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SENATE Official Committee Hansard COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SENATE Official Committee Hansard RURAL AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT LEGISLATION COMMITTEE (Consideration of Estimates) THURSDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 1997 BY AUTHORITY OF THE SENATE CANBERRA 1997 CONTENTS THURSDAY, 27 FEBRUARY Department of Transport and Regional Development— Program 1—Aviation—Subprogram 1.1—Aviation policy ......... 3 Subprogram 1.5—Civil Aviation Safety Authority— Subprogram 1.6—Federal Airports Corporation .............. 27 Subprogram 1.7—Airservices Australia .................... 28 Department of Primary Industries and Energy — Program 1—Industries development— Subprogram 1.1—Livestock and pastoral ................... 45 Subprogram 1.2—Crops ............................... 58 Subprogram 1.3—Fisheries ............................ 67 Program 2—Industry and community services— Subprogram 2.2—Rural ............................... 68 Subprogram 2.1—Natural resource management .............. 76 Program 1—Industries development—Subprogram 1.4—Petroleum . 78 Program 2—Industry and community services—Subprogram 2.1—Natural resource management ....................... 79 Program 4—Corporate management and policy ................ 82 Program 2—Industry and community services—Subprogram 2.3—Quarantine and Inspection Service .................... 84 Program 3—Research and assessment—Subprogram 3.2—Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics ............. 85 Program 2—Industry and community services—Subprogram 2.3—Quarantine and Inspection Service .................... 87 Thursday, 27 February 1997 SENATE—Legislation RRA&T 1 SENATE Thursday, 27 February 1997 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 Participating members: Senators Abetz, Boswell, Brown, Brownhill, Chapman, Colston, Cook, Eggleston, Ferris, Forshaw, Gibbs, Harradine, Ian Macdonald, Sandy Macdonald, Mackay, Margetts, Murray, Neal, O’Brien, Schacht, Sherry, Tierney and West The committee met at 11.49 a.m. CHAIR—On 6 February 1997, the Senate referred to the committee particulars of proposed additional expenditure in relation to the parliamentary departments in respect of the year ending 30 June 1997. The committee will consider the proposed additional expenditure at hearings today. On Tuesday evening, we will reconvene to consider any programs that remain outstanding—hopefully, there will not be any. Committee members and participating members have been provided with portfolio budget statements for each of the portfolio areas to be considered. I propose to call on the estimates by subprograms as they appear in the hearing schedule as determined by the committee, which has been circulated. I add here that these programs are the ones that have been identified by individual senators as programs on which they wish to ask questions. There are a couple there for which there was not expenditure, but we decided to let people ask their questions anyhow. The committee is required to report to the Senate on the consideration of these additional estimates by 6 March 1997. Answers to questions on notice arising from these hearings should be received by the committee no later than Wednesday, 26 March 1997. The committee has authorised the recording and broadcasting of its proceedings in accordance with rules contained in the order of the Senate of 23 August 1990. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Proposed expenditure, $3,306,000 (Document A). Proposed provision, $364,380,000 (Document B). In Attendance Senator Alston, Minister for Communications and the Arts Department of Transport and Regional Development— Executive Mr John Bowdler, Deputy Secretary RURAL AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT RRA&T 2 SENATE—Legislation Thursday, 27 February 1997 Program 1—Aviation Subprogram 1.1—Aviation Policy Mr Peter Harris, First Assistant Secretary Ms Carol Boughton, Assistant Secretary, Aviation Industry Mr Daryl Quinlivan, Assistant Secretary, Airports Subprogram 1.2—Aviation Operations Mr Paul Merner, First Assistant Secretary Dr Hugh Milloy, Assistant Secretary, Sydney West Airport Taskforce Mr John Elliott, Assistant Secretary, Aviation Environment Branch Mr David Southgate, Director, Operations Section, Aviation Environment Mr Lloyd Binks, Director, Policy and Standards Section, Aviation Security Mr John Gratton, Director, Operations Section, Aviation Security Subprogram 1.5—Civil Aviation Safety Authority Mr John Pike, Deputy Director Mr Terry Wilson, General Manager, Flying Operations Ms