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Air security package disappointsDate: 04 December 2003
" Regional Australia is keen to sell itself as a tourist destination to the overseas market but their pitch will be sorely cruelled if they cannot confidently talk about the security measures available at their local airports," Jo-anne Schofield, LHMU Airport Security Union Assistant National Secretary said. Regional tourism will not be happy" The failure to have a seamless national airport security standard is the greatest threat to our airports in this era - and nothing announced today goes anywhere near responding to this important demand." Tourist operators in Coffs Harbour, Rockhampton and elsewhere will not thank Mr Anderson for his refusal to look into a quality security service for regional airports with a proper financial package to support this upgrade," Jo-anne Schofield said. " The real potential for massive regional and rural job creation, in the hospitality industry especially, is significantly undermined if we cannot do anything about guaranteeing security at our regional airports. Proper funding package needed" Until the Federal Government is prepared to properly fund airport security for our 140 regional airports we will continue to have a gaping hole in the national standards that the Australian public demands." Recent independent reports on regional airport security quite correctly point out that these airports are launch pads for terror. It is not hyperbole...it is an ugly fact of life." Security card needs to be properly discussedMs Schofield said her union members will need to study closely the proposals to introduce a special security card for workers at Australian airports." There will be concerns about transparency, fairness and privacy which the government will need to properly address with their plan for a security card," Ms Schofield said. Deputy PM and National Party leader letting down his constituency" For some time we've pointed out that the Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the National party, John Anderson, is letting down his rural and regional constituency by not sitting down with the key stakeholders in the regional airport industry to work out a viable plan to deliver airport security to regional Australia." The LHMU has proposed for some time a flexible airport security plan which would allow for a national centralised airport security contract tendering process to deliver national security consistency and national training standards for part-time and casual security workers available to protect our regional airports. " Mr Anderson - who is also the Transport Minister - should be aware of the regional airport crisis because everytime this significant political figure boards a plane at his local airport in Northern NSW he and the other passengers get aboard a commercial flight without any security screening happening. " This is a terrorists daydream - a gaping hole which we should shutdown immediately," Jo-anne Schofield said. The LHMU proudly represents around 130,000 hard working women and men throughout AustraliaFor further comment: Jo-anne Schofield, LHMU Airport Security Union Assistant National Secretary, 02 8204 7231 or 0425 242 684
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