Kim Wilkie (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Firstly, congratulations, Mr Deputy Speaker Kerr, on being appointed to the Speaker’s panel. Minister, following on from your point, you have mentioned that there are certain services that are provided to other ratepayers that would not normally be provided to airport operators and that this might be some reason for a reduction. Do you think you could ask the department to come up with some examples of where that is the case? It is my understanding that councils provide the same services to Westralia Airports Corporation, particularly in Belmont’s case, that they provide to other major businesses in the area, such as the Belmont Forum Shopping Centre. Where you have a large corporation operating a large business, often they provide some of their own services but, under the rateable arrangements, they still do not get a reduction on their rates—that is actually their choice. So I am curious to find out if you could provide some examples of where that would be the case.

I know you have mentioned that there were two airports in dispute: West Torrens in Adelaide, and in Perth. You talked about the independent arbiter. I know we have discussed this previously but I have spoken to the West Torrens Council and they tell me that they know nothing about the appointment of an independent arbiter. They have received no advice that they were in the wrong or that their assessment was inaccurate. So I wonder where that advice came from, whether it was provided to them and whether it could be provided to me, because, as I said, that matter has been raised with them and they have specifically denied that that is the case.

Minister, I am wondering if you could confirm that one of the main reasons for charging a rate equivalent payment is to ensure that competitive neutrality principles apply, so that businesses operating on airport land, which is Commonwealth land and would not normally be subject to a rate, would end up having to pay the same amount as they would if they were operating in a council and therefore this principle of competitive neutrality is upheld.

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