Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (14:52): My question is to the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. Can the minister inform the house how federal government cuts for remote airport upgrades will impact remote communities across South Australia?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning, Minister Assisting the Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (14:53): I thank the member for Colton for this question and his keen interest in this area. Since 2007, the South Australian government has been a cooperative partner with the Australian government in the current Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program. The program provides funding to improve the safety of airstrips in remote communities in Australia and for services which are not commercially viable but essential for the social and economic wellbeing of the communities they serve.

Currently, the state government has cooperated on 49 projects to improve vital access to remote communities. Largely on a 50:50 basis, with small contributions from remote councils, these partnership agreements have invested close to $17.5 million in South Australian remote airstrips. However, the Abbott government will axe funding for remote airport upgrades, putting future remote airport upgrade works beyond the reach of the communities they would serve. It will also mean remote communities across South Australia are at risk of being cut off from vital services and emergency medical care.

In the recent Senate estimates it was confirmed that the federal Coalition government has axed the Remote Airstrip Upgrade—the (RAU) program it says here—component of the Regional Aviation Access Program (RAAP) from 2015-16. A key objective of the program is to provide accessible health care to these remote areas and to facilitate the delivery of essential goods and services. The commonwealth government's own portfolio budget statements describe the program as 'vital for the provision of access to essential air services such as the Royal Flying Doctor Service'.

The former federal Labor government provided funding for 181 remote airport upgrades nationally under this program, investing more than $260 million to build and upgrade regional and remote airports across Australia. Cutting funding to remote airports could put communities at risk and will certainly impact on the wellbeing of people living in remote communities across South Australia. The nature of these airstrips means that unless alternative funding is found these airstrips may become unusable.

As I know the Minister for Health is keenly aware, the Royal Flying Doctor Service is very reliant on airstrips being maintained to an appropriate standard. This ensures their aircraft can operate in and out of these airstrips safely day or night and in all types of weather to deliver the emergency services our remote communities may require. Cuts to remote airport upgrade funding come as unwelcome news for our regional areas that rely on air services for emergency medical care.

I can advise the house that I have written to the Deputy Prime Minister calling on the Abbott government to reverse its decision to cut funding to this important program. The Federal Budget Response Taskforce, announced today by the Premier, will also campaign against these cuts inflicted upon regional South Australia. This decision by the Abbott government will have a disastrous effect for those living in regional communities, and we will continue to stand up to these cuts.