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By Chris Herde and Jim Dickins Federal Government plans for airports to pay for security upgrades costing up to $180 million is another blow to the already-hurting tourism industry, a leading lobby group says. Tourism Task Force managing director Christopher Brown said the costs would be passed on to travellers and was "a tax by any other name". Transport Minister John Anderson announced yesterday all airports handling jet operations would conduct passenger and carry-on baggage screening. The Government would only pay a small portion towards the extra security checks, with Mr Anderson playing down the possible impact on prices. "As a member of the travelling public I wouldn't blink an eyelid at paying less than you pay for an ice-cream to know that I'm very much more secure," Mr Anderson said. But Mr Brown said the Government had out-sourced its security responsibility.". "Regardless of the protestations about this not being a tax, the charges will obviously be passed down the line by airports and airlines to passengers," Mr Brown said. "Therefore, it is a tax by any other name." Mr Brown said plane passengers were already paying levies for Ansett worker entitlements, aircraft noise, foot-and-mouth protection, and immigration control.But a spokesman for Mr Anderson said the costs would be spread across millions of travellers every year, rendering individual price rises negligible. A Virgin Blue spokesman said passengers would definitely pay more. Opposition transport spokesman Martin Ferguson said a new impost would be more than the cost of an ice-cream, and he called for the scrapping of the Ansett levy. Airports will have to screen all
international baggage from 2004. Only some is X-rayed now. |
