While QF hang the dead weight of Forstaff around the neck of AVA it will always be behind the 8 ball.
QF are notorious for fudging the figures, remember the 90 million hangar that was really 50 mil to build. Qantas want to outsource H/M and if they decided the time is right politically they will tell all and sundry AVA is way to expensive.
I think they made their minds up months ago, this process is just a fishing trip for future reference for when they decide to turn on Bris Vegas. Not that line maint is safe either.
I always thought personally that senior QF management got a hard on thinking about their alternate workforce at Avalon, just down the road from Tulla. H/M MEL is gone and no one in Brissy is worried by Keith's Avalon EBA storm trooper's anymore including KC.
Maybe they will stick to there old habits and build Avalon into an alternate option to Brisbane. The Fed sec is certainly doing all he can to to keep the place going. This would be a longer sighted strategy not really suited to our current, foreign, short term orientated management team. ( excuse my use of the HR : team : terminology wank )
Only time will tell.