Teresa Gambaro (Brisbane, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development. Will the Deputy Prime Minister outline how government policies are encouraging investment in our airports?

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for Brisbane for the question. Certainly Australia's airports are doing their part to build the infrastructure of the 21st century. There are billions of dollars worth of projects underway at the present time in our capital city airports alone. The honourable member would notice, every time she leaves Brisbane Airport, the tremendous work that is being done in constructing the parallel runway in Brisbane—something like 13 million cubic metres of sand has to be moved on to that site and that is well and truly underway. This project is part of a $5 billion commitment to the Brisbane community which will come as a result of this investment at Brisbane Airport.

There are similar examples in other parts of the country—significant terminal upgrades and significant commitments to new runways which will make a real difference. Around 60 million journeys were made by Australians travelling on domestic air services in the year ending 30 June 2014—an increase of 1½ per cent over previous years. It is interesting to note that routes like Sydney-Melbourne, Brisbane-Sydney and Brisbane-Melbourne are among the busiest air routes in the world. Australians certainly need their air services to get from one part of what is a very large continent to another.

In addition to what is happening in Brisbane, those who visit Melbourne will notice the work going on there on new terminal buildings and terminal upgrades. They also have a plan for a new parallel runway. Better facilities are being provided in Perth for fly-in, fly-out workers and all of the passengers travelling through that airport. Again, there is another plan for a parallel runway. Adelaide Airport—

Honourable Member:

An honourable member interjecting—

Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Leader of the Nationals) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I note the member's interjection. Adelaide Airport has just announced a 30-year blueprint for a $2 billion expansion. Again, that is a great vote of confidence in South Australia. In Hobart, the airport runway extension planning is underway, assisted by a $38 million contribution from the federal government. When we come to Sydney, Kingsford Smith airport has major plans to upgrade its road network and in Western Sydney the decision has been made to build a new airport; $3.6 billion worth of roads to service that area and the whole of the Western Sydney community is underway.

This government is committed to building the infrastructure of the 21st century. Our airport owners and operators are joining in that task to ensure that Australia has the infrastructure it needs to service its growing population and that we can travel conveniently around our country whenever we choose.