David Hawker (Wannon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tonight I want to talk about the importance of keeping the Essendon Airport going. I say this in the context of the local member, the member for Wills, and the state Premier, John Brumby, both seeming to have some idea that it should close. I think this is further proof that Labor really does not care about the regions, because Essendon is an airport that is all about servicing regional Victoria. We have regional air services like Sharp Airlines, which comes from Hamilton and looks after people from right across Western Victoria. We also have the life-saving Air Ambulance. This provides access, directly down the Tullamarine Freeway, to three major hospitals: the Royal Children’s Hospital, the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Royal Women’s Hospital. Then we have the Police Air Wing, the Elvis firefighting helicopters and a number of other emergency services based there. Clearly this is a very, very important facility for people in regional Australia. In 2007, Air Ambulance had 3,400 fixed-wing flights into the Essendon Airport, there were nearly 770 helicopter flights, and 136 newborn babies were transferred to newborn units in Melbourne hospitals in emergency situations. The suggestion that you could move this to another airport is unworkable. I think it shows very clearly that Labor does not understand the importance of Essendon Airport for the regions. When we look at the development, Sharp Airlines is now catering for 20,000 customers a year. I could go on a lot more. (Time expired)