With all the rhetoric about agility and innovation the reality is that Australian governments at all levels, left, right, local, state and federal are a shameful embarrassment. It’s an interesting exercise to contrast and compare the building of the new 2.87 kilometre, 747 capable international airport at Wellcamp (Family dream finally takes wing, Weekend Australia 26/11) in 19 months by private enterprise and the inertia and torpor of government enterprise with respect to Badgerys Creek. Similarly there’s an even greater contrast between the 19 month build at Wellcamp and the upgrade of just 300 metres of an ordinary 2 lane stretch of road in the Sydney suburb of Warriewood. This upgrade according to on site signage is scheduled to take 12 months. Nineteen months for an entire 747 capable airport complete with aprons and twelves months for 300 metres of suburban road. How can this be?
To quote Ronald Reagan, “Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.
A touch of private enterprise …
“..Work has still not started on Badgerys Creek airport, which was first proposed in 1969. Yet Sydney needs a second gateway urgently, to complement Mascot, which has an 11pm to 6am curfew. In contrast, the Brisbane West Wellcamp Airport, near Toowoomba, took 19 months for the Wagner family to build. It can handle aircraft the size of Boeing 747s. As reported on Saturday, passenger and freight traffic is growing, vindicating the Wagners’ vision.
Local Labor politicians are going cold on Badgerys Creek. But the Turnbull government, true to its “jobs and growth’’ mantra, must kick start the process and ensure red tape and local politicians do not stymie it after 47 years. The Wagners have shown what can be achieved in 19 months..” Family’s Blue Sky Dreams Take Wing