Prime Minister Tony Abbott's secret meetings about Badgerys Creek airport Secret meetings about Badgerys Creek ... PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has held secret briefings with western Sydney Liberal MPs to confirm the government's intention to proceed with a second airport at Badgerys Creek. In the strongest signal yet that the go-ahead for Badgerys Creek after 30 years was imminent, the PM has begun conducting private briefings for all Liberal MPs that may be affected by the project They are believed to include member for Macarthur Russell Mathieson and newly elected MPs Craig Laundy, the member for Reid and Fiona Scott who won the seat of Lindsay at the last election. Mr Matheson and Ms Scott have both been vocal opponents of a second airport at Badgerys Creek, which was first proposed by the Keating Government but then rejected by the Howard Government because of a political backlash in the west. A spokesman for the PM last night said Mr Abbott would not comment on private conversations with colleagues. But it is believed Mr Abbott had told concerned MPs, as a courtesy, about where the Government was headed in terms of its plans for the second airport. The Daily Telegraph revealed earlier this week that Mr Abbott and senior Cabinet colleagues had settled on Badgerys Creek after officially ruling out the interim option of opening up Richmond Airforce base to commercial aviation. A Government source last night confirmed that the decision had all but been made to go ahead with the $2.3 billion Badgerys Creek option. "It's basically just a matter of timing now," one senior Government source said. The western Sydney director of the Sydney Business Chamber, David Borger, said he welcomed the government's intention to announce a decision soon. "Western Sydney is desperate for the jobs which would be created by this airport," he said. It's been 30 years, but its better late than never. The Daily Telegraph confirmed that the option of using the RAAF base at Richmond as an interim overflow option for an increasingly congested Mascot - which would have delayed the need for Badgerys Creek - was officially ruled last week by Mr Abbott and Treasurer Jo Hockey. Mr Hockey has made no secret of his intentions to push ahead with Badgerys Creek. And last week Infrastructure Minister Jamie Briggs confirmed a decision to go ahead with Badgerys Creek would be made before Christmas after linking the project with jobs for western Sydney. "Specifically in relation to aviation, the Australian Government, after years of delay, will finally make a decision on whether to proceed with a second Sydney airport at Badgerys Creek," he said. An early decision, which I expect to be before Christmas, will provide certainty to the aviation sector and potentially build the economic capacity of western Sydney with the creation of thousands of new jobs for many years to come. An aerial photograph of the proposed Badgerys Creek airport site in western Sydney / Picture: Rohan Kelly Source: News Limited