The one-year anniversary of the start of construction on Western Sydney Airport has been overshadowed by a new debate about flight paths.
Airport CEO Graham Millett confirmed the proposed flight path routes would not be unveiled until 2021 or 2022 at the latest.
"But those draft flight paths will be put out for public opinion at that time. The feedback taken will then be incorporated into the final versions of the flight paths, and of course noise is one of the key criteria to be looked at," Mr Millett said.
"We will be taking all measures to minimise the noise impacts on local communities."
While saying the airport will be subject to "stringent noise controls", urban infrastructure minister Alan Tudge also revealed there will be no single merge point for flight arrivals.
"Importantly, we have listened to the community and aircraft arrivals will not converge through a single merge point over any single residential area," he said.
This proved controversial in 2015 when indicative flight paths showed arrivals merging over Blaxland. The government later backtracked on these plans.
Blue Mountains mayor Mark Greenhill said the delay in releasing new flight path details was "both insulting and disrespectful".
"Any political figure who supports this state of affairs, either verbally or by silence, is being contemptuous of my constituents and I cannot accept this," he said.
The mayor said the last time the government released flight paths the "response from Blue Mountains residents was so strong that they were withdrawn and we haven't seen them since".
Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman, said "it beggars belief that the drafters don't have a pretty good idea where flight paths are going to go and I believe the federal government is wrong to deliberately withhold preliminary information from the public".
"In the initial flight path indications from 2015, 100 per cent of incoming flights crossed the Mountains, 24/7," she said.
"People have told me they are holding off buying homes until they get some indication of what and where the impact will be, so the community deserves access to the current information and input into the process all the way through."
But Mr Tudge said "airspace modelling is immensely complex and we are taking the time to get it right. This includes extensive community consultation".
"Western Sydney Airport will be subject to the most stringent noise controls of any airport in the country and night flights will likely be towards the south west, which is the least populated," he said.
The federal government touted the benefits of the new airport on Tuesday (September 24), one year since the first sod was turned at the Badgerys Creek site.
Mr Tudge said the early earthworks phase had provided a better than expected economic boost for the region.
"We have always said that Western Sydney International would be a game changer for the region and provide real economic benefits that flow to locals and we are seeing this take shape," Mr Tudge said.
"One year into construction, $37 million worth of work has been sub-contracted to local businesses to provide services and equipment to build Sydney's new airport."
In addition to contracts with local small businesses, the early earthworks is providing job opportunities for local workers.
Mr Tudge said more than 50 per cent of those employed on the airport are from Western Sydney.
Liberal Senator for Western Sydney, Marise Payne, said that the benefits are set to continue for western Sydney locals as the mammoth task progresses.
"With this milestone, history is being made as construction continues on Sydney's long-awaited second airport," Senator Payne said.
"Major earthworks are set to begin early next year and this means further job opportunities for our western Sydney communities."
Airport CEO Graham Millett had already stated the flights paths would not go out for public comment until the end of 2021 at a Blaxland Chamber of Commerce breakfast in March this year.