Mrs Crosio asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 9 June 1999:

(1) Has a permanently sited information centre been established to dispense news and information on the proposed second Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek to concerned local residents; if so, where; if not, (a) why not and (b) will an information centre be established.

(2) If an information centre is not to be established, why not.

(3) If an information centre will be established, (a) when will it be established and (b) will it also dispense information in languages other than English.

(4) Was an information centre opened to dispense news and information for concerned local citizens when the Howard Government resurrected the Holsworthy area as a possible site for Sydney's second airport development; if so, (a) where was it located and (b) when was it closed.

Mr Anderson (Deputy Prime Minister) —The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

(1) At this time, there is no dedicated information centre in the Sydney area, which dispenses news and information on the second Sydney airport proposal at Badgerys Creek. However, copies of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) have been provided to a range of government agencies, councils, libraries, community groups and other organisations as a means of helping to inform the community on the proposal. A summary of the Final EIS has also been sent to the approximately 11,000 authors who made written submissions on the Draft EIS.

(a) The existing arrangements for informing the community on the proposed airport development are considered appropriate until such time as the Government considers the outcome of the EIS process and makes a decision on the proposal.

(b) The possible establishment of a permanent information centre will be considered in the light of any Government decision to proceed with the development of the second Sydney airport.

(2) See answers to 1(a) and 1(b).

(3) (a) See answer to 1(b).

(b) Consideration will be given to the information needs of people from non-English speaking backgrounds in any decision to establish a new information centre.

(4) The Second Sydney Airport Community Access Centre was established to dispense information on the second Sydney airport options being considered for both the Holsworthy and Badgerys Creek sites.

(a) The Access Centre was located at 43 Moore Street, Liverpool.

(b) The Access Centre was closed at the end of September 1997.

Following the release of the Draft EIS in December 1997, a mobile access centre was introduced which was considered to be a more flexible means of reaching the widely distributed sections of the community in western Sydney. The mobile access centre operated until the end of the public exhibition period for the Draft EIS.