Perth domestic airport an embarrassment: Premier

[SeaWolf]

Perth domestic airport an embarrassment: Premier - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The Premier Alan Carpenter has described Perth's Domestic Airport as an embarrassment to the state and called on its owners to embark on an immediate upgrade.

Mr Carpenter has told Parliament he had first hand experience of the airport's shortcomings when he returned from last week's COAG meeting in Adelaide.

The Airport's Chief Executive Brad Geatches says he shares the Premier's concerns and says an announcement on a major redevelopment will be made within weeks.

I'll be very curious to see what the redevelopment announcement contains, probably more plans for warehouses...

 

[simongr]

Umm the Premier only experienced PER problems for the first time coming back from COAG? Has he never flown before? Just how delayed were his bags do you reckon....

 

[oz_mark]

Umm the Premier only experienced PER problems for the first time coming back from COAG? Has he never flown before? Just how delayed were his bags do you reckon....

I would assume by first hand he meant he experiencd himself, rather than meaning it was the first time he had experienced it. A more lengthy article in The West, says he had talks with the airport last year, and I assume that his latest statements resulted from the lack of progress that he saw.

Perth Airport an embarrassment, says Carpenter : thewest.com.au

 

[oz_mark]

...and the airport responds.

Perth Airport : Media Releases

Perth Airport has responded to comments in Parliament by Premier Alan Carpenter by issuing an assurance that a major announcement on the future of the airport would be made within the next four weeks.

Premier Carpenter had criticised Perth Airport during Question Time for failing to commit to a major upgrade following massive increases in passenger demand in recent years.

Perth Airport CEO Brad Geatches said that Perth Airport had accelerated planning for major investments in airport redevelopment and is soon to release its plans to all stakeholders, including the Western Australian public.

​

 

[SeaWolf]

Well, at least they've indirectly admitted there's a problem and aren't flapping around claiming that it's a ridiculous statement.

 

[oz_mark]

Middle of last year they said there would be announcement by the end of the year.So don't hold your breath

 

[Keith009]

Airport set for $500m boost | The Australian

Spokesman Malcolm Bradshaw later told The Australian it included a staged upgrade that would transform the airport into the best in Australia. He said the present capacity of eight million passengers a year would rise to 12 million by about 2015, and eventually handle up to 20 million. He also said the domestic and international airports, currently split between two sites, would be consolidated.

 

[mainly tailfirst]

Airport set for $500m boost | The Australian

Typical infrastructure planning in WA.
1. Let things lapse.
2. Don't do anything until SA improves their equivalent.
3. Do half coughd patch jobs until it is clear that a fresh start is required.
4. Then spend more than twice the dough ten years later to end up with something reasonably equivalent.
5. rinse and repeat.

I can't believe they are prepared to spend twice the amount on a new footy ground than fixing up the airport. I'd wager the later brings more $$$ to the state.

mt

 

[SeaWolf]

I can't believe they are prepared to spend twice the amount on a new footy ground than fixing up the airport. I'd wager the later brings more $$$ to the state.

The difference is that the footy ground is a state government project, operated and controled by the state gov. The airport on the other hand is a private company operating on federal land. The only real influence the state gov has over the airport is by putting on political pressure or getting the federal gov to put on political pressure.

And realistically, why would the airport corporation bother doing much to upgrade the facilities? What are people going to do? Go and fly into another airport? There isn't one.

 

[mainly tailfirst]

The difference is that the footy ground is a state government project, operated and controled by the state gov. The airport on the other hand is a private company operating on federal land. The only real influence the state gov has over the airport is by putting on political pressure or getting the federal gov to put on political pressure.

And realistically, why would the airport corporation bother doing much to upgrade the facilities? What are people going to do? Go and fly into another airport? There isn't one.

Aah yes, forgot about that little federal/state issue. Must be getting old.
For some reason I thought SA was a State/private funding deal, but some research shows the state paid for little (some roads), the terminal was privately funded.

Still, what would WAC be worth these days? $1B plus? Maybe the WA gov should make a bid for it? Then it could be a proper election issue with a government actually doing some infrastructure development that has a hope of making money.

mt

 

[oz_mark]

Typical infrastructure planning in WA.
1. Let things lapse.
2. Don't do anything until SA improves their equivalent.
3. Do half coughd patch jobs until it is clear that a fresh start is required.
4. Then spend more than twice the dough ten years later to end up with something reasonably equivalent.
5. rinse and repeat.

