Darren Chester (Gippsland, National Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Regional Transport) Share this | Hansard source

I join with the member for Hindmarsh in sending a big bouquet to Rotarians everywhere. I would like to speak today in relation to an exciting project with the potential to create up to 200 jobs in Latrobe Valley. I have written to the Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government in relation to plans to upgrade the Latrobe regional airport. I had the opportunity last week to visit the airport in the company of the General Manager, Neil Cooper, and the Chairman of the Board, Graeme Middlemiss. I think the fact that Graeme was there is evidence of the bipartisan nature of this particular application; Graeme is a former state Labor candidate but was happy to meet with me and our state member for Morwell, Russell Northe, to take us around the site. While we might not always agree on some political issues, we certainly agree on the need to create jobs in the Latrobe Valley and to take advantage of our skilled workforce to give our young people every opportunity to achieve their full potential, through training and the learning of new skills, to remain in the broader Gippsland region.

Latrobe City Council is seeking $3 million from Regional Development Australia to support this $6.2 million redevelopment of the facilities. The project is the second of three stages designed by the council to create high-quality employment opportunities and to help develop the aviation industry at the site. There are works associated with the new production hangar to accommodate the production of the GA10 Aircraft, which is a new model for Gippsland Aeronautics and I will talk briefly on that in a few moments. Stage 2 works also include the construction of a new development hangar, additional car parking, extension of the airport aprons, taxiways and roadways and the relocation of the existing non-directional beacon. It is a very important project for the Latrobe Valley region, particularly in the context of the challenges facing our community as a result of the uncertainty created by government policy in relation to carbon pricing.

Gippsland Aeronautics is the only commercial aircraft manufacturer in Australia. It is renowned for its famous G8 Airvan, which is often described as the 'ute of the sky'. It is a very practical aircraft and more than 160 have already been sold throughout Australia and the world. Although the company faced some challenges in the wake of the global financial crisis, where it was difficult for people to secure finance to purchase aircraft, it is now owned by the Indian based firm Mahindra. The production of aircraft, however, remains firmly based in Gippsland and they are doing some excellent work in that regard.

The company has some very bold plans for the future; they are in the process of developing a prototype for the GA10, which is a stretch version of the Airvan with a bigger payload. Another exciting initiative on the way at the moment is to recertify and begin production in Gippsland of the GA18, well known to the aviation enthusiasts in the community as the Nomad. This is an 18-seat, twin turboprop aircraft which is capable of landing and taking off in semi-prepared strips, which is obviously an attraction in developing nations in particular but also throughout regional Australia, where strips are sometimes not up to metropolitan area standards. It is a versatile aircraft, and the aim is to have certification by 2014, with production to commence after that date. These are very exciting plans and it is contingent upon all levels of government to work with the industry to help the aviation sector flourish in the Gippsland region. (Time expired)

See this speech in context