Aust govt to spend $18.2m more on pax baggage program

: Friday, 09 February 2007

THE AUSTRALIAN Government will extend checked bag screening to 26 regional airports. Australia's 11 major airports already screen the checked baggage of all international passengers, and these airports will also screen the checked baggage of their domestic passengers from 01 August.

The extension of checked bag screening is part of a A$57.2 million package to increase aviation security, said Mark Vaile, deputy prime minister and minister for Transport and Regional Services.

"The Government will spend an extra $18.2 million over four years to ensure that the Office of Transport Security (OTS) can maintain the intensity of its audit and inspection program. In the first six months of 2006-07, its inspectors carried out 248 audits or inspections at airports and 98 inspections or audits of airlines," said Vaile.

"The Government also will spend an extra $18.6 million over four years to establish a special accreditation scheme for land transport operators that carry air cargo for part of its journey.

"It would be excessive to force all these operators into the existing Regulated Air Cargo Agent (RACA) scheme, because they only have a limited role in the movement of air cargo. The RACA scheme was designed to cover freight forwarders and cargo terminal operators, not trucking companies.

"The new Accredited Air Cargo Agent (AACA) scheme will augment the existing regulated agent scheme and ensure that land transport operators who carry air cargo are covered by an appropriate security regime.

"The final measure in the Government's aviation security package is $5 million over four years to post senior aviation security officers to Washington DC.

"Aviation is a global business and our security is affected by policy decisions made by other countries and by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Australia needs to have a greater voice in the development of international aviation security standards."

Meanwhile, the Transport Workers Union says there are still gaping holes in airport security, despite recommendations made by aviation expert Sir John Wheeler two years ago.

The Wheeler Report recommended that along with passenger luggage, all cargo baggage should be screened for passenger flights.

The union has called for a national coordinating body to be set up to oversee security at all Australian airports.