Western Sydney Airport to create more jobs than previously estimated

A passenger plane flies over a barbed wire fence as it approaches Sydney airport February 23, 2010. Reuters/Tim Wimborne

New modelling from Ernst and Young has revealed that Western Sydney Airport has the capacity to create thousands of jobs, more than previously estimated. The airport is expected to deliver an estimated 28,000 additional jobs inside and in the surrounding areas by 2031.

By 2031, the airport is expected to generate more than 5,000 jobs in manufacturing, almost 3,000 jobs in warehousing and transport, 2,500 retail jobs and 1,650 jobs in accommodation services. That is five years after the airport is slated to open. The number of jobs that will be generated is expected to rise to 47,000 by 2041.

These new occupations are in addition to the 11,000 construction jobs during the time the airport is being built. The first of these jobs will be on the ground within months, according to a media release published at pm.gov.au.

Each direct job in building the Western Sydney Airport will support another 2.5 jobs down the supply chain. This includes tasks such as delivering building materials.

Earlier this year, the Liverpool Council conducted a research finding solid support for Western Sydney Airport. WSA Co, in its effort to maximise local gains, will reportedly set employment targets for local workers, indigenous Australians, apprentices, trainees and other key groups.

Meanwhile, the new National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is bringing jobs to Western Sydney, the location for its head office. In a joint media release, Minister for Social Services Christian Porter and Assistant Minister for Social and Disability Services and Disability Services Jane Prentice said the main office would be established next year.

It will create up to 150 jobs. “So, not only is the NDIS ensuring we are doing the best we can for people with disability, their families and carers, it is also driving the creation of a new service market and, as a consequence, significant numbers of new jobs in the disability sector will benefit communities in western Sydney,” Porter said.

Prentice stated it was appropriate to announce that western Sydney will host the headquarters of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. She added New South Wales is set to be one of the first states to reach full scheme in July 2018. “The Commission’s headquarters in western Sydney will house up to 150 staff, who will be supported by approximately 150 more staff across the country, ensuring the rights and protections of local participants are upheld,” she added.