Fed: Costello says airport decision was best outcome

AAP General News (Australia)
12-13-2000
Fed: Costello says airport decision was best outcome

CANBERRA, Dec 13 AAP - Cabinet made the best possible decision on the future of Sydney
airport after closely examining every option, Treasurer Peter Costello said today.

Cabinet has shelved plans for the second airport at Badgerys Creek, but will look at
boosting passenger numbers through Sydney's existing Kingsford Smith Airport (KSA).

At the same time, Sydney's Bankstown Airport would be upgraded as an overflow from
Kingsford Smith.

Mr Costello said the airport issue had consumed an enormous amount of cabinet's time,
and all options were closely examined.

"It's something that's been debated for 25 or 30 years," Mr Costello told reporters.

"This took an enormous amount of time.

"Everything was gone into. Every option was considered, from Holsworthy, to Kurnell,
to Canberra, to very fast trains, to eastern seaboard tracks.

"After looking at all of those things cabinet concluded that revitalising KSA, providing
for overflow into Bankstown, was the best solution.

"In politics, you take the best option that's available.

"Sometimes you'd like even better options.

"Let's suppose there was a huge slab of vacant land in the middle of Sydney, which
nobody had built on and there were no suburbs, that would be a better option.

"But after 200 years of urbanisation, that certainly doesn't exist in the city of Sydney."

AAP jg/daw/cjh/bwl

KEYWORD: AIRPORT COSTELLO

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