Weekend Australian
GREG BROWN JOURNALIST
12:00AM MARCH 30, 2019
A $100 million cash injection for regional airports will be included in Tuesday’s budget, aimed at
upgrading runways and attracting commercial flights into country areas.
For the life of me I cant see how upgrading runways will attract commercial flights to regional
Airports. People can barely afford the airfares that have to be charged to those regional airports
lucky enough to have an air service now.
Would it not be simpler and a lot cheaper to reform aviation governance by adopting US
regulations as New Zealand did. That would massively reduce overheads and encourage
investment. By growing the industry the airports might just get utilized as they were before
over regulation strangled the industry, drowning it in red tape.
In a pitch to rural voters, the funding will allow regional airport operators to apply for grants to
improve runways, taxiways and provide better fencing.
The infrastructure upgrades would make it safer for big passenger planes to land on runways in
cities such as Cairns, Newcastle, Launceston, Alice Springs, Coffs Harbour and Mildura.
Strange? The above airports mostly privately owned monopolies, many making very healthy
profits gouging their customers.
Why would the guv’mint be giving handouts to essentially, development sharks whose focus is
more on the value of the airport land for commercial development rather than as a public utility.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said the infrastructure upgrades, to be provided
over four years, would allow more flights in and out of rural cities. “We want more people,
especially families and small businesses, moving to and staying in the regions, and better
connectivity through airports is a vital part of that plan,” Mr McCormack said.
Deputy Do’Nutting could pave the runways with gold but doesn’t seem to grasp, that no matter
how much money he throws at airports, there needs to be aircraft to land at them and
customers to use those aircraft. The current regulatory regime imposes unsustainable costs on
aircraft operators, which lead to unaffordable fares. Chicken and the egg?
“The Liberals and Nationals understand communities rely on safe and efficient air services for
emergency and other essential service flights. This will help ensure regional airports meet the
needs of communities and local industry now and into the future.
“We will work with regional communities to determine what airport works will provide most
benefit.”
“safe and efficient air services for emergency and other essential service flights.”
How safe is safe? Efficient they can never be without effective affordable regulation.
Emergency and essential service flights are already heavily subsidized by government
The funding builds on a $50m security upgrade to airports announced in last year’s budget.
Australian so called security is just a feel good rort that adds another layer of cost on the ticket
price.
Australian Airports Association chief executive Caroline Wilkie said many regional airports
operated at a loss, leaving owners unable to spend money on infrastructure upgrades.
“This funding will start to address this funding shortfall and assist this essential infrastructure to
continue servicing communities into the future,” she said.
Where does it say in any legislation or council bylaws that essential public infrastructure must
run at a profit? What next, parking meters at boat ramps? toll booths leading into towns?
Privatizing National Parks? Some councils spend more money on overseas jaunts than they do
on their airports.
The announcement comes as Scott Morrison has moved to placate disgruntled Nationals MPs by
vowing to assess supporting a new coal-fired power station in central Queensland.
The budget will include more than $2 billion for improving the nation’s roads.
GREG BROWN JOURNALIST
12:00AM MARCH 30, 2019
A $100 million cash injection for regional airports will be included in Tuesday’s budget, aimed at
upgrading runways and attracting commercial flights into country areas.
For the life of me I cant see how upgrading runways will attract commercial flights to regional
Airports. People can barely afford the airfares that have to be charged to those regional airports
lucky enough to have an air service now.
Would it not be simpler and a lot cheaper to reform aviation governance by adopting US
regulations as New Zealand did. That would massively reduce overheads and encourage
investment. By growing the industry the airports might just get utilized as they were before
over regulation strangled the industry, drowning it in red tape.
In a pitch to rural voters, the funding will allow regional airport operators to apply for grants to
improve runways, taxiways and provide better fencing.
The infrastructure upgrades would make it safer for big passenger planes to land on runways in
cities such as Cairns, Newcastle, Launceston, Alice Springs, Coffs Harbour and Mildura.
Strange? The above airports mostly privately owned monopolies, many making very healthy
profits gouging their customers.
Why would the guv’mint be giving handouts to essentially, development sharks whose focus is
more on the value of the airport land for commercial development rather than as a public utility.
Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said the infrastructure upgrades, to be provided
over four years, would allow more flights in and out of rural cities. “We want more people,
especially families and small businesses, moving to and staying in the regions, and better
connectivity through airports is a vital part of that plan,” Mr McCormack said.
Deputy Do’Nutting could pave the runways with gold but doesn’t seem to grasp, that no matter
how much money he throws at airports, there needs to be aircraft to land at them and
customers to use those aircraft. The current regulatory regime imposes unsustainable costs on
aircraft operators, which lead to unaffordable fares. Chicken and the egg?
“The Liberals and Nationals understand communities rely on safe and efficient air services for
emergency and other essential service flights. This will help ensure regional airports meet the
needs of communities and local industry now and into the future.
“We will work with regional communities to determine what airport works will provide most
benefit.”
“safe and efficient air services for emergency and other essential service flights.”
How safe is safe? Efficient they can never be without effective affordable regulation.
Emergency and essential service flights are already heavily subsidized by government
The funding builds on a $50m security upgrade to airports announced in last year’s budget.
Australian so called security is just a feel good rort that adds another layer of cost on the ticket
price.
Australian Airports Association chief executive Caroline Wilkie said many regional airports
operated at a loss, leaving owners unable to spend money on infrastructure upgrades.
“This funding will start to address this funding shortfall and assist this essential infrastructure to
continue servicing communities into the future,” she said.
Where does it say in any legislation or council bylaws that essential public infrastructure must
run at a profit? What next, parking meters at boat ramps? toll booths leading into towns?
Privatizing National Parks? Some councils spend more money on overseas jaunts than they do
on their airports.
The announcement comes as Scott Morrison has moved to placate disgruntled Nationals MPs by
vowing to assess supporting a new coal-fired power station in central Queensland.
The budget will include more than $2 billion for improving the nation’s roads.