Report on Intrastate Air Services
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VICTORIAN TRANSPORT STUDY REPORT ON INTRASTATE AIR SERVICES Ordered by the Legislative Assembly to be printed F. D. ATKINSON, GOVERNMENT PRINTER. MELBOURNE No. 46 VICTORIAN TRANSPORT STUDY The Honourable R.R.C. Maclellan, M.L.A., Minister of Transport, 570 Bourke Street, MELBOURNE, VIC. 3000, Dear Mr. Maclellan, I have the pleasure to submit herewith a report on Intrastate Air Services. This is one of a series of reports being prepared to make known the results of the Victorian Transport Study. Yours sincerely, W.M. Lonie. INTRASTATE AIR SERVICES CONTENTS: Summary 1. Introduction 2. Background 3. Submissions 4. Discussion 5. Recommendation 6. References SUMMARY Features of Victoria's aviation activities include a network of 36 major aerodromes, eight of which are owned by the Commonwealth Government, and a wide range of regular scheduled air services operated by international, national intrastate and commuter operators. Because of the importance of aviation to country people in communications with the State capital and other centres, and for connections to interstate and international air carriers, local government bodies throughout Victoria have accepted responsibility for the development and management of 27 licensed aerodromes. These aerodromes also form the basis of a number of other activities associated with aviation. Financial responsibility for them rests with Local Government, except that Commonwealth Government assistance is available for approved development and maintenance works under the Aerodrome Local Assistance Plan on a 50/50 basis with Local Government. Unfortunately, the atronage level of intrastate and commuter passenger and ight services, and the costs involved, have largely militated against the development of financially successful intrastate airline services, and against a level of charges by Local Government necessary to offset a proportion of the costs of maintaining and operating country aerodromes. The Study Group considers that there is a strong case for a modest short term participation by the State Government in financing aerodrome development and maintenance, and in assisting the development of intrastate aerial services as key factors in the continuing balanced development of the State. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 The State of Victoria, whilst being relatively small when compared with the other mainland States, is approximately of the dimensions of the British Isles, and substantially larger than a number of European countries. 1.2 Although it enjoys a moderate climate, well suited for aircraft operation, Victoria seems to lag behind other States and countries of similar area in the air mindedness of its people, and in the utilisation of aircraft as a mode of transport of both passengers and freight in intrastate activities. On the other hand, because the alternatives these days are less attractive both physically and financially, or in some cases non-existent, Victorians use air transport widely in interstate and international travel and freight activities. 1.3 A number of factors no doubt contribute to the lack of desire for intrastate air travel, including lack of need, the central location of the State capital, the extent of car ownership, the relatively small and dispersed population in country areas, and the relatively small scale industrial developments at distances of the order of + 300 km from Melbourne where the time element in travel could be advantageous to the use of aircraft in preference to car travel. 1.4 When discussing reasons for the selection of alternative modes of transport with people in the more remote areas of the State, the Study Group received the almost universal comment that the cost of flying compared with the cost and convenience of the use of the motor car for trips to Melbourne nearly always favoured the use of the car. Very little consideration was given to the possibilities of cross country air travel in the intrastate Victorian scene, except for recreational purposes. ~ 5 Some of the regular scheduled aircraft movements to and from country centres such as Mildura, Albury-Wodonga, Swan Hill, Portland, Horsham and Sale are operated by the major airline companies, and others are classified as general aviation activities. Patronage of scheduled intrastate movements varies from good to poor. A feature of aircraft operation within Victoria is the less than successful financial results of the numerous organisations that have attempted to operate and maintain a commuter type airline service within Victoria and to and from adjacent States. 2. 1.6 This report reviews a brief investigation made into the usE nf aircraft as a mode of freight and pass r transport within Victoria, and to and from Victoria, an into the involvement of country communities in the provision and utilisation of services related to air transport in the State. 