And this is different to any other state (substituting a relevant other state in point 2)

 

[mainly tailfirst]

And this is different to any other state (substituting a relevant other state in point 2)

Based on nothing more than newspaper reading of the past decade, I'd put the mainland states in this order (best to worst):

1. Qld (except coal handling facilities, oh and don't get sick)
2. Vic (except tunnels that leak, oh and don't get sick)
3. SA (except power stations, oh and don't get sick)
4. NSW(except road tunnels, oh and don't get sick)
5. WA (except stadia, rail tunnels, but you can get a little unwell)

No idea about Tassie, though I hear they do a good Dam or three.

Obviously I'm blaming governments for failed private operations as well (e.g. NSW & Cross City), but I think that's fair game. Governments shouldn't privatize/allow private development of certain infrastructure in the first place.

mt

 

[oz_mark]

Got an email from Perth Airport giving a run down on some of the bandaids that are going to be applied. Still nothing on any long term plan.

What's happening at Your Perth Airport - new roads and more parking.

Work has started on major improvements to the road network and car parking at Perth?s Domestic Terminals.


New roads are now being built which will reduce traffic congestion and provide a safer pedestrian environment. Close to 2,000 new car parking bays will be delivered in 2008, with a further 2,000 planned throughout 2009 and 2010.


A new courtesy shuttle bus service will commence later in 2008 taking passengers from dedicated points in the car parks directly to the Domestic Terminals. The service will run every 10 minutes and will be supported by air-conditioned shuttle bus stops where passengers will have the opportunity to remotely check-in.


Members of the public will also be able to take advantage of a new link road between the Domestic and International Terminals. This will avoid the need to use Tonkin Highway when travelling between the Terminals.


These improvements will ensure that the existing Perth Domestic Terminals will operate effectively as we move towards the delivery of a major new Perth Airport redevelopment.

 

[JohnK]

Governments in Australia should never have been allowed to give control of our airports to private enterprise.

 

[mainly tailfirst]

Governments in Australia should never have been allowed to give control of our airports to private enterprise.

Agreed. But isn't that *one* government only that should be blamed? Not that I think for a moment that the states wouldn't flog them off, but short of it being an election issue, I don't know what we as voters could have done?

mt

 

[simongr]

Governments in Australia should never have been allowed to give control of our airports to private enterprise.

None of them seem to be doing much good with Health, Education, Roads, Policing, the Environment, Water manager, infrastructure, public transport...have to wonder who could do things well..

 

[oz_mark]

And when the aust government threatened to take over control of ports it got this:

THE Federal Government should fix Perth Airport before trying to take over other WA's infrastructure, according to the State Government.
Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said airports and telecommunications were the only infrastructure for which Canberra had responsibility, and the standard of delivery of both in WA was at best mediocre.

“Western Australians should be very suspicious of attempts by the Federal Government to move in on infrastructure,” she said.

“Canberra has no experience in constructing and managing roads, ports or other transport infrastructure, except for airports.

Perth Airport 'a federal failure' | PerthNow

 

[JohnK]

Agreed. But isn't that *one* government only that should be blamed?

I think they are all getting in on the act. The latest is the Queensland government.

Airports sold to fund hospitals.

They are valuing CNS, MKY and ISA airports at only $800 million!

I don't know what we as voters could have done?

Protests, petitions, anything to let them know we are/were against it. It should have been an election issue. Too late now.

SYD airport is a goldmine and it is in the hands of Macquarie Bank. Surely the goverment stood a small chance of reaping the same benefits. What will happen when the government runs out of public assets to sell?

 

[clifford]

I think they are all getting in on the act. The latest is the Queensland government.

Airports sold to fund hospitals.

They are valuing CNS, MKY and ISA airports at only $800 million!


Protests, petitions, anything to let them know we are/were against it. It should have been an election issue. Too late now.

SYD airport is a goldmine and it is in the hands of Macquarie Bank. Surely the goverment stood a small chance of reaping the same benefits. What will happen when the government runs out of public assets to sell?

Let's hope that these new hospitals are better than their counterparts in NSW (or Northern Tassie for that matter) and that the selection processes are improved for medical staff (remember Doctor Death?).

As we all know, airports are only frequented by silvertails, so it's OK to bleed them dry.

 

[oz_mark]

Perth domestic airport an embarrassment: Premier - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)



I'll be very curious to see what the redevelopment announcement contains, probably more plans for warehouses...

Weeks later and all that is on their website is some info on more roadworks...