BRUMBY AND ROBERSTS DISCUSS MELBOURNE AIRPORT

Monday, 21 July 2008
Summary: Victorian Premier John Brumby and Tiger Airways Managing Director Shelley Roberts answer questions about the increased use of Melbourne Airport, and the creation of new jobs by Tiger Airways.  The Premier discusses Melbourne rainfall, construction start on the north-south pipeline, and increased park and ride facilities.
REPORTER:    If I can start just by asking Sally about the three new aircraft: why is Tiger bringing on and being able to be in a position to bring on three new aircraft when a lot of airlines are actually reducing their capacity? 

SHELLEY ROBERTS:    We are absolutely religious about our business model at Tiger.  What we do is we’re constantly looking at the cost base to eliminate any unnecessary cost without compromising on security, safety and punctuality.  So, we don’t waste our customers’ money on things that aren’t important to us like office blocks in the middle of town; we make sure that we’re delivering what the customer wants which is low, low fares to everybody in Australia. 

REPORTER:    Premier, given the number of people using the airport, would you like to see a day where there’s a rail link? 

JOHN BRUMBY:    Well, I think the rail link, you know, there will be, I think, at some stage in the long term, I think that issue will come back on the agenda.  But, as you know, we looked at that when we came to government: the numbers weren’t right.  But there’s no doubt as Melbourne continues to grow, as Victoria continues to grow, as air traffic continues to grow, and I think as the Asia Pacific increasingly becomes the hub for more aviation activity, its global share increases, these issues will come back on the agenda.  But they’re not on the agenda now; I think it’s still too early; I think there are other, higher, transport priorities.  But there is no doubt that as the airport grows and Melbourne grows, in the longer term, this issue will come back on the agenda. 

REPORTER:    Do you have to wait until the contract with CityLink is concluded before you can build a rail link out here? 

BRUMBY:    Look, I’m not sure of the…all of the detail of that – it’s some years since we’ve looked at it – but at some stage, as I said, in the longer term, you know, the issue will come back on the agenda. 

REPORTER:    You must be pleased to see all this rain falling, Premier? 

BRUMBY:    Well, I am Heidi, but I’ve been told that I’m not to make predictions about in-flows--

[laughter]

BRUMBY:    --although it was a one per cent increase last time – but, no, I’ve been told not to make predictions.

But the rain has been fantastic, actually, and I checked the computer this morning before I left home, so we’ve had widespread rain across the state.  I was in Harcourt yesterday; there was good rain in central Victoria yesterday.  I think the catchments will probably receive up to 40 mils by the end of today – I think I’m allowed to say that, safely, that they’ve had 30 mils by midnight last night.  So, this is great and we need the rain and, actually, I woke up this morning and I looked out the bedroom window, you know, and it was pouring with rain and it’s like, you know, old-fashioned winter mornings used to be.  And it’s a traditional winter morning, and we welcome the rain and we hope it continues right through the day. 

REPORTER:    The Melbourne Water website says the north-south pipe is supposed to start construction on Wednesday, but Justin Madden’s still sitting on that report: what’s happening?

BRUMBY:    Well, you’ve got to through a proper process, and we want to make sure the process is right.  So, the process requires approval at both commonwealth level and at state level and, as you know, with all of these big projects – whether it’s channel deepening, whether it’s desal, whether it’s food bowl or north-south – we want to make sure that we cross every ‘t’ and that we dot every ‘i’, and that’s what we’re doing.  And, so, those approvals will be forthcoming in the near future, but they’re not quite right yet, but they are all broadly on track, and work will start. 

And, let me just say, you know, this remains a top priority project for the Government.  Food Bowl is a great project: this is about sharing our water resources properly across the state; it’s about making sure that we drought proof the state to the maximum possible extent.  So, we’re fully committed to the project, but we want to make sure that we get all the processes right and, most importantly, that the people who want to have their say are able to have their views properly heard. 

REPORTER:    Would you expect construction before the end of the month?  Would you expect construction – sorry, guys – to begin before the end of the month? 

BRUMBY:    I don’t want to get into the hypotheticals, but we’re keen to see the project start as early as possible.  It does rely on commonwealth approvals, and I think if you remember back with the channel deepening late last year where with the commonwealth approvals there, there was more information that was sought by the Federal Government; we provided everything that was asked, and I think that took a week or two longer than was expected at the time.  So, again, we just want to make sure it’s right, but you will see work start in the near future.  

REPORTER:    Why was Bob Stensholt thinking that the Government was going to introduce boom gates at certain station car parks? 

BRUMBY:    Well, look I haven’t seen the letter, or I’m not aware of the briefing that Bob Stensholt was given.  What I can say is that I’ve not seen any proposals for putting boom gates in at railway car parks.  There are no proposals before the Government, and it’s not something that is being considered.  So, I’m not sure why that impression was given. 

What I can say is that we are, in fact, embarking on an expansion of park and ride facilities, and we announced that out of this year’s budget.  We announced, I think, an expansion of, I think, if my memory’s correct, something like 14 additional or expansions to park and ride facilities across Melbourne.  I know there are proposals in relation to Eddington, as well, for more park and ride facilities, and although I wouldn’t pre-empt our response to Eddington, I suggest that it’s quite likely that, as part of that overall response on public transport, we will be expanding the number of park and ride facilities and spaces across Melbourne.