Western Sydney Airport 08 10 2024

Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (IATA: WSI, ICAO: YSWS) - also known as Sydney West Airport, Western Sydney Airport or Badgerys Creek Airport - is an international airport currently under construction within the suburbs of Luddenham/Badgerys Creek, New South Wales, Australia and a key part of the purpose-built Western Sydney Aerotropolis Plan (WSAP).
The site was officially designated by the Federal Government on 15 April 2014, after decades of debate on the location of another airport within Greater Sydney. The airport is planned to have 24-hour and curfew-free operations and will supplement Kingsford Smith Airport, which has reached capacity due to a legislated curfew and flight caps.
The first stage of construction on the new airport began on 24 September 2018, and the first stage is expected to be complete and open by January 2026.
The Federal Government announced in February 1986 that Badgerys Creek had been chosen as the location for a second major airport for Sydney. The Federal Government then undertook a series of land acquisitions for the site, primarily during the period 1986 to 1991, and spent approximately A$170 million. The resulting site totalled 1,780 hectares (4,400 acres).
However, following the purchase, the decision was made by the Government that construction of a third runway at Sydney Airport was more appropriate, and all work on the site was halted. The runway, which was built on reclaimed land, was opened in 1994.
Despite the expansion, concerns remained that Kingsford Smith Airport would run out of capacity by 2030, especially since the introduction of strict night flying restrictions in 1995. Planning for a second airport thus began again in earnest in 2008. A 3,200-page joined Federal/NSW study released in 2012 concluded that Badgerys Creek was "clearly the best site for a much-needed second airport for Sydney" and recommended that planning should start. On 15 April 2014, the Federal Government announced that Badgerys Creek would be the site of the Second Sydney Airport. In September 2018, construction works began at the Badgerys Creek Airport site.
music:
(Audiio)- UNALASKA-FULLCIRLE-SUNRISE
TRAVIS-EVERAFTER-OFDIRTANDDUST
MUNS-HOME-SOMETHING NEW

[@tacitdionysus3220]

That was great to watch (and listen to). It gave a notion of what people will see from inside the terminal, with the Blue Mountains stretching from far south to far north on the near horizon. Business Park station well under way with some more car parks emerging down near the Business Park end, and the cargo facility under construction at the southern end.
The airport lighting seems to be operational (drove past one night when it was being tested and apparently set to high intensity (and it certainly was bright !). No sign yet of the Airport Rescue and Firefighting Station, except for the big concrete pad west of the runway.
Haven't seen any sign yet of the precision approach aids as yet; but they are sensitive bits of kit so will probably wait until other work has been completed in their vicinity.
The ground component for the radio-based Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) consists of glide slope antennae (providing vertical guidance signals aligned to beginning of each runway) offset just to the west of each runway threshold, and localiser antennae (providing horizontal guidance aligned with the runway direction) which will probably look a bit like a set of hurdles in amongst the approach lighting a bit out from each runway threshold.
There will also be a GBAS (Ground Based Augmentation System). This consists of a few antennae spread around the airport which receive GPS signals, detect and measure any inaccuracies (e.g. due to some atmospheric conditions) and transmit a correcting signal to the GPS systems in approaching aircraft (GPS alone is not considered accurate enough for precision approaches to runways). They don't look special, just a small circle on the ground with a single vertical antenna).
Not sure if separate or supplementary radar will be installed, given since the 2000 Olympics a system has been operating not far away next to the M7 / M12 intersection. I've lost touch with radar system characteristics, but it might be only for en-route radar, and need supplementation with terminal and ground movement radars at the airport itself.

[@Ram8as]

Testing should begin soon can't wait....they should be starting to build the Metro Station enclosures by now. While they install the platforms underneath.