MEMBER for Barker Tony Pasin will play peacemaker when he tries to resolve the dispute between Rex Airlines, Grant District Council and the Mount Gambier community.
In July Mr Pasin will meet Rex directors following their decision to drop several flights in and out of Mount Gambier.
This follows some stinging criticism of the airline, which started with Grant council, followed by passengers, flowing onto Member of Mount Gambier Troy Bell, who publicly claimed he would boycott the airline, then, the local Health Advisory Council put a submission to a Senate inquiry, severely criticising Rex’s flight cancellations and how it affected patients’ transportation.
Mr Pasin will try to negotiate a deal with Rex similar to that done by the township of Orange, NSW, where fares dropped after the passenger head tax was reduced.
However, the difference between Orange and Mount Gambier is the toxic relationship which exists between the Grant council, the community of Mount Gambier, one MP and the airline.
For some time the airline has been at loggerheads with Grant council, firstly over its decision to lift the passenger head tax, with Rex claiming it was the reason behind the drop in passenger numbers.
Then the airline got upset when Grant went ahead with a proposal to seek government funding to upgrade the Mount Gambier airport, aimed primarily at the future, allowing larger aircraft to fly in.
Of course, this also meant it was more likely other airlines might become interested in including Mount Gambier on its Adelaide and Melbourne routes, and this got up Rex’s nose to the point it made a submission to the Senate inquiry, arguing against such a proposal.
Mr Pasin and I do not agree on the proposed $40m indoor sports centre and I am sure that is something we will discuss at some future time, but in regard to the Rex saga he gets a tick of approval for taking up the challenge to find some middle ground.
Given the existing relationship between the major players he will need to use all his negotiating and communication skills if he will obtain any sort of success.
Grant mayor Richard Sage is in no position to try to negotiate a deal because of the history between council and Rex.
While city council does not own the airport, it has a huge investment there because of the economic benefit through local businesses and tourists which use the airport.
But with business and the community facing a critical crisis it was the perfect opportunity for Mount Gambier mayor Andrew Lee to make a stand.
Yet, he has made no public comment when, with such a serious situation our civic leader should be front and centre.
While it is known he and Mr Sage do not get along, this is a time to put differences behind them.
It is a time for a statesman-like approach and certainly if nothing else Mr Lee should be publicly commending Mr Pasin on his efforts to broker a deal and offering support, if needed.
Mr Pasin has shown initiative and leadership on this issue, and while Mr Lee might have been reluctant to get involved with a Grant council issue there are times when action is needed by a civic leader to “cross the boundary” and protect the city’s business and tourist interests.
This is one of those times.
It is known the Rex board are united in their stand in cutting back flight services so it will require some clever talking at that July board meeting if Mr Pasin will be successful.
While Mount Gambier cannot have an airline telling the community how it should plan for the future in regard to the airport upgrade, Rex has made its position clear and if Mr Pasin is unsuccessful then the city might react in a way that pushes passenger numbers down further.
Of course that type of reaction is extreme.
Let’s hope it does not come to that, but one thing is certain – Rex has won few friends over flight cancellations and its petty stand on the airport upgrade.
