A Critical Examination of the Impact of Government Policy on the Airfreight Service Needs of Regional Communities in Australia

Abstract

Air transport in remote regions, often referred to as regional aviation, is considered critical to the development of regional and remote communities. To many of these communities, the local airport demonstrates the success of the region. More importantly, for regional communities, access to air transport networks means an opportunity to enter and compete in markets that can’t be equally serviced by other modes of transport. It has the effect of giving regional communities the opportunity to develop sustainable business while contributing to regional economic growth (Ward, 1998). For regional, remote and sea locked communities with economies supported by the transport of perishable, low weight, high value produce, access to regional air freight networks becomes even more imperative (McGregor, 2007). However, regional communities often have limited access to airfreight opportunities. The impact of broader deregulation policies associated with the air transport and airport sectors has led to an industry in a state of disquiet and concerns from regional communities regarding freight access. This research aims to critically examine the impact of government policy on the airfreight service needs of regional communities in Australia. The outcomes of this research will assist regional communities, policy-makers, logistics, and air transport industry representatives as they seek to overcome the challenges hindering the development of regional aviation in Australia.