Sue Leitch, General Manager, Airways Surveillance and Regulations Mr Frank Grimshaw, General Manager, Airworthiness Mr Rob Elder, General Manager, Corporate Relations Subprogram 1.6—Federal Airports Corporation Mr Peter Snelling, General Manager, Network Airports Mr Allan Gray, Chief Financial Officer 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 David Gale, General Manager, Facilities Management Mr Andrew Fleming, Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Finance Program 2—Land Transport Subprogram 2.1—Road and Rail Policy Mr Bruce Gemmell, First Assistant Secretary Mr Neville Potter, Assistant Secretary, Roads Ms Robyn Beetham, Assistant Secretary, Rail Subprogram 2.2—Federal Office of Road Safety Mr Peter Makeham, First Assistant Secretary Dr Tony Ockwell, Assistant Secretary, Road User Mr Lindsay Evans, Director, Policy and Emissions Section Subprogram 2.3—Australian National Mr Andrew Neal, Managing Director RURAL AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT Thursday, 27 February 1997 SENATE—Legislation RRA&T 3 Ms Laurel Black, Corporate Business Manager Program 3—Maritime Subprogram 3.1—Maritime Mr Kym Bills, First Assistant Secretary Mr Neil Ada, Safety Team Subprogram 3.2—Australian Maritime Safety Authority 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 Program 5—Corporate Direction and Support Subprogram 5.2—Management Support and Advice Mr Bill Ellis, First Assistant Secretary Mr Peter Robertson, Acting Assistant Secretary, Finance and Services Department of Finance— Mr Bert Johnston Mr Kevin McAndrew Ms Josephine Zikas CHAIR—The first portfolio to be considered is transport and regional development. I welcome the honourable minister and officers of the department and associated authorities. At the last hearings I applied what a number of chairmen did—the 15-minute rule. After 15 minutes of somebody in continuous questions, I will offer other members of the committee the chance to ask questions. Everybody liked it last time and it worked, so I intend to apply the same rule again, unless I am overruled. Minister, would you like to make an opening state- ment? Senator Alston—No. Program 1—Aviation Subprogram 1.1—Aviation policy Senator BOB COLLINS—Mr Harris, if I were driven from Parliament House to the Canberra airport in a Comcar and caught an aircraft from the Canberra airport to Darwin, would the Comcar be able to get to the Darwin airport in time to pick me up and take me to my electorate office? Mr Harris—I think that is extremely unlikely. Mr Bowdler—Unless there were severe problems with the flight. Senator BOB COLLINS—It looks like that option is out for me then. If we could go to the portfolio estimates statements in respect of the savings on Adelaide airport, I note that there is a sum of $20.6 million listed there as a saving. Was it the department’s original view that it was likely that money would have been spent in this particular financial year? Mr Harris—No, Senator. RURAL AND REGIONAL AFFAIRS AND TRANSPORT RRA&T 4 SENATE—Legislation Thursday, 27 February 1997 Senator BOB COLLINS—Are you in a position now to advise what money is likely to be spent this year and in 1997-98 and 1998-99? Mr Harris—The estimates that have been provided are the best estimates that we have available to us right now. I have to say that I am not 100 per cent certain that all that money that is currently allocated will be spent this year. A lot of it depends on the timing of the Joint Public Works Committee’s decision on the FAC proceeding with the works. Senator BOB COLLINS—Where is that at the moment? Do you know? Mr Harris—My understanding is that Joint Public Works Committee has had hearings, but a decision is about a fortnight away. Senator BOB COLLINS—On the Adelaide airport, I wanted to ask a number of questions about the noise effects of the runway extension, which as you know is a fairly live topic. Is it true that, as a result of the runway extension, that ANEF levels will prevail in some areas around the airport which, if they occurred in Sydney, would attract insulation assistance? Mr Harris—I cannot answer that question, Senator. Senator BOB COLLINS—Is there anyone who can? Mr Harris—Perhaps Mr Southgate, who is our in-house expert on environmental impacts of noise of airports, can provide you with an answer. Mr Southgate—It is my understanding that in Adelaide there are already areas within the 30 ANEF and there will continue to be areas within the 30 ANEF. At Sydney airport, if their residences are within the 30 ANEF, they are eligible for inclusion in the residential insulation program. Senator
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