LAST year, more than 2.2 million people flew between Gold Coast Airport and Sydney.

Among these were local residents flying to Sydney for business, to visit friends and family, see medical specialists or en route to other towns, cities and countries.

The vast majority of these people, however, were holidaymakers wanting to spend time at the beaches, theme parks, historic communities and the hinterland of the NSW Far North Coast and the Gold Coast.

These visits are good news for the region's economy.

They bring jobs, investment and they support tourism, retail and other industries.

Unfortunately, if some people have their way, aviation access to and from Sydney will become increasingly difficult for the people of regional NSW.

In a nutshell, Sydney Airport is full.

All the tinkering in the world won't change that.

Last month, I released a 3200-page, independent report, commissioned by both the federal and NSW governments, which made it clear that Sydney's aviation infrastructure cannot cope with future demand.

Sydney will need a second airport sooner rather than later.

This is an uncomfortable fact but it cannot be ignored, particularly by people living in regional NSW.

Regional air services in NSW grew by nearly 25% over the past five years.

Sydney alone has seen a million more passengers from regional destinations in that time.

Access to Sydney is critical in supporting economic growth around the nation.

This is not only about Sydney maintaining its status as Australia's global city but also about making sure the Far North Coast, the Gold Coast and all of regional Australia, continue to benefit from aviation access to Sydney.