Sky News Regional Breakfast interview with Rhiannon Elston

RHIANNON ELSTON [HOST]: The Albanese Government has announced it will invest $6 million to improve 11 regional airports in Queensland. The money will be used to upgrade facilities at Hervey Bay, Roma and Gladstone airports and Gympie and Stanthorpe aerodromes as well. Joining me live is Queensland Senator and Assistant Minister for Regional Development Anthony Chisholm. Very good morning to you and we’ll get to that announcement in just a moment. But you’re in Hervey Bay right now as I understand it. How’s the weather looking?

ANTHONY CHISHOLM [ASSISTANT MINISTER]: Well, it actually looks quite calm here today, Rhiannon. So there’s a bit of a breeze. But I was in Yeppoon yesterday and Hervey Bay today. So I’ve been tracking some of those early towns that were in the path of the cyclone, and they’ve all been taking advice and preparing as best they can. It seems now the risk is further south of here. So I will be heading down to Brisbane later today. But I do get a sense that Queenslanders are taking the advice and preparing as best they can, and the Federal Government are obviously working constructively with the Queensland Government to ensure that we’re as best prepared as possible.

RHIANNON ELSTON: Okay. The Federal Government has announced more funding for regional airport upgrades across Queensland, but Western Australia and Victoria as well. What exactly is being promised?

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: We know that for a country as big as ours that we rely on aircrafts to get around and we need good quality airports and aerodromes in regional and rural Australia. So that’s what this fund is about. It’s about improving safety, whether that be some places they need good fencing to keep some of the animals out. Others around Gladstone, it’s about a patient transfer facility so that they can get people who may need to travel to Brisbane for medical emergencies. And also upgrading tarmacs and so forth, so that they can be resilient all year round from flooding. So it’s an important program and one that is very popular in regional Australia. And I’m really pleased to be in Hervey Bay today to announce their successful bid for funding around their airport as well.

RHIANNON ELSTON: Speaking about regional airports and airlines, what about Rex Airlines? Is there any update on what the government plans to do there?

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: No, it’s obviously a very complex process that’s going through at the moment. We work constructively to ensure that those regional flights were maintained and that regional Australians had the confidence to book an airline ticket, knowing that Rex would continue to fly. I travel to many parts of regional Australia and it’s often only Rex that fly there, so we want to see that second round bid be successful and someone take ownership of Rex. But we understand how important it is and want to see that service continue for regional Australia.

RHIANNON ELSTON: Yeah. Rex collapsed in part because it couldn’t compete with Jetstar. Now we see Qantas as well investing regionally, bringing more of its Q400 fleet which will increase capacity on some routes. Would the government investing in Rex mean propping it up as well? And is that the best use of taxpayer dollars?

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: We’ve been clear. We want to see that second round successful in terms of someone taking ownership of Rex. You go to many parts of regional Queensland and indeed regional Australia, and they do pay a lot in airfares. So I think it is important to ensure that we have the right mix of competition to try and keep airfares down. But the reality is for many of the towns that these Rex cover, they are the only ones that fly there. So it’s important that we recognise that. And as a federal government, we want to ensure that service continues. Often when you’re flying Rex, you’ll be seeing an elderly person who is travelling to the city for healthcare, for instance. So that sort of work that Rex does is really important for regional Australia. That’s why the Federal Government wants to ensure that it continues.

RHIANNON ELSTON: Okay. We just had the member for Hinchinbrook, Nick Dametto, on the program a short time ago. Now, he said the Federal Government’s flood recovery grant system has failed in North Queensland. Many people have been denied payments and neighbours are split on who can get a flood recovery payment and who can’t. Is he right that the system has failed?

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: I know that Minister McAllister was working really constructively with the Queensland State government, was visiting regularly. I’m sure- I’m happy, I know Nick well. I’d be happy to follow up with Nick and have a chat to him to ensure that we’ve got the best possible advice about what’s happening on the ground. Obviously, Queensland is a big state. It’s impossible to be everywhere, but we want to ensure that we’re doing our part to support those people who have been impacted by weather events up in North Queensland. I know that it does have a devastating impact on communities and we need to be there for the long term, so if there are things we can learn and improve from that, I’d be more than happy to have a chat with Nick about that.

RHIANNON ELSTON: Okay. Anthony Chisholm, thank you so much for your time this morning.

ANTHONY CHISHOLM: No worries, Rhiannon. Thank you.