Queensland LNP called on to reject Commonwealth plan to cut firefighting capacity at regional airports

Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford today (Thursday) called on Queensland’s Opposition Leader to back passenger safety at regional airports instead of proposed cuts by the Turnbull Government.

Mr Crawford said the Member for Nanango could confirm her commitment to regional Queensland, by rejecting the Commonwealth’s plan to reduce firefighting capacity at regional airports.

“I’m calling on Deb Frecklington to show some spine and publicly reject this absurd proposal,” Mr Crawford said.

“Firefighting services at our airports are critical to the safety of travellers – and shouldn’t be the focus of cost-cutting.

“Our aviation firefighters are specifically trained. In 2014, the aviation rescue and firefighting services responded to about 6700 calls nationally relating to airport emergency assistance.

“If current firefighting services are removed from our airports under the Commonwealth proposal, the demand for QFES resources would likely increase dramatically,” Mr Crawford said.

Current Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations require an aviation fire and rescue service at every Australian airport that has at least 350,000 passengers travelling through it each year.

“However, CASA recently accepted recommendations which would weaken this standard, by raising the threshold to 500,000 passenger movements a year,” Mr Crawford said.

“The list of airports with aviation rescue and firefighting services – which are below the 500,000 threshold - include Gladstone and Hamilton Island.

“Under pressure from local communities and Federal Labor, the Turnbull Government is now back-tracking, claiming the new regulations will only apply to new sites.

“But that will still create a two-tiered system because airports with passenger movements between 350,000 and 500,000 annually will not be provided with new firefighting facilities.

“Other airports on the cusp of meeting this criterion include Proserpine.

“Will Ms Frecklington support safety in our regional communities?

“Or will she support more cuts, like she did as part of the Newman-Nicholls LNP Government, who planned to sack 46 rural fire officers and 10 support staff but were forced to back down after an angry public backlash.

“This new idea clearly makes no sense, and she needs to publicly condemn it,” Mr Crawford said.

ENDS

MEDIA 0412 393 909