Mr. Catania questions the effectiveness and accessibility of the Regional Airfare Zone Cap, particularly regarding seat availability, booking limitations for medical/family emergencies, school children, and online booking issues. The answer defends the initiative and criticizes the opposition's lack of commitment.

AnsweredQoN 531Legislative Assembly
Asked
11 May 2022
Portfolio
Transport

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the
announcement made on 31 March 2022 regarding the Regional Airfare Zone Cap launch,
and I ask: (a) Are all seats on each regional flight available at the zone cap. If not; (b) How many regional airfare zone cap seats are available on each flight listed below and what is the ratio for residential versus non-residential seats available on each flight: (i) Carnarvon/Perth/Carnarvon; (ii) Monkey Mia/Perth/Monkey Mia; (iii) Onslow/Perth/Onslow; (iv) Exmouth/Perth/Exmouth; (v) Paraburdoo/Perth/Paraburdoo; (vi) Meekatharra/Perth/Meekatharra; (vii) Mount Magnet/Perth/Mount Magnet; and (viii) Wiluna/Perth/Wiluna; (c) How do these airfares assist people living in regional areas when a return date is required at the time of booking if: (i) A person is required to fly to Perth for medical reasons and does not have a specified return date; and (ii) A person needs to travel to Perth to assist a family member/sick relative with no specific return date; (d) How do these airfares assist parents living and working in a regional area, with a child boarding and schooling in Perth, as they cannot access the Regional Airfare Zone Cap for their child to return to their home town in school holidays, as the airfare is not originating in a regional town; and (e) When booking online, past June 2022, why are specific dates (eg Saturday’s) not showing as the cheap fare?

AnswerView source ↗

Answered
14 June 2022
Responded by
Minister for Transport
Response time
8 days
The Regional Airfare Zone Cap initiative is the first of its kind in Australia, and the single biggest commitment ever made by a WA Government to increase the affordability of airfares for regional WA.
This was a key commitment made by the McGowan Government at the 2021 State Election. In comparison, the Member for North West Central and the National Party made no commitment whatsoever to improve regional airfare affordability at this election.

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