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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-06-02 Daily Xml
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REGIONAL AIRSTRIPS

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS (14:52): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government a question about regional airstrips.

Leave granted.

The Hon. T.J. STEPHENS: Last month I was fortunate enough to accompany the member for Stuart, the Hon. Graham Gunn, on a trip through parts of his vast electorate. We met with a number of constituents who were keen to share some of their very serious concerns with us. I have raised this issue in the past, but a number of people spoke to me about the state of country airstrips. The former Liberal government set about a program of sealing airstrips in regional areas, but the process seems to have come to a standstill under the Rann government.

Concerns were raised by people in William Creek, Blinman and Bollards Lagoon about their unsealed airstrips—airstrips used by the Royal Flying Doctor Service and, for this reason and many others, vital to regional communities. When it rains, these airstrips become inoperable. For essential services, tourism and safety reasons, these regional towns really need sealed airstrips. Does the Rann government have any program and time frame in place for the gradual sealing of these vital airstrips?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (14:53): I will refer that question to the minister in another place. I am aware that this government recently provided money through regional development in relation to improving the Innamincka airstrip, but across the board this government has increased spending on transport and transport maintenance massively compared with the level it was six years ago. There has been a massive increase in spending on transport generally, but clearly even where airstrips have been sealed there is always the demand from local communities to increase these facilities. It is also important that the commonwealth government provide information, as it is the level of government with principal responsibility for air transport in this country.

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