Blue Mountains News

Mayor Greenhill said: “While council gets no say in what amounts to commercial discussions between the State Government and a private operator, it is clear that there are widespread concerns about how any form of commercialisation may impact residents’ quality of life, the visitor experience of the Blue Mountains as well as the local environment.

“Council will be submitting to the State Government that the airfield should not be commercialised.

“That said, we think it should be open to emergency services and emergency circumstances, as it has been for years.

“However, commercialisation is not consistent with the world heritage Blue Mountains, in my view.

“I don’t want to see the very thing that makes us special, that wilderness experience, contradicted in any way.

“This is why we have opposed Western Sydney Airport, raising the dam wall and flooding the Blue Mountains area as well as the proponents of higher density development.

“Each day when I travel to Sydney I see the effects of commercialisation.

“The Blue Mountains are the lungs of Sydney. We are a World Heritage Area and that means we need to maintain the highest standards of protection.

“People come to live here to get away from Sydney and I am happy to keep the busy nature of Sydney out.

“On that basis, and after listening to the community, I don’t think the proposal is appropriate.”