Page 1127 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 20 March 2013
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with Anthony Albanese and, of course, with representatives of the airport and Virgin Australia to celebrate what has been a remarkable change to what was—certainly when I was growing up—a very, very small airport.
I commented on the day that I remember when the airport was a relatively small shack that you used to walk out the front doors of to go and collect your parents off the plane when they came back from Sydney. When you walk through what has been achieved at the Canberra Airport now, it really is hard to go back to that time and imagine what it was like then. It is fantastic with the amount of business travel, the very, very busy routes between Sydney and Canberra and Canberra and Melbourne to have Virgin showing confidence in the Canberra economy and in the Canberra Airport by committing to this new business lounge.
I note—I think it was Ms Berry who drew my attention to it—that the WNBL have managed to strike a deal with Virgin to allow the WNBL players to have access to the business lounge when they are travelling for sport, which is very significant progress for sportswomen who are travelling for their codes.
The confidence that Virgin has shown in Canberra is really important. There were certainly some very positive statements made on the day about future business planning and future thinking from Virgin in relation to what can be done here in Canberra. I think all of that is working very well.
In terms of where we would like to focus, of course it is in the area of international flights and looking at the opportunities there. The Treasurer is leading that work along with the Canberra Airport Group. I am hopeful we will be able to reach a positive conclusion on that and look at starting international flights and then increasing the opportunities they will bring both to the domestic and international tourism markets.
MADAM ACTING SPEAKER: Ms Berry, a supplementary.
MS BERRY: Chief Minister, can you detail the level of investment that the airport has undertaken and the contribution of this investment to our economy?
MS GALLAGHER: I thank Ms Berry for the supplementary. Any member of this place would acknowledge the contribution that the Snow family have made to this city, with the confidence that they have shown. Stephen Byron mentioned on the day when they opened stage 2 of the new terminal that that development was one of the first big projects cancelled at the height of the global financial crisis. But it was also one of the first ones recommenced when they were able to negotiate capital with all of the major banks in Australia, and that was after the commonwealth government had provided a guarantee to the banks. The change—I think the airport are calling it the “AirVolution”—which is part of their $420 million redevelopment of the new terminal—
Mr Hanson: Not “transformation”?
MS GALLAGHER: No, it is another new word for you to get your mind around today, Mr Hanson—the AirVolution. Yes, it is, dare I say it, a transforming project for
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