[Peetwo]

Airport screening QON; & another WOFTAM review? - 

Via RRAT Estimates webpage: https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Bus...mates/rrat

Status Answered
Hearing Date 02/12/2022
Overdue No
Asked Of Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Proof Hansard Page/Written 11
Portfolio Question Number SQ22-000807

Question
Senator McKENZIE: So, the program is anticipated to not be extended post this financial year?
Ms Purvis-Smith: That will be a decision of government. At the moment, the program finishes on 30 June 2023, as it was previously. We're working with airports as to when we think the money might be expended.
Senator McKENZIE: Are you confident that we'll get it all out the door, given you're in conversations with regional airports regularly?
Ms Purvis-Smith: It changes all the time. Some airports actually expend their money before others, so it will depend. I think we've contracted 36 in place, with 36 airports, so we are working with that.
Senator McKENZIE: Out of a total of how many?
Ms Purvis-Smith: I think there are only two who are yet to accept. One. One has just accepted.
Senator McKENZIE: Which one is that?
Ms Purvis-Smith: I don't have that with me.
Mr Vincent: With this program, we generally don't provide too much in the way of detail of individual grantees, on the basis of security concerns. It is right that-
Senator McKENZIE: Mr Vincent, it's Senate estimates. It's okay. Probably a Liberal or a National MP knows where this airport is. I don't, and I'm asking you the question.
Mr Betts: We will take that on notice.
Ms Purvis-Smith: We can take that on notice...

Answer
Please find answer attached.

Answer:

As at 12 December 2022, 37 airports have executed funding agreements with the
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the
Arts (the department) under the Regional Airports Screening Infrastructure (RASI) program
to support the cost of the minimum necessary capital works required to accommodate
enhanced security screening requirements and/or provide a contribution towards initial
operating costs.

In addition, one airport has been offered support under the RASI program but has yet to execute a funding agreement under the program with the department or else alternatively withdraw its application. Due to the sensitive nature of releasing the details of airports required to meet security regulations, the former Minister for Finance provided an exemption from publishing grant information for individual airports under the RASI program in 2020.

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Status Unanswered
Hearing Date 02/12/2022
Overdue Yes
Asked Of Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Proof Hansard Page/Written 13
Portfolio Question Number SQ22-000808

Question
Senator McKENZIE: ... Has the department or the minister responded to the letter of 21 October from Whyalla City Council regarding the future of screening services at Whyalla Airport and the risk that cessation of that uneconomical service will actually result in the loss of Rex and Qantas services to and from Whyalla?
Mr Vincent: I'll take that on notice.
Ms Purvis-Smith: I'm not aware of whether the minister has responded to the letter.
Senator McKENZIE: Has the department received the letter?
Ms Purvis-Smith: We have received-
Senator McKENZIE: Have you drafted a response for the minister and sent it up?
Ms Purvis-Smith: I'm not sure, I'd have to take that on notice.
Senator McKENZIE: I think there'll be a corro list somewhere that will have that data-
Ms Purvis-Smith: And I don't have it to hand, Senator.
Senator McKENZIE: Well, I don't want to wait until 16 December to get that answer, because this is an
urgent problem in Whyalla now.
Ms Purvis-Smith: We'll see what we can do.
Senator McKENZIE: Can we search the corro record, please?
Ms Purvis-Smith: I might also add on Whyalla that we are talking to Whyalla all the time. We are in open conversations with Whyalla.
Senator McKENZIE: Okay.

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Status Answered
Hearing Date 02/12/2022
Overdue No
Asked Of Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Proof Hansard Page/Written 14
Portfolio Question Number SQ22-000809
Question
Senator McKENZIE: Is one of the topics being discussed the longer-term support options for sustainable security screening at regional airports? This isn't the Home Affairs incoming brief; it's yours. Is one of the options being considered long-term operational funding?
Ms Purvis-Smith: We're looking at all options in terms of when we're working with Home Affairs.
Senator McKENZIE: Including operational funding?
Ms Purvis-Smith: We haven't got to that stage, I think.
Senator McKENZIE: When did they start the review? Mr Vincent, when did they start the review?
Mr Vincent: The then Minister for Home Affairs appointed Ms Kerri Hartland to lead an independent review, including engagement with industry representatives, and to provide recommendations for targeted deregulatory initiatives.
Senator McKENZIE: When?
Mr Vincent: Not being my portfolio-
Mr Betts: We'll see if we can find it.
Senator McKENZIE: That would be great. Give someone a call.

