A new year on the horizon - and a new government in Canberra. Unfortunately all the old problems will still be around when the fireworks herald in the new year at midnight.
One of those problems will be the question of Sydney airport ! The previous government successfully stone walled on a solution - hoping that quieter aircraft engines at some future date would resolve the issue.
Kevin Rudd gives the appearance of a leader who will not duck unpopular decisions. Badgerys Creek is no longer an option, nor is any other site in the greater Sydney basin. A second airport for Sydney will need a sweep of a broader brush - and this may be seen as an opportunity.
If a second airport eventuates there will be a major problem with the allocation of flights landing there. All the airlines want to land at Kingsford-Smith right in the heart of Australia's largest city.
Obviously freight will be quarantined to the new airport - but there would be a tendency to favour Australian owned airlines at the old facility and shunt overseas carriers to the out of town site.
Maybe this is the time to " think big ".
An ideal airport site exists near Goulburn. Just suppose the government located the new airport there - and delivered passengers to Sydney by a very fast train. The technology exists. Japan has it's " Bullet trains ", the French have the GTV and an experimental Maglev line in China is proving successful.
Now just suppose the government thought even bigger - and extended that very fast train line from Goulburn to Canberra - and on to Melbourne ! Later, a link to Brisbane would not be out of the question.
It would cost money - a huge amount of money ! But just suppose the government thought really big - established the new airport - and then closed Kingsford-Smith. Can you imagine what that huge acreage, right in the city would command as a site for housing and industry?
It would be a solution that should please nearly everyone. Sydney residents would be spared aircraft noise. All the airlines would be delivering to one airport to service Sydney - and Australia would have a transport system that would be the envy of the world
New years eve is a time for making resolutions. Perhaps this is one for Kevin to ponder !
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