I must state at the outset I am no expert on airlines but having read
a few items on the need for a second airport in Sydney and some figures
on passenger traffic, I just wonder if the politicians really know what
they are doing.

http://tinyurl.com/n5zyduz

It seems that many routes in and out of Sydney are not meeting their
expected increased levels or are stagnating.
Perhaps by the time they get the bulldozers out it may become obvious
that a 2nd airport is not a goer.

I notice that Macquarie has said it is not needed and that Mascot
can cope OK, but they would say that wouldn't they ?
I have no strong opinion either way, except that by the time it is
finished it may not be needed anyway, or alternatively they could
close Kingsford Smith and just use Badgeries Creek.
How would blocks of units built out on the runways into Botany Bay
sell ? Hi !

We have been talking of the need for a second airport in Sydney since the early 1970,s.
And Bagerys creek as the likely site.
Not in my back yard the NIMBYs want it but not near them, but it is needed if not right now, all too soon.
Right now is my view but we, constantly put off action and that could cost a great deal more in time to come

Belly,

I agree that we need the second airport, and that this has simply taken too long.

Talked about for decades, Vic doesn't have that problem, there was one already prepared when the air force moved north. I thought Howard was going to fix that problem.

Infrastructure should, & is planned many, many years in advance & so it should be. Not only that it should be in place well before that infrastructure is needed. At present the system seems to be that you wait until their is an overload then fight about it for a political advantage.

Airlines use jet fuel processed from oil. The global stock of oil is running out despite the desperate attempts by industry to augment the supply by such dubious means as fracking. Australia has already used up most of the Bass Strait oil and is having to compete with other countries as the Middle East wells decline. What would the second airport do for business as the airlines disappear and their aging aircraft park in the Arizona desert?

Denisaf, I suspect it will be at least 15 years before they will be
parking them in the desert.
The oil companies such as Shell have increased their explore and
develop spending by around 50% a year yet have not increased their reserves.
The latest info suggested that the major fracking fields will start
decline later this year, provided no increase in interest rates, and
if oil traders realise what is happening there will be an increase in price.
That will be immediately reflected in air fares.
During the next few years air fares will keep increasing together with a decrease in passenger numbers.

Eventually the Joe & Jane Blow holiday traveller will disappear and
air traffic will be business & government travellers.
At that time the possibility, if Badgeries Creek is near completed,
of closing Kingsford Smith and using Badgeries Creek only as it will be big enough.
The land at Mascot would be very valuable for commuters wishing to live near work.

Now you will hear bleating that all this is ridiculous but unfortunately it is the consequence of the governments own studies
that they just do not want to talk about.
It is really just simple arithmetic that anyone can do.
Our oil production has fallen so low that our refineries are being
closed and we will be importing 100% of our petrol & diesel.

I really can't understand why a government would spend such a large
amount of money without asking if the fuel will be there to run the airlines at the forecast level.
I can only put it down to not wishing to panic the public before the
next election or gross incompetence.

Enough good Oil around Longreach. They've known it's there since 1944. Enough to meet Australia's need for hundreds of years.

Infrastructure needs to be built before it's needed not after.

Oh yes Jayb and why have they all not rushed up there ?
Instead they have been drilling $billions of dry wells everywhere else.
Do you really think they are that stupid ?
All major oil companies have been selling less oil each year.

In what form is the available oil ?