The ‘long walk’ at Melbourne Airport - Pickup/Dropoff

[downgraded]

I suspect they chose not to do it because it won't be this long of a walk in 4 years time and they'd need to rip it out in 2030 or so.

I think everyone is forgetting that the new check in / arrivals hall door in 2031 will be pushed way out close to the old pick up and drop off lanes. This will be a lot shorter of a walk to check in hall.

The walk to the check in area really isn't very far, the hyperbole related to the distance to the furthest departure gate is somewhat obscuring the reality. However, AKL has the "add on" travellators that sit on top of the ground to and from the farther gate areas - that's something MEL could have included to get people across the foot bridges without walking, or maybe a gondola?