Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Hansard source

In 2017 Air Services Australia proposes to transfer the Adelaide Terminal Control Unit from the Adelaide airport control tower to Melbourne. Forty-three traffic-control workers currently work at the Adelaide control tower and 20 of those positions will be lost with the transfer of the unit. The control tower monitors air traffic from Adelaide, Parafield and Edinburgh airports. All three are in close proximity to each other and have overlapping airspace, and I believe that is a unique situation. The air traffic controllers also monitor fire bombers and rescue helicopters in times of emergencies.

This is not the first time that attempts have been made to relocate the terminal control unit but, thanks to the efforts of the previous Labor member for Hindmarsh, Steve Georganas, the attempts were blocked. The latest attempt comes after a new $17 million control tower was built in 2013. There has been no justification for the move and no explanation as to how the relocation will improve air-traffic safety in Adelaide. If there is a system breakdown or if a local emergency arises, aircraft safety will be much better served by local operators with local knowledge operating from an on-site, purpose-built control tower that enables controllers to see what is happening.

We should not be saving money at the expense of the airport safety. I call on the minister to intervene, reverse this decision and ensure the Adelaide Terminal Control Unit remains in Adelaide.

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