Modernising Australia’s airport regulations (Stage 2)

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Initial consultation on the sunsetting review of the Airports (Control of On-Airport Activities) Regulations 1997 (the Regulations) has now closed.

Why we want your input

The proposed reforms will modernise the regulations and reduce the regulatory burden on airport users, lessee companies and other stakeholders engaged in on-airport activities at the leased federal airports.

How you can voice your opinion

Initial consultation is now closed.

What will be the outcome of this consultation?

Submissions will help inform amendments to improve the regulatory environment in which on-airport activities occur, ensuring they are fit-for-purpose with stakeholder and community expectations appropriately reflected.

The Issue

The Australian Government is reviewing the legislative instruments under the Airports Act 1996 (the Act) due to sunset on 1 April 2024 and 1 April 2025.

Stage 2 of the sunsetting review of aviation legislation aims to modernise the Act through amendments to the Regulations. In-scope on-airport activities include:

control of liquor
consumer trading
vehicle control
gambling, and
smoking.

Other issues including the management of the airports, land use, planning, environment and building controls, will be consulted on as part of later stages of the review.

Initial consultation on Stage 2 has now closed. The department thanks those who provided submissions as these will assist with informing amendment considerations to ensure a fit-for-purpose regulatory environment. If you have additional queries on Stage 2, please contact the Aviation Reform team.

The sunsetting review is a staged process and each stage will have an associated period of consultation:

Cutting red tape, duplication, inconsistencies and reporting, leasing and management of airports, and airport ownership (closed)
Modernising the Act including examining infringement notice schemes and the definition of an airport site (closed)
Streamlining Commonwealth responsibilities, control of on-airport activities (closed)
Further consultation will be undertaken in relation to arrangements for environmental protections, building control and protection of airspace.

We thank all the stakeholders who have provided feedback on earlier stages of the sunsetting review, with the next steps on these stages now underway. We acknowledge that some of the feedback received reflects consideration of broader issues around the management and planning processes for the airports. These are important issues and will inform issues to be considered in the future.

If you previously made a submission in 2018–2019 or to the Future of Australia's Aviation Sector Review Consultation Panel in 2020–2021, we will consider the views expressed in your submission for this process.

Relevant documentation

Outcome

The department received a variety of submissions from states and territories, local government areas, airports, airlines and other aviation industry stakeholders. The submissions are provided below except for those marked as confidential.

The submissions are currently under review. The feedback provided is informing the next steps in the process. Further consultation will occur over the next 12 to 18 months.

We thank all the stakeholders who provided feedback on the Stage 2 reforms.