SENATE Official Committee Hansard
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COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SENATE Official Committee Hansard RURAL AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT LEGISLATION COMMITTEE (Consideration of Estimates) TUESDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 1996 BY AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE CANBERRA 1996 Tuesday, 17 September 1996 SENATE—Legislation RRA&T 1 SENATE Tuesday, 17 September 1996 RURAL AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT LEGISLATION COMMITTEE Portfolios: Primary Industries and Energy; Transport and Regional Development Members: Senator Crane (Chair), Senator Conroy (Deputy Chair), Senators Calvert, Bob Collins, McGauran and Woodley Substitute members: Senator West to substitute for Senator Bob Collins on 13 September 1996. Senator Panizza to substitute for Senator Calvert for the period 16 to 20 September 1996 Participating members: Senators Abetz, Boswell, Brown, Brownhill, Chapman, Cook, Eggleston, Ferris, Forshaw, Gibbs, Harradine, Kemp, Ian Macdonald, Sandy Macdonald, Mackay, Margetts, Murray, Schacht, Tambling, Tierney and West The committee met at 4.16 p.m. CHAIR—I declare open this public hearing of the Senate Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee. On 22 August 1996, the Senate referred to the committee the particulars of proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending 30 June 1997, and particulars of certain proposed expenditure in respect of the year ending 30 June 1997 of the following portfolio areas: primary industries and energy, and transport and regional development. The committee will consider the proposed expenditure at hearings today and on Thursday, and is required to report to the Senate on or before 10 October 1996. The committee has resolved to hear the estimates in the following order: the Department of Transport and Regional Development today, Tuesday 17 September, and the Department of Primary Industries and Energy on Thursday 19 September. It is not at this stage intended to hold further estimates hearings of this committee during next week. Committee members and participating members have been provided with portfolio budget statements for each of the portfolio areas to be considered, and I propose to call on the estimates by program and subprogram as they appear in these statements. I draw the committee’s attention to the tight timetable for these estimates and foreshadow to departments and agencies that it is likely that the committee will nominate Monday 14 October 1996 as the date for submission of written answers and additional information. I should also indicate that the committee has authorised the recording and rebroadcasting of its proceedings in accordance with rules contained in the order of the Senate of 23 August 1990. To assist the committee and Hansard, could officers identify themselves before answering a series of questions. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Proposed expenditure, $258,248,000 (Document A). Proposed provision, $209,626,000 (Document B). RURAL AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT RRA&T 2 SENATE—Legislation Tuesday, 17 September 1996 In Attendance Senator Alston, Minister for Communications and the Arts Department of Transport and Regional Development— Executive Mr John Bowdler, Deputy Secretary Program 1—Aviation Subprogram 1.1—Aviation Policy Mr Peter Harris, First Assistant Secretary Mr Tony Wheelens, Assistant Secretary, International Relations Mr Joc White, Assistant Secretary, Airport Regulation Mr Jim Wolfe, Acting Assistant Secretary, Aviation Industry Subprogram 1.2—Aviation Operations Mr Paul Merner, First Assistant Secretary Mr Ray Turner, Assistant Secretary, Aviation Security Branch Dr Hugh Milloy, Assistant Secretary, Sydney West Airport Taskforce Mr Ray Warren, Acting Assistant Secretary, Aviation Environment Branch Subprogram 1.3—Bureau of Air Safety Investigation Dr Rob Lee, Director Mr Ian McCallum, Deputy Director, Investigations Subprogram 1.4—International Air Services Commission Mr Danny Scorpecci, Executive Director Subprogram 1.5—Civil Aviation Safety Authority Mr Leroy A. Keith, Director of Aviation Safety Mr John Pike, Deputy Director Ms Sue-Ellen Bickford, General Manager, Finance Ms Marcia Kimball, General Manager, Human Resources Management Mr Rob Elder, General Manager, Corporate Relations Subprogram 1.6—Federal Airports Corporation Mr Peter Snelling, General Manager, Network Airports Subprogram 1.7—Airservices Australia Mr Bill Pollard, Chief Executive Officer Mr Peter Evans, General Manager, Air Traffic Services Mr Tom Grant, General Manager, Corporate and Employee Relations Mr Brian Kendal, Manager, Operational Policy Mr Colin Dahl, Manager, Environment Mr Graham Beer, Manager, Financial Strategy Mr Ian Rischbieth, Manager, Government Relations RURAL AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT Tuesday, 17 September 1996 SENATE—Legislation RRA&T 3 Program 2—Land Transport Subprogram 2.1—Road and Rail Policy Mr Bruce Gemmell, First Assistant Secretary Mr Andy Hrast, Acting Assistant Secretary, Roads Mr Warwick McNamara, Director, Roads Program Mr Daryl Quinlivan, Assistant