ALP’s aviation pledge
Plibersek commits funds for flight school
LABOR’S Deputy Leader has reconfirmed the party’s commitment to loosening the purse strings of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility for expenditure in the Far North.
Tanya Plibersek was in Cairns yesterday to pledge $10 million towards the final stage of CQUniversity’s Asia-Pacific Aviation Hub.
The flight school, based at Cairns Airport, aims to help fill a worldwide shortage of pilots during the next 20 years.
Speaking generally about federal investment in the Far North, Ms Plibersek pointed out the lack of dollars the NAIF had invested in the region under the auspices of the LNP.
Since it was launched four years ago, the Cairns based NAIF has failed to provide loans from its $1 billion chest to local projects.
Two projects in Townsville have received approval for NAIF loans, including $98 million for James Cook University’s Technology Innovation Complex, and $50 million for a redevelopment of Townsville Airport.
Asked how Labor would use NAIF funds in the Far North, Ms Plibersek said money would be invested in “projects that are brought to us that add to economic development.”
“We’ve said that we want to see projects – including infrastructure projects – that have jobs in their creation, and the improvement to the economy is ongoing,” she said.
“Cairns is a great example, because so many jobs here rely on tourism.
“Tourism’s going to continue to be a vitally important industry for northern Queensland.
“Agriculture is another area that we want to see more investment and more opportunity in.
“Labor’s made funding commitments on roads, on rail, on port and airport infrastructure.
“And the ones that are ultimately funded through the NAIF are ones that have the strongest business case.”
She declined to give any specific examples of Far North projects that may receive a NAIF loan in the near future.