Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the amendments be agreed to.

Australia’s 22 federally leased airports are pieces of national significant infrastructure, and it is clearly in the nationally interest that these airports remain under long-term Commonwealth control. The Airports Amendment Bill 2006 gives effect to the Australian government’s desire that airports meet the expectations of the local community and that the services that they provide are delivered effectively, efficiently and equitably. It is important that our airports not only offer key gateways to people coming to Australia and act as an effective facilitator of the movement of people in and out of our country but also they need to be good community citizens. The Commonwealth has built into its airports framework a number of obligations: that airports pay rate-equivalent fees to their local governments, that they harmonise to the greatest extent possible their planning regimes with the local and state governments and that they consult with their state and local government planning authorities and their community on major planning issues.

Most Australian airports have been good citizens in their community and the local public are proud of the contribution that the airports are making. The government has consistently stated that it will continue to control planning and development on the leased airports sites which are on Commonwealth land. I welcome the opposition’s affirmation in the other place that planning control would be retained by the Commonwealth government. The government recognises that there is a need for some improvements in the consultation process and the involvement of state and territory governments in ensuring that, when new developments are proposed, there is an appropriate level of consultation. The privatisation of our airports has fostered a vibrant industry that has enabled airports to grow as commercial businesses, with minimal government intervention. The network provided by the leased federal airports regulated under the Airports Act forms the backbone of the country’s aviation and transport infrastructure.

The bill, which has been under discussion, preserves and enhances the open and transparent regulatory regime for land use planning and the protection of the environment and control of airport building activity provided for by the Airports Act. However, the government acknowledges that a number of concerns have been raised during the debate on this bill, particularly by the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport following its inquiry into the bill. The committee supported the passage of the bill, with two amendments, namely, that the airport lessee companies, or ALCs, be required to provide notice to relevant state and local government organisations when key planning documents are released for public comment and that ALCs be required to provide copies of all public submissions when lodging these documents for approval under the Airports Act 1996.

The government supports these two key recommendations and the amendments will give effect to those recommendations. These changes, which require the airport operator to advise local planning authorities of proposed development on airports and to provide the Minister for Transport and Regional Services with copies of all public comments, will add greater transparency to the airport planning process. I commend the amendments to the House.

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