Portfolio — 10 August 2026

The Minister used today's three media releases to advance Sydney airspace management, international aviation expansion from Western Sydney, and local road funding. The releases extend the portfolio's place-based infrastructure focus from 7 August, when similar regional connectivity and local road announcements were made. Together the three releases span aviation safety, international route development, and local infrastructure grants across a single day [TA-260810-infras-4e5796b87217] [TA-260810-infras-7a633cf6323b:m00AMR] [TA-260810-infras-c930f44dc7ba:m00AMR].

**Sydney air traffic controller capacity**

The Minister met with the CEO of Airservices Australia and secured a commitment to introduce improved rostering for Sydney's air traffic controllers from early September. A new Sydney Tower simulator has been installed to expand training capacity, with 95 controllers expected to be endorsed by year-end [TA-260810-infras-4e5796b87217].

**International aviation expansion**

The Minister announced that Vietjet will commence twice-weekly flights from Western Sydney International Airport to Ho Chi Minh City in January 2027, increasing to three weekly in March, with four-weekly services to Bangkok to follow. The NSW Government's Take-Off Fund supports the routes [TA-260810-infras-7a633cf6323b:m00AMR]. The Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Thistlethwaite, praised the services as strengthening the Australia-Vietnam partnership, connecting the announcement to the foreign affairs portfolio [TA-260810-infras-7a633cf6323b:m00AMR].

**Local roads funding**

The Minister highlighted a $750,000 Roads to Recovery grant for three North Melbourne projects. She noted that the Commonwealth has doubled funding for the Roads to Recovery and Black Spot programs and added $200 million annually for the Safer Local Roads and Infrastructure Program [TA-260810-infras-c930f44dc7ba:m00AMR].