---

Answer:

The then Australian Government announced a targeted independent review of aviation and maritime transport security regulatory settings in April 2021.

Further details are available on the website of the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs at: https://www.cisc.gov.au/legislative-information-and-reforms/aviation-and-maritime-transport-security/reviews-and-inquiries

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Status Unanswered
Hearing Date 02/12/2022
Overdue Yes
Asked Of Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Proof Hansard Page/Written 14-15
Portfolio Question Number SQ22-000810

Question
Senator CANAVAN: On this topic-I'm refreshing my memory-there was a review done by the then Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development. There is a version of it on your website titled Passenger security screening enhancements-case studies of financial impacts at six regional airports. This report is dated December 2019. I can distinctly remember seeing this document, but I'm not sure whether it was made public. Do people at the table remember that?
Ms Purvis-Smith: It's before my time.
Senator CANAVAN: In that document, which is a review into the security arrangements-and there's a lot that's been redacted; this was probably an FOI or some such-it says the cost at the Whyalla airport would increase by $69 per passenger. Is that figure familiar, or do you have updated figures for how much it would cost per passenger at Whyalla?
Ms Purvis-Smith: I don't have that level of detail. We can take that on notice, if you like.
Senator McKENZIE: Mr Vincent, do you have that level of detail?
Mr Vincent: That is also before my time.
Senator McKENZIE: Is it in your folder?
Senator CANAVAN: Even if it's before your time, obviously calculations were done by this department. We're talking about roughly three years ago, and we're still talking about the impact of these issues. I'm surprised that, if you don't know about that figure, you don't know the cost at the Whyalla airport per passenger of these changes.
Ms Purvis-Smith: I would need to take that on notice.
Senator CANAVAN: Do you have a figure?
Ms Purvis-Smith: I would need to take that on notice.
Senator CANAVAN: Okay...

Following the review link provided will send you to this:

Current Reviews and Inquiries

Independent Review into Australia’s Aviation and Maritime Transport Security Settings

In line with the 2021-22 Budget Deregulation Agenda, the Australian Government commissioned an independent review of Australia’s aviation and maritime transport security settings (the review). This new measure was announced in a media release on 20 April 2021 by the Hon Ben Morton MP, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

The review will ensure that Australia’s transport security framework maintains important security safeguards while also reducing red tape and unnecessary costs, which will facilitate increased trade and tourism as the aviation and maritime industries recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will also take into account findings on the current security environment, including the evolving threat of terrorism and the impact of the pandemic on the aviation and maritime industries.

The review will pinpoint ready-to-implement regulatory reform priorities in Australia’s aviation and maritime transport security frameworks, as well as reform options to deliver enduring efficiencies for industry to foster long-term growth.

To ensure that the aviation and maritime transport security framework appropriately contributes to the facilitation of economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and continues to be fit for purpose, the review will identify options to reduce the regulatory burden for industry, and streamline interactions between industry and Government.

To achieve this, the review will focus on identifying readily implementable changes, including options to:

• ensure legislative requirements are proportionate to risk
  
• reduce legislative prescription to maximise flexibility to enable industry to implement security measures, and innovative business practices and technology, that are tailored to individual operations
  
• enhance regulatory and enforcement mechanisms to enable graduated responses that are proportionate to security outcomes, and
  
• reduce regulatory ‘touch-points’ between industry and Government.
  

The review will consider reforms to the policy and legislative frameworks for transport security. This includes, but is not limited to the range of measures as outlined in the Aviation Transport Security Act 2004 and the Maritime Transport and Offshore Facilities Security Act 2003.

The review will also complement the forthcoming implementation of reforms to strengthen the security and resilience of critical aviation and maritime transport infrastructure operators, as well as other similar initiatives being undertaken within the Department of Home Affairs and broader Commonwealth agencies.

The Minister for Home Affairs, the Hon Karen Andrews MP, has appointed Ms Kerri Hartland as the independent reviewer to lead the body of work. Ms Hartland is currently the Principal Advisor at Proximity Advisory Pty Ltd. Prior to this, she was an Australian public servant for approximately 30 years prior to joining the private sector. Most notably, Ms Hartland was the former Secretary at the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, and former Deputy Director General, Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation.

In March 2022, Ms Hartland will provide the Australian Government with recommendations aimed at ensuring security settings are fit-for-purpose and sustainable.

Queries on the review can be directed to AMS.deregulation@homeaffairs.gov.au

Hmm...well March 2022 has been and gone, so what was the outcome? Or is this just another review that has been relegated to the Parliamentary shelfware warehouse? 



MTF...P2