One dot low, you are speaking to someone with A background in industry development and direct experience of the Sydney push monopolising international direct flights.
At Ansett I worked up a proposal to break the QF monopoly on TFC's on U.S. and European B747 traffic which required that any B747 from those destinations to transit through Sydney inwards or outwards. This gave rise to the passenger perception that Melbourne and Brisbane were Three hours further from London and New York than Sydney.
I had letters of support from Jurgen Von Haldenwang of LH and United (and I think Pan Am and KLM from memory). The proposal was based on the marginal cost of adding to the maintenance and spares investment we were making for the introduction into service of the B767.
My proposal went up the tree three times and the last time I was told that Sir Peter would fire the lot of us if we tried to break that Qantas monopoly.
Later in my career working for government I learned that direct international Air services are a critical determinant for the destination of foreign investment and the penny dropped.
To put that another way, Alice Springs would be the financial hub of Australia if all New York and London flights terminated there. After 20+ hours in an aircraft, a business executive will get off and stay off at the first available stop.
To put that yet another way, Sydney would not have capacity problems, in my opinion, if it didn't cart unwilling Victorians and Queenslanders on their way somewhere else through its portals.