TRANSCRIPT: REMARKS TO AAA NATIONAL CONFERENCE, 20 November 2019

**Check Against Delivery**

E&OE

Subjects: Infrastructure Funding to Regional Airports

MICHAEL MCCORMACK:

Guy - it's great, great to be with Guy. I know it's his last AAA National Conference as Chair and I do want to acknowledge the role that he has played leading the organisation, and he's leaving the organisation in Tom Ganley’s capable hands – I know Tom will do a grand job. And I know Caroline too, it's her last AAA Conference – well last AAA Conference in the role. I know that she will always be a friend. I know she's going to another sector of the transport industry.

Today has been a very special day, not just for the Gold Coast, but in certainly for Queensland as we announced a whole heap of infrastructure spending in this state. And whether you are spending money on road, rail or indeed, airports, it's still money that's going to provide additional connectivity. And when it comes to connectivity, of course airports are the gateway not just to the rest of the region, not just to the rest of the state, but indeed to the world. So thank you on behalf of a grateful Federal Government for what you do to get people to where they need to be sooner and safer. But the fact is that you are a gateway to the world, and I want to acknowledge that.

And that is why indeed we are spending $100 million upgrading regional airports for taxiways and runways. I know during the last election, the Member for Mallee, or the candidate for Mallee as she was then, really got on my back about spending $2 million for a transport landing system, for an instrument landing system, sorry, at Mildura airport. And when we finally announced it – because I sort of argued the case that $2 million might have been spent elsewhere in that electorate, but she said: no, it needs to be spent at Mildura, needs to be spent at the airport, and it needs to happen now – and I finally caved in after much campaigning and advocacy. And Simon Clemence, the Mayor, came up to me and he said, this is the best, the best investment that the Federal Government could have made for our region. He said because not only is this the gateway to our region, but also he said I've had expressions of interest for six pilot academies already.

And that is investment at work and certainly we know how much we need more pilots – it’s hundreds of thousands going forward. I was at a Women's in Aviation Conference and I know you had a special day on Monday acknowledging and getting more women into aviation, but in Melbourne last Saturday we had a special conference and we're spending $4 million over four years trying to get women excited about being in aviation – whether they're engineers, whether they're pilots, whether they're indeed working in and around airports, doesn't matter. Fact is we need more women to be involved in the sector. But we were certainly there and talking about how important it is, and how important it is to get more pilots into the industry.

And I come from Wagga Wagga, the Australian Airline Pilot Academy is headquartered there through REX and the number of women who are putting their hands up and becoming pilots is fantastic. But you are an absolute important sector to Australian transport, to the Australian Government and that's why we are spending $100 million on improving airports around the regions – that's why I know it is important, and certainly with the Gold Coast airport here, and I acknowledge the team that make that airport tick each and every day.

When we look at the number of people who come to Australia as international tourists, 46 per cent of those people use regional destinations as their first choice. Now that's a big, big number and so we need to have the right airport facilities. Appreciating the fact that we've got a Productivity Commission report – I said I wouldn't say but I did – but we've got that report to Government, a report to Government not by government, but we will acknowledge and respond to that in due course in the not too distant future. Appreciating the role that you play. Appreciating the fact that everybody needs to get on as best they can because it's the commuters at the end of the day who are the most important, I know AAA acknowledges that. I know the roles that you go to make sure that customers come first, are first and foremost happy, are first and foremost serviced well, I know the role that you play. I appreciate the role that AAA has as the overarching body. I know there are a number of people who are up for awards tonight, and I wish each and every one of you, because you are the best of the best – whether you are nominated, whether you are actually one of those who actually receives a gong – well done for getting this far, well done for being here tonight. Life is about those who turn up, you certainly turn up each and every day to run the best airports that you can across our nation.

You have a Government which is very grateful for what you do and whether you're at the top of the country, whether you are at the bottom of the country, whether you are anywhere in between, we say thank you for the investment that you make in your airports. We say thank you for the investment that you are making in the industry and for making Australian skies very, very safe. We appreciate that. We acknowledge that. Have a good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

[Applause]