Western Sydney Airport line planning and compliance

Planning and compliance

The Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport project received planning approval from both the Australian and NSW Governments in 2021.

The project is subject to three principal statutory schemes that govern the planning and assessment process for the project:

• the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW) (EP&A Act) - applies to works located on State land outside the boundary of Western Sydney International (off-airport)
• the Airports Act 1996 (Cth) (Airports Act) - applies to works located within the boundary of Western Sydney International (on-airport)
• the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act)
• for works located north of Western Sydney International (off-airport), assessment and approval is required under Part 8 and 9 of the EPBC Act to address impacts on listed threatened species and communities and Commonwealth land
• for the lands located south of Western Sydney International (off-airport), impacts on matters of national environmental significance (MNES) and Commonwealth land have already been assessed and approved under a strategic assessment in accordance with Part 10 of the EPBC Act.

The project is classified as Critical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI) under Part 5 division 5.2 (formally Part 5.1) of the EP&A Act. On 23 July 2021 the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces approved the carrying out of the CSSI 10051 Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport Project.

On 3 June 2021 the Minister for the Environment approved EPBC 2020/8687.

An EPBC Act Final Environmental Impact Assessment of on-airport proposed action (EPBC 2019/8541) and an updated Biodiversity Development Assessment Report were approved by the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) and formed part of the conditions of the Airport Plan which was lodged with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications (DITRDC) and approved by the Commonwealth Environment Minister.

On 15 September 2021 the Minister for Infrastructure approved the Airport Plan which included the variation to Airport Plan to account for the SM – WSA Rail Development.

Sydney Metro — Western Sydney Airport — State planning approvals

The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment has assessed the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and has granted approval for the project of a metro railway line around 23 kilometres in length between St Marys in the north and the Aerotropolis Core precinct in the south.

This EIS was on public exhibition and submissions received from stakeholders and the community were considered in the assessment of the project.

The Environmental Impact Statement was on public exhibition between 21 October and 2 December 2020.

A Submissions Report has been prepared to address submissions received from the community and stakeholders through the NSW planning process.  The Australian Government off-airport approvals were received in July 2021.

The Infrastructure approval of CSSI 10051 is a conditional approval which requires the development and approval of further documentation prior to commencement and during construction of the project.

A Staging Report has been prepared and approved by the Minister in accordance with the requirements of the Conditions of Approval (CoA) A10 to A16 and to inform CoA C2, C3, C7-9 and C17-19 of the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport (SMWSA) planning approval (SSI 10051).

Updates will be made as required, particularly following any changes to the delivery strategy and any modifications to the planning approval. Where the Staging Report is amended it will be provided to the Planning Secretary for information.

In accordance with Condition E30, the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management Plan included in the documents listed in Condition A1 has been updated and submitted to the Planning Secretary for information prior to works in areas identified for further test excavations.

In accordance with Condition E35, the Unexpected Heritage Finds and Human Remains Procedure has been prepared by a suitably qualified and experienced heritage specialist in consultation with the Heritage Council of NSW (with respect to non-Aboriginal cultural heritage) and in relation to Aboriginal cultural heritage, in accordance with the Code of Practice for Archaeological Investigation of Aboriginal Objects in New South Wales (DECCW 2010) and submitted to the Planning Secretary for information no later than one (1) month before the commencement of construction.

Statutory schemes

The Project comprises components that are located outside Western Sydney International (off-airport) and components that are located within Western Sydney International (on-airport). These two project components are delineated throughout the Environmental Impact Statement to align with the different planning approval pathways applicable to the on and off-airport components.

There are three principal statutory schemes that govern the planning and assessment process for the Project:

• NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) applies to works located outside the boundary of Western Sydney International (off-airport)
• Commonwealth Airports Act 1996 (Airports Act) applies to works located within the boundary of Western Sydney International (on-airport)
• Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act):
  • For works located north of Western Sydney International (off-airport), assessment and approval is required under Parts 8 and 9 of the EPBC Act to address impacts on listed threatened species and communities and Commonwealth land.
  • For works located south of Western Sydney International (off-airport), impacts on matters of national environmental significance and Commonwealth land have already been assessed and approved under a strategic assessment in accordance with Part 10 of the EPBC Act.

Compliance documentation

Sydney Metro’s compliance with planning approvals is typically produced in the form of management plans, impact statements, monitoring reports and specialist consultant reports.

Some of these documents required under the Ministers Conditions of Approval include:

• Sydney Metro — Western Sydney Airport Staging Report
• Sydney Metro — Western Sydney Airport Overarching Community Communications Strategy
• Sydney Metro — Western Sydney Airport Construction Noise and Vibration Strategy
• Sydney Metro — Western Sydney Airport Out-of-hours Protocol

All other Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport compliance documentation is accessible from the Document Library and project contractors websites:

• Station Boxes and Tunnels (SBT): CPB Contractors Ghella Joint Venture was awarded the tunnelling contract to deliver 9.8 kilometres of twin metro rail tunnels in two sections.
• Surface and Civil Alignment Works (SCAW): CPB Contractors and United Infrastructure was awarded the contract to deliver about 10.6 kilometres of surface and civil alignment works.
• Stations, Systems, Trains, Operations and Maintenance (SSTOM): Parklife Metro was awarded the contract to deliver six new stations between St Marys and the new Aerotropolis, 12 new metro trains, core rail systems and the stabling and maintenance facility to be built at Orchard Hills. Parklife Metro will also operate and maintain the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport line for 15 years after it becomes operational.  
• AEW – Footbridge St Marys (FSM): Laing O’Rourke was awarded the contract for the pedestrian footbridge between the new St Marys metro station, Harris Street car park and existing Sydney Trains platforms at St Marys.
• AEW – Site Project Office (SPO): Built was awarded the contract to deliver a dedicated site project office based in Harris Street, St Marys.

• AEW- Water package: Quickway was awarded the contract for the water extension works for the Stabling and Maintenance Facility (SMF).