Australian Airport Security Plan Runs into Flak

Airport Security Plan Runs into Flak
Tamworth Northern Daily Reader, Australia

Thursday, 4 December 2003

THE TAMWORTH, Armidale, Inverell and Glen Innes airports will be among some of 
the 180 airports throughout Australia which will have to partly fund extensive 
security measures announced yesterday.
The dollar for dollar funding of new security measures to come into place next 
year will put great financial pressure on them, according to the manager of the 
city council-owned Tamworth Airport, Michael Dubois.
Mr Dubois was commenting on an announcement by Acting Prime Minister and 
Transport Minister John Anderson yesterday that all airports receiving regular 
passenger transport and air freight traffic would have their security greatly 
strengthened next year.
However, he said part of the cost involved would have to be met from increased 
fees and charges to airport users.
"Landing and operations fees, among others, will have to go up, but as yet, we 
don't know exactly what security measures will have to be introduced," Mr 
Dubois said.
Releasing a $93 million package to finance an expansion of the nation's 
aviation security regulatory regime, Mr Anderson said airports handling 
passengers and freight on a daily or less-frequent basis would have their 
security upgraded.
The expanded process would also cover operators of freight aircraft, charter 
flights and private and 
corporate jets.
However, Mr Anderson's announcement that the Federal Government would provide a 
total of $14 million towards a dollar for dollar contribution to the scheme by 
airport operators such as the Tamworth City Council, was greeted with a 
negative response from the president of the Australian Local Government 
Association, Mike Montgomery of Moree.
Echoing Mr Dubois' comments, he said: "The Federal Government must think again 
and cover the full costs of upgrading security arrangements at regional 
airports owned by local councils.
"As an owner and operator of more than 200 regional airports and airstrips, 
many of which will be affected by the new security measures, local councils 
will be hard pressed to meet their allocated cost of the security upgrade," Cr 
Montgomery said.
Mr Dubois said that "at the moment, we're not quite sure what is involved".
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