ToR released for regional aviation inquiry
By Catherine Clifford
Updated Mon 9 Dec 2013, 6:44am AEDT
Photo: Nationals' MLC, Rick Colless, Chair of the Standing Committee on State Development, who's chairing the Regional Aviation Inquiry. (Photo: Courtesy www.parliament.nsw.gov.au)
Map: Tamworth 2340
Terms of Reference for an inquiry into regional air services in New South Wales have been released.
Nationals' MLC, Rick Colless, will chair the investigation, which is being conducted by the Standing Committee on State Development.
He says the aim of the inquiry is to secure more reliable and comprehensive passenger services to and from regional centres.
Rick Colless says too many towns have lost their air services and that situation has got to change.
"The model that we're working on at the moment is failing and if we continue to apply that same model then things are going to continue to get tougher for those airlines," he said.
"So, if we can put in place a better model for service delivery and then encourage the air industry to participate in that, hopefully, we'll come to some positive outcomes."
Rick Colless says the Committee will look at the financial viability of regional carriers, their access to Sydney Airport, landing fees, impacts on towns that lose an airline, as well as the potential to develop better air services in the Bush.
He says the inquiry is not a 'witch hunt' to find poor-performing carriers, but to find long-term solutions.
"What we want to get out of this inquiry is a more reliable and a more comprehensive regular passenger transport service to and from regional centres in NSW and, while the Tamworths, Waggas and Dubbos will always have a regular passenger service, it's the smaller centres that are doing it tough."
Rick Colless says he'll convene the first meeting of the Inquiry committee this week.