The Nationals Senate team has aligned with Centre Alliance Senator Rex Patrick to ensure costs of regional airports to implement improved security screening measures will not be passed on to regional travelers.
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In parliament Wednesday Senator Patrick sought to disallow regulations imposing security screening requirements which would have forced regional airports to recover costs through increased landing charges.
"The government has introduced a requirement for security screenings but will not pay for the ongoing operating costs," Senator Patrick said. "This is going to cause great problems in relation to regional air routes.
With the possibility of Nationals crossing the floor, its senators issued a joint statement saying there had been a late change.
"The Nationals in the Senate negotiated changes to the government cost recovery model to ensure travellers did not face disproportionate cost increases, particularly at a time when regional aviation is reeling from the consequences of COVID-19," the Nationals said in their statement.
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Nationals Senate Leader Bridget McKenzie said they supported security screening, but right now regional tourism was stagnant.
"We need to kick start it again and adding costs to regional air travel is the wrong thing to do in a post Covid-19 environment," Senator McKenzie said.
Chair of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee and Nationals Senator for Queensland Susan McDonald said regional airport operators had made it clear what increased costs would mean.
"Everyone is aware that if you increase costs on airports, they will be passed on to operators, who will pass them on to passengers," Senator McDonald said.
"At our hearings many regional airport operators told us they are concerned about the potential impacts of increased costs leading to fewer passengers, fewer services and eventually even fewer airports serving regional Australia.
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Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
