Have your say on amendments to the Airports (Control of On-Airport Activities) Regulations 1997 to include liquor licensing and commercial trading at Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI).
Why we want your input
Your feedback will help the Australian Government to decide whether the draft rules for liquor licensing and commercial trading at WSI meet community expectations.How you can voice your opinion
Please read the fact sheet and exposure draft regulations and upload your submission by using the "Have your Say" button below, or email your response to wsa.regulatorypolicy@infrastructure.gov.au.What will be the outcome of this consultation?
Your submission will help inform the Australian Government’s regulation of liquor licensing and commercial trading at WSI, when it opens by late 2026.The Issue
We are changing the rules for on-airport activities at federally-leased airports in New South Wales to establish a regulatory framework for liquor licensing and retail trading for WSI.
WSI will open by late 2026 as a curfew-free airport, operating every day of the year.
The Airports (Control of On-Airport Activities) Regulations 1997 govern certain activities at Australian Government-owned airports, including liquor licensing, gambling, parking and smoking.
These regulations are going to be replaced in 2026 – but not in time for WSI to make plans for businesses at the airport to be ready for the airport opening.
The new rules will do two things:
- Include WSI in the rules about liquor licensing at leased Federal airports in New South Wales
- Enable retail trade at WSI to occur 365 days a year (including public holidays)
Relevant documentation
Outcome
This consultation on draft amendments to the Airports (Control of On-Airport Activities) Regulations 1997 is closed.
The amendment regulations have now been finalised.
The amendments are available on the Federal Register of Legislation: Airports (Control of On-Airport Activities) Amendment (Sydney West Airport) Regulations 2025 - Federal Register of Legislation
If you would like a copy of the submissions made in response to this consultation, please email wsa.regulatorypolicy@infrastructure.gov.au to request these.
Participate
27 Jun 2025 09:00 AEST
27 Jul 2025 23:59 AEST
Closed
This consultation is closed.
Privacy Collection Notice
Airports Amendment Regulations for Western Sydney Airport
Your submission, including any personal information supplied, is being collected by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sports and the Arts (“the Department”) in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988.
Use
The Department may use your submission to inform consideration of issues relating to the proposed amendmentsandto inform explanatory material for the proposed amendments.
Disclosure
The Department may publish your submission as explained below. Otherwise your submission will not be disclosed unless authorised or required by law.
Contacting You
The Department may use your contact information to make further contact with you about your submission and the consultation process.
Publication
Unless marked confidential (see below) submissions (including the author’s name) may be published in part or full on the Department’s website or in any public response by the Department. When publishing, the Department will redact any personal contact details of the author.
Confidentiality
Confidential submissions will not be published and will only be disclosed in the following circumstances:
- in response to a request by a Commonwealth Minister;
- where required by a House or a Committee of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia;
- where necessary in the public interest; or
- where authorised or required by law.
Submissions will only be treated as confidential if they are expressly stated to be confidential. Automatically generated confidentiality statements or disclaimers appended to an email do not suffice for this purpose. If you wish you make a confidential submission, you must indicate this by ensuring your submission is clearly marked confidential. Even if a submission is not marked confidential, the Department may choose not to publish it, or any part of it, in the Department’s discretion (for example where it includes personal information or opinions about a third party).
Access
The Department will securely store your personal information and the Department’s privacy policy contains information regarding complaint handling processes and how to access and/or seek correction of personal information held by the Department. Further information is available at Privacy | Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.