Western Sydney can become the country’s most advanced fresh food precinct, creating 12,000 jobs once the Badgerys Creek airport is constructed. 

A report prepared for the NSW Farmers’ Association, by KPMG, to be released today at the Sydney Business Chamber, Western Sydney’s airport conference, Creating Australia’s Best Airport City, outlines how a fresh food precinct in the region will provide the community with access to locally grown produce and create thousands of jobs for the region. 

David Borger, Director of the Sydney Business Chamber, Western Sydney, said, “One of the great new ideas to come out of this conference is the potential for Australia’s largest fresh food precinct, which will supercharge agricultural exports using the Western Sydney Airport as the nation’s most effective gateway.

“The precinct will combine large scale intensive agricultural production adjacent to the airport with new specialised export facilities and integrated inspections and customs services. 

“We need to create jobs where people live and this is a perfect example of the massive job injection that the new Western Sydney Airport can attract to the region. 

“A new fresh food precinct in Western Sydney will not only assist in shifting the jobs deficit in the region but will ensure food manufacturing activities in Western Sydney remain dynamic. 

“This precinct will bring with it considerable economic benefits  and will provide farmers in regional NSW access to high value lucrative markets in Asia and the Middle East, securing Western Sydney’s title as the ‘supermarket’ of Asia,” he said.

Mr Borger said today’s conference would see world-leading airport design experts and senior government and industry leaders share their knowledge and highlight the opportunities and global experience of industry co-locating within the aerotropolis. 

“We want to drive private sector investment in the high-tech and agriculture industries, as well as education and tourism industries, to establish themselves within the area and compete globally,” he said. 

NSW Farmers’ CEO Matt Brand said a fresh food precinct would be a win-win for the city and the country.

“It isn’t very often one piece of infrastructure can provide economic benefits for people in the city and the bush, but the Western Sydney Airport could do just that,” he said.

Liverpool City Council will also today release its report, conducted by PwC, which outlines the opportunities the city can capitalise on with the arrival of the Western Sydney Airport. 

Liverpool Council Mayor Wendy Waller said the report recognised that Liverpool was key to a successful aerotropolis between the airport and the Liverpool CBD.

“Liverpool is well-placed to meet growing demand in defence and aerospace, advanced food manufacturing, medical technologies, logistics and tourism,” Cr Waller said. 

Additionally, Airbnb will launch its Western Sydney Guidebook at the conference today. 

Airbnb Head of Public Policy Brett Thomas said the guidebook was about getting people to head west.

“The days of cookie-cutter, mass-junk food tourism are well and truly numbered. People want authentic and unique experiences. They want to feel like a local when they travel. 

“We want to show the close to 1 million Airbnb guests who come to NSW the hidden gems of the real Sydney and importantly, this Australian-first guidebook is a prime example of how Airbnb is spreading the benefits of the tourism boom to the places that have traditionally missed out, like Western Sydney,” Mr Thomas said. 

Federal Minister for Urban Infrastructure Paul Fletcher said the Turnbull Government’s $5.3 billion commitment to deliver Western Sydney Airport would bring profound benefits to the region and beyond.

“Western Sydney Airport is going to transform Western Sydney, attracting new businesses and industries to the region and creating tens of thousands of jobs,” Mr Fletcher said.

“This project has been talked about for decades but the Turnbull Government is getting on with the job of delivering it,” he said.