Page 1337 - Week 05 - Tuesday, 10 May 1994
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Canberra Airport
MR STEVENSON: My question of the Chief Minister concerns the Canberra Airport. I ask: What is the Government's position, firstly, on the sale of the airport and, secondly, on international carriers coming into Canberra?
MS FOLLETT: I thank Mr Stevenson for the question, Madam Speaker. I should say at the outset that the proposal in the Commonwealth's white paper for the sale of all airports is something that I think the Government and probably the Assembly as well will have to consider very carefully. It does rather change the way that we had been regarding the airport. The situation at the moment is that the Commonwealth is undertaking what they call a scoping study, which is a study aimed at working out how to sell airports and the best way of marketing them, packaging them and so forth. Madam Speaker, I expect that study to be concluded around August. When the Commonwealth has the results of that study, it may be a great deal clearer how they are going to proceed to dispose of their assets. But for the moment the Government has not considered that issue, and it will be some time before we do consider it.
On the question of international carriers at the Canberra Airport, it is, I think, no secret that the Government has been pursuing the question of Canberra Airport possibly becoming an international airport. The Assembly, of course, has a committee examining that question under Mr Westende. Madam Speaker, we have commissioned and received a report from the consultant on what it would take to turn Canberra Airport into an international airport, what the costs would be, what phasing would be required and so on. That report will form the basis of the Government's submission to the Assembly committee inquiry under Mr Westende. I think it is probably best if we await the outcome of the Assembly committee inquiry and put that information together with any further information that we obtain from the Commonwealth about the future of the Canberra Airport and consider the matter at that time.
For the moment, while the issue of the airport is under consideration in those different forums, I think it is best for the Government to take a wait and see attitude, although I have in the past expressed support for Canberra Airport becoming an international airport, and in the past we have conducted studies on the possibility of Canberra becoming an international freight airport. The matter is still under consideration. I need further information both from Mr Westende's committee and from the Commonwealth on how they wish to proceed. Of course, as a government, we will be considering all of those matters at the appropriate time.
MR STEVENSON: I ask a supplementary question, Madam Speaker. Concerning the first point, the sale of the airport, would the Chief Minister see any benefit, and would it fit within the terms of what the Federal Government is looking at, if we had a position and made that known to the Federal Government before they make a decision?
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