Question Time

REGIONAL AIRLINE SERVICES

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:23): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Tourism and Minister for Regional Development a question regarding tourism and regional development.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: South Australia is an extraordinarily centralised state, with more than 70 per cent of South Australians living in greater metropolitan Adelaide. With one exception, the ALP does not hold one seat outside of metropolitan Adelaide; its commitment to regional development is zilch. Now comes the news that Australia's Regional Aviation Association is warning of country route closures due to three large cost increases. Carriers say they will be facing the carbon tax, security screening at some regional airports and the loss of a federal subsidy. The association says the higher costs will make some routes unsustainable, while adding about 10 per cent to many other fares. My questions to the minister are:

1. Do you agree that regional airlines play an integral part in the transport infrastructure in South Australia?

2. Do you agree that we need to keep, and even expand, the regional airline network and services?

3. What do you say in response to the Regional Aviation Association's assessment that 'If it's a small country town that doesn't dig something out of the ground, it is probably going to lose its regional airline service'?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Tourism, Minister for the Status of Women) (14:24): I thank the honourable member for his most important questions. This government is very committed to our regional communities. We have invested a great deal in our regions and I have certainly spoken in this place before about the sort of extensive investments that we have made, and continue to make, in regional South Australia.

In relation to our airlines, I have said in this place before that our airlines operate in a very challenging environment at the moment. It is not just our large international carriers but it goes right through to the smaller airlines as well. Of course, here in South Australia we are particularly dependent on the smaller aircraft sector. We are a large state and a great deal of it is taken up by remote and outback areas. Farmers, pastoralists and other community members rely very heavily on small aircraft to access services and have services provided to them. It is also very important to our tourism industry.

I am aware that various articles have been written recently in the newspapers. Of course, we know that is where the Hon. David Ridgway gets his questions. He reads the newspaper just before question time and then comes in; so that is the level of research that the Hon. David Ridgway puts into his questions.

In recent years, the federal government has taken a number of steps to help strengthen aviation safety and the sector generally, particularly in regional Australia. Based on security intelligence and risk assessment, I am advised that it was determined that aircraft exceeding a certain weight (I think the measurement is in maximum take-off weights, MTOWs) could lead to numerous and various scenarios of potential damage and potential loss of life.

From 1 July 2012, the authority determined that aircraft over 20,000 kilograms MTOW would require security screening. One particular aircraft (the Fokker F50) presently operates under various charter arrangements to a range of South Australian locations. I understand that that aircraft does exceed that particular weight. I understand that several representations were made to the federal transport minister, Anthony Albanese, to exempt F50 aircrafts from security screening. I understand those delegations have been extremely successful.

I also wrote to the federal minister raising the issues of concern about the particular impact that changing the standard might have on the South Australian aviation industry. We then found out in late June 2012 that the federal government advised that screening requirements were being reduced to cover occasional tourist charters. I am advised that the federal government has deemed that the screening required for those will be at an absolute minimum and will comply if they use a particular handheld metal detection wand with which passengers and baggage can be scanned. I understand that the scanner is a very modest output, that it is not an extremely costly thing, and that it is very simple and quick to operate.

I think that it demonstrated the strength of those people who had delegations with the federal minister and, no doubt, my own correspondence urging the minister to consider some of these adverse impacts. I am very pleased that the federal government has decided to modify those changes and lessen the impact on this very important sector.