THE LINCHPIN of Geelong’s economic future, Avalon Airport, is under a cloud as broken rail link promises strike its international ambitions.
With 800 Qantas maintenance jobs gone, Jetstar flights to Brisbane halted and Geelong patronage down from 60 to 20 per cent of total passenger traffic, the airport is battling to fulfill its potential as regional transport hub.
Labor Member for Lara John Eren this week attacked the Napthine Government for failing to spend $50 million it committed to a building a rail line into the airport.
The Government promised to spend the money in its first term, which ends in November. It will instead spend $5 million on planning.
Mr Eren urged the Government to “go back to the drawing board”, be “realistic” and “not make promises (it) will break”.
“International carriers, like any multi-million dollar business, would want assurance from government, a trust in the government, that their money won’t be wasted if they make an investment in Avalon,” Mr Eren said.
“I understand there’s a business case from Avalon that needs to be put and I think it has a great memorandum of understanding with a China airline at the moment, plus Jetstar and other possibilities, but you need truth from the State Government about assistance, not airy-fairy, pie-in-the-sky promises like the rail link and not keeping promises.
“Avalon is too important for Geelong. They better make sure they get this right.”
Committee for Geelong chairman Dan Simmonds expressed concern about the decline in Geelong patronage.
“At the outset, 60 per cent of Jetstar passengers departing from Avalon resided in the Geelong region but this figure has now reduced to something like 20 per cent,” he said.
“If Geelong wishes to keep Avalon functioning it must heed the warning evidenced by these figures that it must provide greater support to Jetstar in its operations from Avalon.”
Mr Simmonds said Avalon was crucial to Geelong.
“A functioning Avalon Airport and in fact an expansion of the services being conducted from Avalon is an essential part of Geelong’s future. A component of a successful second-tier city includes having access to such a facility.”
Avalon chief Justin Giddings said the rail line was crucial to Avalon’s development and important to international players.
But as long as the project was “in the pipeline” the rail delay was not an issue, he said.
Mr Giddings considered criticism of the delay “a little bit unfair” given the suspension of Tiger flights in 2010, a reduction in Jetstar activity airport and the impact of Ford and other shutdowns on Avalon.
“I’m okay where it’s at,” he said.
“We need to really prove to them it will be value for money.
“It’s chicken and egg when you look at demands on the budget and putting in a rail link when there’s just five flights. They’re moving forward but we need get more international and domestic flights in before we get rail – you have to be realistic.
“As for the budget, it’s not like it has to be in there. The last thing we want is to have it in, not enough flights and people jumping on it.”
— NOEL MURPHY
