❓ Ms D'Anna asks about the effectiveness of the regional airfare zone cap scheme in supporting regional Western Australians and connecting communities with essential services. The Minister for Transport responds by outlining the scheme's success and further investments in regional air services and infrastructure.
AnsweredQoN 282Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
AIRFARES — REGIONS
282. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Minister for Transport:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's effort to reduce the cost of
living for families across Western Australia.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how this
government's regional airfare zone cap scheme is supporting Western
Australians living in regional WA?
(2) Can the minister advise the house how this scheme
is connecting regional communities with essential services?
282. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Minister for Transport:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's effort to reduce the cost of
living for families across Western Australia.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how this
government's regional airfare zone cap scheme is supporting Western
Australians living in regional WA?
(2) Can the minister advise the house how this scheme
is connecting regional communities with essential services?
AnswerView source ↗
Thank you very much, member.
(1)–(2) Across
the government and across my portfolio we are very much concentrating on making
sure that we can relieve cost-of-living pressures. That is why there has been a
number of initiatives across the state. Of
course, across the metropolitan area we have the two-zone fare cap. On the
first Sunday of every month public
transport will be free. A major initiative for regional Western Australia has
been the cap on regional airfares. This is the first time across the
nation that this type of policy has been introduced. We have seen incredible success. Over 66 000 flights were under
that capped scheme in the first six months of its operation. From the member's electorate alone, we
have had 8 000 flights from Broome and over 1 000 from Kununurra ,
whereby people have taken advantage of guaranteed capped fares that are
supporting regional Western Australians. In this budget, we will again be
increasing the budget for the capped scheme by another $20 million to ensure
that we can continue to roll out this scheme and ensure that regional Western Australians
can take advantage of this truly nation-first initiative.
We
are also implementing other initiatives. We will provide $800 000 over the next
four years for a third weekly return service on the Kununurra–Halls
Creek–Balgo route. We will provide another $1.3 million to continue the
subsidised flights between Broome and Derby, and $2.3 million to seal the
Warmun community airstrip in the East Kimberley, allowing it to receive
flights, in particular for medical emergencies. On top of that, we will be
investing $750 000 to carry out a study of 34 airstrips in remote Aboriginal
communities, understanding that in extreme weather events, it is the ability to
land to deliver essential services and to take off in these remote communities
that is essential, in particular at times of natural disaster.
It is a significant package of
nation-first initiatives that supports the cost of living, but in particular
all our workers and residents in regional WA to make sure that they can fly in
and out of the city at a guaranteed affordable rate.
The SPEAKER : The member for
Cottesloe with the last question.
(1)–(2) Across
the government and across my portfolio we are very much concentrating on making
sure that we can relieve cost-of-living pressures. That is why there has been a
number of initiatives across the state. Of
course, across the metropolitan area we have the two-zone fare cap. On the
first Sunday of every month public
transport will be free. A major initiative for regional Western Australia has
been the cap on regional airfares. This is the first time across the
nation that this type of policy has been introduced. We have seen incredible success. Over 66 000 flights were under
that capped scheme in the first six months of its operation. From the member's electorate alone, we
have had 8 000 flights from Broome and over 1 000 from Kununurra ,
whereby people have taken advantage of guaranteed capped fares that are
supporting regional Western Australians. In this budget, we will again be
increasing the budget for the capped scheme by another $20 million to ensure
that we can continue to roll out this scheme and ensure that regional Western Australians
can take advantage of this truly nation-first initiative.
We
are also implementing other initiatives. We will provide $800 000 over the next
four years for a third weekly return service on the Kununurra–Halls
Creek–Balgo route. We will provide another $1.3 million to continue the
subsidised flights between Broome and Derby, and $2.3 million to seal the
Warmun community airstrip in the East Kimberley, allowing it to receive
flights, in particular for medical emergencies. On top of that, we will be
investing $750 000 to carry out a study of 34 airstrips in remote Aboriginal
communities, understanding that in extreme weather events, it is the ability to
land to deliver essential services and to take off in these remote communities
that is essential, in particular at times of natural disaster.
It is a significant package of
nation-first initiatives that supports the cost of living, but in particular
all our workers and residents in regional WA to make sure that they can fly in
and out of the city at a guaranteed affordable rate.
The SPEAKER : The member for
Cottesloe with the last question.
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