Secretary, Rail Mr Stan Marks, Acting Director, Rail Enterprise Subprogram 2.2—Federal Office of Road Safety Mr Peter Makeham, First Assistant Secretary Mr Tony Ockwell, Assistant Secretary, Road User Subprogram 2.3—Australian National Mr Andrew Neal, Acting Managing Director Mr Alistair Powell, Chief Finance Officer Program 3—Maritime Subprogram 3.1—Maritime Mr Kym Bills, First Assistant Secretary Dr Greg Feeney, Assistant Secretary, National Shipping and Infrastructure Captain Kit Filor, Chief Investigator, Marine Incidents Mr David Holmes, Director, Marine Personnel and Administration Subprogram 3.2—Australian Maritime Safety Authority Mr Paul McGrath, Executive Officer Mr Brian Munro, General Manager, Corporate and Commercial Services Program 4—Regional Development Subprogram 4.1—Regional Development Mr Stephen Hunter, formerly First Assistant Secretary, Regional Development Ms Robyn Beetham, Assistant Secretary, Regional Development Ms Rosemary Cousin, Assistant Secretary, Regional Development Mr Steve Garlick, Assistant Secretary, Regional Development Mr John Okely, Assistant Secretary, Regional Development Ms Pieta-Rae Laut, formerly Director, Regional Development Mr Simon Murnane, Director, Regional Development Program 5—Corporate Direction and Support Subprogram 5.2—Management Support and Advice Mr Bill Ellis, First Assistant Secretary Mr John Elliott, Assistant Secretary, Finance and Services Subprogram 5.3—Research Mr Stephen Hunter, Director Ms Sue Elderton, Research Manager RURAL AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT RRA&T 4 SENATE—Legislation Tuesday, 17 September 1996 Dr Leo Dobes, Research Manager Mr David Luck, Research Manager Mr Les Hegedus, Manager, Corporate Services Department of Finance— Ms Anne Burhop Mr Steven Hall Mr Stephen Hoult Ms Dianne Rimington CHAIR—The first portfolio to be considered is transport and regional development with a proposed expenditure of $258,248,000 in Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 1996-97 (document A); and $209,626,000 in Appropriation Bill (No. 2) 1996-97 (document B). I welcome Senator Richard Alston, Senate ministerial representative, and officers of the Department of Transport and Regional Development and associated authorities. Minister, do you wish to make an opening statement? Senator Alston—No. [4.18 p.m.] Program 1—Aviation Subprogram 1.1—Aviation policy CHAIR—I think we can go straight to program 1. Who would like to open the batting? Senator BOB COLLINS—Mr Chairman, I have many questions. Just for your advice, in the absence at the moment of too many other senators, I will just box on. But if other senators feel they want to have a crack, jump in. CHAIR—That is fine. We have put together a proposed timetable. It is not a rigid timetable, but it is something we would like to try and work to. This means that we are all going to have to be pretty precise in our questions and our answers as we work through it. Notice has been given that a little more time is required for regional development, which we will accommodate when we get to that particular time. Over to you, Senator Collins. Senator BOB COLLINS—Minister, the first set of questions that I have relates specifically to Adelaide airport—for the advice of officers at the table—so if there are any other officers that have a particular input into that matter, that is fine. The budget papers allowed for $28 million as a contribution to the extension of a runway at Adelaide airport. Can you advise the committee on how much the extension to the runway will cost in total? Mr Harris—I have with me Joc White, who works on airports regulation related matters, and Jim Wolfe, who works on aviation industry matters. In terms of the anticipated cost of the runway extension and associated works, the current estimate that we are working on is $48 million. Senator BOB COLLINS—Thank you. In that case, who will be paying the additional amount of money? Mr Harris—The government’s decision relates to an allocation of $28 million in 1996-97 for the purposes of the Federal Airports Corporation’s potential expenditure on the runway and some state works. The remaining $20 million is an amount yet to be allocated to come from the proceeds of the sale of airport leases. RURAL AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT Tuesday, 17 September 1996 SENATE—Legislation RRA&T 5 Senator BOB COLLINS—Can you provide the committee with detail—not precise detail— but some detail of the actual work to be done? What I am getting at here is: will the extension of the runway involve any ancillary work that will have to be done, for example, to the terminal building, the aprons, the parking bays or whatever? Mr Harris—I might just ask Mr White if he has any details on that. Mr White—The works comprise on-airport works which will involve the extension of the main runway by 572 metres to the south-west to a total length of 3,100 metres which will allow the airport to be used by fully loaded 747 aircraft. So that is an extension of the runway. There is also an extension of the taxiway associated with that on-airport and there are landfill and compaction works to be done as well. The runway extension project itself does not involve any work on the terminals or any terminal expansion.