Canberra Airport says it is being badly hit by the federal government's "brutal" cuts to travel by public servants.
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Managing director Stephen Byron says the limit on travel is affecting the entire Canberra economy and stopping public servants doing their jobs properly.
In an interview with Fairfax Media, he also criticised the secrecy by the Finance Department after it refused to give him access to data about airline travel.
However he does know there is bad news coming across his desk and he is calling for government assistance for the national capital.
“My view is that at some point as the brutality of all these cuts hits, you've got to look at some sort of stimulus for the economy," he said.
“They're not cutting fat any more, they're cutting to the bone and cutting limbs off, like cutting off your nose to spite your face.
“You can't be spending $30 million on 1200 Ford workers and spend nothing on a structural adjustment package for Canberra as an economy."
Figures supplied by the airport show a quick rebound in passenger numbers in 1996-97 when the Howard government cut the public service, but a 7.8 per cent cumulative cut over the past two years.
Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics figures show a 7.2 per cent slowdown in passenger numbers at Canberra Airport in the 12 months to December 2012.
Finance Minister Penny Wong said on April 1 that figures released that day showed the government was saving millions of dollars by reducing travel and choosing cheaper fares.
"The Whole of Australian Government Air Travel Arrangements 2012-13 Half Year Results show that, compared to the same time last year, the amount spent by government agencies on travel has decreased by $54 million (22 per cent), to $193 million, the volume of air travel has also decreased by 17 per cent," she said then.
Mr Byron said passenger numbers began to fall in January 2011 and accelerated last year when the four per cent efficiency dividend was announced.
“What we've seen is the airlines cutting services to Darwin, to Hobart and to Townsville," he said.
“We've had 26 months of negative numbers as well as those route changes by the airlines.
“That's a major hit to the Canberra economy, not only for our business, but there's less people coming into town and less going out of town.
“I think you've got to say, in no way, shape or form, no matter your wildest opinions on government waste, was there 22 per cent of unnecessary public servant travel."
Mr Byron said senior public servants told him the teleconference facilities were not adequate to cope with the cutback in travel.
“I was told just yesterday that the few central agencies that have these facilities are well and truly and booked out," he said.
“The senior public servants are telling me that you need to meet face to face with your state colleagues and with business leaders around Australia to do the job properly
“These brutal travel cuts – a four per cent efficiency dividend equals 22 less travel – means they're not doing their job properly.
“The reality is public servants need to travel to do their business and quite frankly these cuts mean the job of government is not being done and it is not being done properly."
The downturn in business comes at a bad time for Canberra Airport.
“It is the most unfortunate timing – when the terminal is largely completed and looking shiny and new is the time when your debt exposure is at its highest and it's at that time that we are seeing these poor passenger numbers, with an obvious impact on revenue," Mr Byron said.
He was astonished the department could not supply the information behind the media releases.
“On the fifth round of emails, three weeks later, I was referred back to the original media articles that reported the press release, a complete circle … the source information for the story is the story," he said.
Senator Wong's spokeswoman said the government was committed to identifying efficiencies in the public service to improve the sector and help deliver investments in DisabilityCare Australia and the National Plan for School Improvement.
"Travel savings have been achieved by booking domestic travel further in advance, selecting lower priced less flexible fares and using online booking tools rather than a travel consultant," she said.
"There has also been a reduction in the number of flights taken and, in the 2013-14 Budget, the National Telepresence System will be expanded to facilitate meetings for both MPs and Senators and the public service, with additional funding of $19.3 million over five years."