[Peetwo]

Dicky King proves she has NFI (and no interest) in Airport management?? - 

Via DK's woeful MR pages:

NICK RHEINBERGER: Now, while I’ve got you, you’ve got a pretty comprehensive portfolio. Infrastructure covers a lot, including the new Sydney Airport in western Sydney [sic]. There’s some reforms you’ve announced about the way slots are allocated – that is, what plane lands at what time. How does it work currently?

CATHERINE KING: So the way in which the slot systems work– so obviously, Kingsford Smith Airport has two constraints on it. It has both a movement cap of 80 movements per rolling shift– per rolling hour, and then it also has a curfew on it. So it has a constrained airspace in that sense that you’ve only got a certain amount of spaces that are there. The slots legislation, which hasn’t really been reformed for over 27 years, allocates slots on this basis– so regional services are guaranteed certain slots, and then those slots are allocated on the basis of divvying that up amongst the access that’s required by different airlines. And then if they don’t use those slots, then they lose them. But the problem has been there hasn’t really been an audit of what’s been happening for slots for a long time. So we announced back in February that we would undertake an audit of those slots and that slot system, and that is already underway. We then said that one of the problems also, and appointed to by the ACCC over a period of time, is that the transparent– lack of transparency about the way in which the slots manager was allocating slots and the way in which conflicts of interest were being managed, given that the current slots manager actually has also some ownership or some involvement of some of the airlines. So we’ve announced a new open tender for that process. And that’s [indistinct] …

NICK RHEINBERGER: [Talks over] So the …

CATHERINE KING: … that train for a while.

NICK RHEINBERGER: Okay. That’s what I wanted to get at that, that the slots are currently allocated by a company which is majority owned by Qantas and Virgin. Is there any way of getting out of that arrangement and making a completely independent process?

CATHERINE KING: We’ve announced the open tender process for the slot allocator. There is an independent board, so it’s meant to be done at arm’s length, obviously from the interests of the companies. And obviously the airport has a significant interest as well. And so really, what we’ve done is on the recommendations of the ACCC and on the Harris Report is open that up and say: we now want an open tender process and also better transparency in the way in which slots are allocated so that it’s publicly reported, but also making sure that conflicts of interests are adequately addressed. And that’s again part of the reforms we announced back in February.

NICK RHEINBERGER: All right. So that company which is running it now, Airport Coordination Australia, uh, applies for the tender. They have to show that they can do this independently and fairly.

CATHERINE KING: Correct, correct.

Hmmm...while on the subject of our useless miniscule Dicky King and the West Sydney Airport...   refer to: Airservices Australia 'not fit for purpose': Inquiry hears.

MTF...P2 

PS: Note that we have now gone past the due dates for both QON and WQON, so still waiting with bated breath for the answer to QON 67...

Senator Bridget McKenzie: asked the Department of Infrastructure, Transport,
Regional Development, Communications and the Arts on 28 May 2024—

Senator McKENZIE: [...] I want to return to Moorabbin Airport. Previously, we got to
the types of things the minister will take into account in assessing a preliminary draft
master plan. That included noise and a whole suite of things under the act. Yes?

Ms Werner: Yes.

Senator McKENZIE: Besides the department and minister, who else provides input or
comment on the preliminary draft master plan?

Ms Werner: I am not aware that the preliminary draft master plan has a particular
status under the act.

Senator McKENZIE: What happens? Who is allowed input into it?

Ms Werner: The state or territory government in which it is located; the local
government or local governments in which the airport is located; members of the
community who wish to make a comment; anyone who is affected by the
development at the airport, so tenants would have the opportunity to comment, and
potentially ground transport operators would have a chance to comment. I have just
been advised that it is provided for public exhibition, so any member of the public
would have an opportunity to comment.

Senator McKENZIE: Is that a recent change?

Ms Werner: No.

Senator McKENZIE: Is there a process whereby Airservices and CASA provide a
response?

Ms Werner: Airservices and CASA certainly have the opportunity to comment on
major development plans. I'm not sure about master plans.

Senator McKENZIE: Could you take that on notice?

Ms Werner: Certainly