Mr Murphy asked the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, upon notice, on 19 February 2004:

(1) Did he describe the Wilton site as a distant site in his Media Release A2/2004 dated 13 January 2004 concerning a second Sydney airport.

(2) Does the 1985 Department of Aviation Second Sydney Airport Site Selection Programme define Darkes Forest, Somersby, Warnervale and Wilton all as mid-distance sites.

(3) Does that report describe Goulburn as the only outlying site in the 10 site-selection process.

(4) For the purposes of a potential site for a second Sydney airport, (a) what is the definition of the term `outlying site', and (b) why has he classified Wilton as an outlying site and not a mid-distance site in his Media Release of 13 January 2004.

Mr Anderson (Minister for Transport and Regional Services) —The answer to the honourable member's question is as follows:

(1) Yes.

(2) The 1985 Department of Aviation Second Sydney Airport Site Selection Programme grouped ten potential airport sites according to their geographical location in relation to Sydney.

Closer sites: Badgerys Creek, Bringelly, Holsworthy, Scheyville and Londonderry.

Mid-distance sites: Darkes Forest, Somersby, Warnervale and Wilton.

Outlying site: Goulburn.

(3) See answer (2) above.

(4) (a) As per answer (2) above, the term “outlying site” is a relative descriptor and has no standard definition. (b) The media release of 13 January 2004 did not describe Wilton as an “outlying site” but referred to it as “distant”, which is not inconsistent with the terminology in answer (2) above.