Regional Air Services

The Hon. E.S. BOURKE (15:39): In many ways people are more connected now than they have ever been before. Across the state, across the nation, across the world technology advances have brought us all closer and made this world a little bit smaller. Unfortunately, a recent announcement from South Australia's largest regional airline, Regional Express, foreshadowed the disruption of one very important connection, the connection between the city and the country.

Regional Express and QantasLink flights to and from regional South Australia connect communities, communities like Kingscote, Coober Pedy, Ceduna, Mount Gambier, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln and Whyalla, to name just a few. They are the link to unlocking vital tourism and commercial dollars for regional areas and, perhaps most importantly, to transporting our residents so that they can access the healthcare services they need and deserve.

Unfortunately, in what Regional Express has attributed to a growing, worldwide skilled pilot shortage, their flights into and out of regional South Australia have already decreased. Concerningly, we might continue to see a further decline in flight options.

As previously mentioned in this chamber, my husband and I grew up on Yorke Peninsula; my parents still live on a farm just outside Maitland. As a family we make a concerted effort to take our three children home as often as we can. We are lucky that Maitland is only a two-hour drive from Adelaide—some of my colleagues have to drive much further—but some families are not as lucky and are dependent on the services of regional airline operators.

In an article published on The Advertiser website of 10 May 2018 it was reported that people in the state's South-East were being left without doctors or were facing delays in the diagnosis of life-threatening illnesses because of erratic regional flights. The article contained the following quote from the Mount Gambier and Districts Health Advisory Council's submission to a federal government inquiry:

Cancelling flights at short notice has meant patients have been unable to keep appointments in Adelaide/Melbourne, resulting in delay of treatment and/or diagnosis of possibly life-threatening medical conditions.

It is clear that flights in and out of regional communities are important economically, but they are essential at a medical and social level. I note that just today, on the front page of The Border Watch,Regional Express announced it will offer cheaper one-way community fares following round table talks in Mount Gambier. I note the details of this are still being finalised and are dependent on partnership with the local council.

As recently as this morning I spoke with the Regional Express chief operating officer Neville Howell, hearing direct from him about the issues they are facing with what they have described as a worldwide skilled pilot shortage—and I note 'skilled' pilots. As Mr Howell rightfully mentioned in regard to having a shortage of skilled pilots, 'this is not a job where near enough is good enough.'

This is not the first time Regional Express has experienced a pilot shortage. In 2008 there was a shortage of pilots, prompting Regional Express to manage the situation by establishing the Australian Airline Pilot Academy. Regional Express has since trained over 220 cadets through that academy.

However, this demand may also create an opportunity for regional communities. The high demand for pilots has revealed itself as an exciting opportunity for jobseekers. Regional Express themselves say that they are always looking for school leavers, especially regional school leavers, to consider applying for cadet training positions offered through the Australian Airline Pilot Academy. As a state we must constructively work together to take advantage of this opportunity, while finding an immediate solution to the growing shortage of skilled pilots to support regional flights.

As I mentioned, in many ways people are now connected more than ever before, and I believe it is important that regional connections are maintained, because in regional communities regional flights matter. Cuts to flights in and out of regional communities will have a devastating impact on regional South Australia. The Liberal government has spent a lot of time tweeting that regions matter and I do hope there is some truth in that hashtag because not only do regions matter but equally so our connections to the regions of South Australia matter.