Sydney's new airport features a 30-metre tall sculpture

A large sculpture is being built near Sydney's new international airport. The structure will stand 30 meters tall and will be visible to passengers arriving by plane when flights begin late next year. The sculpture, designed by Indigenous design studio Balarinji, will take the form of an emu nest. It draws inspiration from the Great Emu in the Sky constellation and tells the dreaming story of the local Dharug people. It will celebrate the emu, known as Mariong, and how she became part of the Milky Way. During the day, the sculpture will look like an emu nest made from sticks, reflecting the local landscape. At night, it will light up in a way that reveals two emu shapes visible from certain angles, similar to the Great Emu constellation. Construction started in July 2023. It began with pouring 600 cubic meters of concrete, followed by the installation of steel columns. The sculpture will be six meters taller than an A380 superjumbo jet. Transport for NSW says the sculpture will be a key feature along the new M12 motorway, which will provide direct access to the airport. In 2022, the estimated cost of the sculpture was $7 million, funded as part of the $2.1 billion motorway budget. The M12 motorway will link to other major roads and is expected to be completed in stages. The central and western sections are projected to be finished by mid-2025, while the eastern section will be done early next year. The toll-free motorway will feature two lanes in each direction and include 17 bridges. The federal government will cover 80 percent of the motorway's cost. However, the budget has increased from the initial estimates, mainly due to higher property acquisition costs and design changes over the years.