Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

This government is committed to supporting sustainable growth in aviation underpinned by meaningful engagement and consultation with the community and industry stakeholders. The Airports Amendment Bill 2010 is a priority for the government. It brings into effect a program of reforms to planning at and around our airports, reforms that we first outlined in the aviation white paper, Flight path to the future, which was released in December last year. This bill is about getting the balance right between ongoing investment in aviation infrastructure, community consultation and the integration of airport planning with local, state and territory planning regimes. I note that Senator Xenophon has raised concerns about the use of airport land in relation to gambling. The government has undertaken to ensure that ongoing reforms to strengthen or reform gambling laws will include consideration of airport land as well. We will come back to that in due course. I table a correction to the explanatory memorandum relating to the Airports Amendment Bill 2010. I thank senators for their contributions in relation to the bill. With that I commend the bill to the Senate.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.