3. 2. BACKGROUND Classification of Flying Activities1 2.1 Control of aviation, including the classlfication of aircraft and facilities concerned with flying in Victoria, are subject to jurisdiction of the Commonwealth Department of Transport by statute. Accordingly, flying activities within Victoria are classified according to the Commonwealth Department of Transport regulations and rules, and broadly fall within the following operational categories: Private. Aerial work. Charter. Commuter. Regular public transport. 2.2 Private operations are those in which an aircraft is used for personal transportation for private and business purposes, carriage of persons or goods other than for hire or reward, or other activities of a non-commercial nature. Within Victoria there were 763 aircraft classified in the private category and proximately 4,250 licensed private aeroplane pilots at th July 1978. 2.3 Aerial work operations are those in which an aircraft is used for aerial survey, spotting, photography, agriculture, flying training, and the carriage of goods for purposes of trade. In terms of hours flown, the most significant operations are agricultural and flying training. 2.4 Charter operations are those in which an aircraft is used for the carriage of passengers or cargo for hire or reward, but which may not be notified to the general public as being operated between fixed terminals or to fixed schedules, or for the carri of passengers or cargo between fixed terminals to xed schedules in circumstances in which the service in the aircraft is not available to members of the public. At 30th June 1977, there were 97 Victorian based operators licensed to conduct charter operations. Over 58,800 hours were flown by these organisations. 4. 2.5 Commuter operations are those in which an aircraft that meets ar·propriate requirements and standards is permitted to operate air services between centres to a fixed schedule and on a regular basis. At June 1978, Victorian commuter services of the type in question were operating on a regular basis between Melbourne and centres such as Flinders Island, Sale - Bairnsdale, Queenstown, Warrnambool - Portland, Mallacoota - Merimbula, Bendigo - Swan Hill - Mildura, and Geelong. 2.6 Regular public transport operations are those in which an aircraft is operated in accordance with an airline licence, to carry passengers and cargo according to fixed schedules and on specified routes. Both domestic and international services of this type are based at, or terminate at Melbourne Airport. V1ctor1an. ' . Aero d romes l 2.7 The major aerodromes in Victoria are owned and operated by the Commonwealth Government through the Department of Transport. Since 1957, Commonwealth Government policy has been that aerodromes (except capital city airports) should be owned and operated by local authorities under the Local Ownership Plan. 2.8 At present there are eight Commonwealth Government owned aerodromes at Melbourne (Tullamarine), Avalon, Bacchus Marsh, Essendon, Mallacoota, Mangalore, Moorabbin and Sale and twenty eight licensed aerodromes at Ararat, Bairnsdale, Ballarat, Benalla, Bendigo, Birchip, Corryong, Echuca, Hamilton, Hopetoun, Horsham, Kerang, Latrobe Valley, Maryborough, Mildura, Nhill, Orbost, Portland, Robinvale, St. Arnaud, Shepparton, Stawell, Swan Hill, Warracknabeal, Warrnambool, Whittlesea, Wycheproof, and Yarram. 2.9 The licences of all licensed aerodromes, except Whittlesea, are held by the local government authority, in ~·:ose municipality the aerodrome is located. Under the local ownership plan, the Commonwealth Government will pay 50 percent of the development costs of new aerodromes or transfer existing aerodromes free of cost to local authorities and then pay 50 percent of future approved maintenance and development costs. Similar assistance is given to a local authority to develop and maintain aerodromes which are, or will be served by a regular public transport service. Local authorities which have received developmental assistance include Ballarat, Bendigo, Birchip, Hopetoun, Latrobe Valley, Maryborough, Portland, Robinvale, St. Arnaud, Shepparton and Warrnambool. 5. 2.10 The assistance authorised by the Commonwealth Government to Victorian local authorities for aerodrome works during the year ending 30th June 1978 was $47,254 for development, and $191,034 for maintenance works. 2.11 In addition to these main aerodromes, there are hundreds of authorised landing areas which serve the needs of the increasing number of 1 ht aircraft and glider users throughout Victoria. Administration. 2.12 Commonwealth Govenment authority for regulatory control of civil aviation rests in the Air Navigation Act 1920 as amended. Aircraft