Auckland Airport board member) Christine Spring.
“The board’s early priorities will be to recruit its CEO and senior management and to commence procurement of construction activities,” the statement reads.
“To complement the experience of the directors announced today, the Government expects to appoint further directors in coming months, with a further focus on construction expertise and experience in Western Sydney.”
Creation of WSA Co was flagged in this year’s federal budget, which showed initial funding for the new corporation would be $2.3 million split across the Department of Finance ($1.7 million) and Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development ($600,000) in 2017-18.
But over the next 10 years the government plans to inject up to $5.3 billion in equity into WSA Co to build the new airport.
Just days ahead of the budget the federal the government announced it had opted to go it alone in building Sydney’s long-awaited second airport at Badgerys Creek after Sydney Airport Corporation, which operates Sydney’s Kingsford Smith airport, chose not take up its right of first refusal to build and operate the proposed new airport.
The new airport is expected to begin receiving its first passengers in 2026 and initially will be capable of handling up to 10 million passengers annually.
