Blue Mountains Council has reaffirmed its opposition to Badgerys Creek airport, boycotting an information day in Springwood last Thursday conducted by consultants for the federal government.
Mayor Mark Greenhill said the council had consistently opposed the billion-dollar development over fears the flight path would threaten the quality of life of Mountains residents, particularly those below Warrimoo.
Clr Greenhill said the council did not want to be seen endorsing the event, admitting "I understand no councillors attended ... they privately decided not to go".
"I personally boycotted because I didn't want my attendance to lend it any credibility."
Blue Mountains councillors have consistently opposed the second airport.
"This council I believe on three occasions [condemned the airport] and on each occasion it was an 11 - 1 decision [Clr Brendan Christie the dissenting voice].
"I can't believe we're even having a discussion about it ahead of an EIS [Environmental Impact Statement]. I can't believe the government approved it, even before we know the impact of an EIS. We haven't done an EIS and we don't know the flight path, it seems crazy," the mayor said.
The council is also investigating Aboriginal heritage in the area and has reaffirmed concerns of the Aboriginal Advisory Committee regarding the potential impacts on Aboriginal cultural heritage of the proposed airport.
Blue Mountains Greens visited the Hub to examine the documents, calling on the federal government to compare the impacts and benefits of an airport with a high-speed rail hub at Badgerys Creek.
"A second airport in Sydney basin is bad development," said Greens spokesman for the Lower Mountains, Joel MacRae.
"We are being out-classed by Japan, China and Indonesia, all of whom realise that bullet trains are not pie-in-the-sky but a fast, comfortable and safe alternative to the old way of doing things.
"The state and federal governments are presenting this airport as done and dusted. It is not. Today, we have visited a room full of consultants and exhibits with sweeping statements about passenger numbers and jobs, but no Airport Plan or Environmental Impact Statement."
A spokesman for the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development said that community consultation will occur later this year following an announcement on the draft EIS.
"It is anticipated that a western Sydney airport would be operational by the mid-2020s and would service both international and domestic aircraft," the spokesman said.
"The plan is for a modest airport at first - in the first few years ... similar to the Gold Coast airport in terms of passenger numbers (around 5 million, with terminal capacity for 10 million) and growing to a similar size to Adelaide Airport after five years of operation."
An Adelaide Airport spokesman told the Gazette their airport employs 17,759 full-timers in retail, manufacturing and indirectly in businesses like exports, freight and warehousing. It contributes 2 billion to the gross state product.
