The “three bogans” – mayors of Blue Mountains, Blacktown and Fairfield councils – are joining forces to fight Badgerys Creek airport.
Blue Mountains mayor, Mark Greenhill, told a packed council meeting on Tuesday night that they had to think of alternative uses for the site to stop the airport going ahead.
Cr Greenhill said when he contacted Fairfield mayor Frank Carbone and his Blacktown counterpart Stephen Bali to enlist their help in finding other ways to generate jobs in the region, “they didn’t hesitate”.
“This alliance is not a discussion group, it’s about stopping this airport being built.”
He added WSROC – the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils “won’t be invited to join” the anti-airport alliance, noting its support of the airport.
“Three bogan mayors will speak for western Sydney and WSROC doesn’t,” he said.
“We will look at what proposals can create jobs in western Sydney without an airport.
“I would say we need to do something about that site [otherwise] this thing will keep coming back. While ever that site lies unattended, it’s a threat to our environment and our way of life and this group of mayors can talk about that, too.”
Cr Bali said he supported the alliance and was happy to formalise it.
"Frank, myself and Mark have been pretty much on the same page from the beginning,” Cr Bali said.
“All of us have major concerns in how Badgerys Creek is being promoted and presented to the public. We’re all for transparency – and calm – and we want to make sure what’s promised is actually being delivered.”
While the Fairfield mayor did not oppose the alliance, he was more reserved about it.
“We’re having a chat but we haven’t had the first meeting about how we go forward,” Cr Carbone said.
“I’m not against the airports, I understand there are benefits to it, but we need to make sure [our] residents aren’t impacted.”
He said he was also “sympathetic” to the residents living next to the site and under the flight paths.
Cr Greenhill said council will also be writing to UNESCO, which has said it is “monitoring” developments at Badgerys Creek.
“Monitoring is soft and not enough. That same organisation shelved our proposal for [world heritage] listing in 1999 because of an airport threat. They are a big voice and they need to engage.”
Cr Greenhill told the meeting that Blue Mountains residents had been misled – about noise, environmental impacts, impacts on flora and fauna, on the economy, on Mountains towns and villages.
“But we’re all together on this and whenever we stand together we have got them frightened. They are listening but we need them to listen more.”
He was applauded when he reiterated council’s position: “This council opposes any airport at Badgerys Creek. We always have and we always will.”
With Kevin Nguyen
