The west is backing a second airport for Sydney - The Australian

Stunning ... sunrise over Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport control tower / Pic: John Grainger Source: The Daily Telegraph

WESTERN Sydney's peak body of councils has reversed a tough no-airport stance it has maintained for 30 years and is set to throw its weight behind a second airport at Badgerys Creek.

The move comes after a Daily Telegraph-Galaxy poll found 76 per cent of people in NSW want a second airport, with the two most popular sites either Newcastle/the Central Coast or Badgerys.

Yesterday, federal Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese said he believed there should be both a western Sydney airport and increased aviation capacity at Newcastle and the Central Coast.However, Premier Barry O'Farrell continued to oppose a second airport.

But the biggest surprise was from the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils, whose fresh leadership has embraced a Daily Telegraph campaign for the transport hub and plans to conduct the largest community attitude survey in its history on whether there is support for a second airport in the west. "Our councils recognise the immense economic value and potential infrastructure growth that a second airport at Badgerys Creek will bring to the region," WSROC president Tony Hadchiti said.

"And although in the past there has been significant community opposition to the site, we suspect that attitudes have shifted significantly during the past 20 years."

It's a stark change in opinion to last year, when WSROC labelled a revived Badgerys plan as "disastrous". Mr Hadchiti will take the bold move to approve a major community consultation program to the new board's first meeting on February 21.

The Telegraph understands at least seven of the 10 western member councils are willing to change their position on the airport.

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Holroyd mayor Ross Grove said he was "open to the debate", adding: "Western Sydney needs local jobs to break out of the crippling commute."

Mr Albanese said: "What we'll see in coming decades is a massive expansion of aviation activity. So Newcastle and the Central Coast do need additional capacity, that's identified there. But Sydney also needs a second airport."A spokesman for Mr O'Farrell and Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian continue to oppose a second airport, saying the government's position was "well known".

Opposition Leader John Robertson accused Mr O'Farrell of being in "complete and utter denial over this issue".

The federal Opposition's transport spokesman Warren Truss said the Coalition had "no plans" to build a second airport at Badgerys Creek: "The Sydney Airport Corporation believes it has sufficient capacity for several decades to come, the feasibility of which can be assessed once we have seen their plan."