Hobart Airport to Get $3.5m Facelift, Motels

November 12, 2003

Airport to Get $3.5m Facelift, Motels
Hobart Mercury, Australia

A $3.5 MILLION refurbishment of Hobart Airport and details of a
multi-million motel and caravan park development at the site were
announced yesterday.

The domestic terminal will be remodelled for the first time since the 1960s.

Hobart International Airport Pty Ltd chairman Peter Morgan said most of
the $3.5 million would be spent on internal work.

"No one would argue there was not a need for a facelift and additional
capacity for passengers and their friends and family," Mr Morgan said.

"We will have better check-in and screening points which will reduce
queues at peak times."

Work is due to begin in February and finish by July.

The unused international terminal will stay the same.

Making the announcements, Premier Jim Bacon confirmed a motel and caravan
park on land adjoining the Tasman Highway and airport roundabout.

Plans have been made for an 80-room motel, a 100-site caravan park and
shop and service station facilities on the land in front of the airport.

HIAPL chief executive officer Wayne Tucker said developers Peter Smith, of
Devonport, and Tony Nikro, of Canberra, had been selected from several
bidders.

"We've had a for lease sign out there for about three years and never had
a response, but in the past three months we've been besieged, with about
four or five responses," Mr Tucker said.

He said there were many inquiries about people wanting accommodation at or
near the airport.

In particular people were keen to stay nearby for the first or last night
of a tour.

The accommodation would be 3-1/2 or four stars.

Mr Tucker said the airport continued to seek prospective airlines to use
the international terminal, with New Zealand high on the list.

He said there had been a strong chance before the SARS virus crisis of a
Singapore-Adelaide-Hobart-Singapore route.

Liberal leader Rene Hidding welcomed the announcement but said it showed
Mr Bacon wanted to keep Tasmanians in the dark over yet another secret
dealing with taxpayer-owned assets.

Mr Hidding said the Premier's October 1 denial in Parliament he knew
anything about a development was an attempt to keep it under wraps.


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