Ladies and gentlemen, Parliamentary colleagues, it is great to be here today to officially open this splendid new terminal building.
In the 19th-century it was the grandeur of railway terminals which spoke of the confidence and pride of the city or the country where you were. Today it is the grandeur of the airport terminals which speaks of the pride and confidence of the city or the country where you are and this is truly a proud and beautiful terminal.
I can remember flying into Canberra back in the 1960s. It was a small airport with an almost non-existent terminal and I can remember that white Meccano terminal that was built in the ‘80s and I thought that was the last word in opulence and luxury, but thank God it’s gone to be replaced by this truly magnificent building – a truly magnificent terminal that is part of an airport which is not just a place to board a plane but which has become an epicentre of the economy here in the Australian Capital Territory.
I do want to thank Terry Snow and the Snow family for what’s been done here. $2 billion has been invested since the Snow family took over this site, including almost half a billion dollars on this particular terminal. The airport precinct is a vital and dynamic part of the entire ACT economy, adding, as I understand it, some 12,000 jobs and contributing $1.3 billion to the local economy and that’s now, but shortly it’s thought that the contribution to the economy and the contribution to employment will double. This is not just an airport, this is a precinct, this is an industrial park, this is a technology park, this is a very dynamic part of the local economy.
I do want to say what a pleasure it is to be in this building – what a delight it is to arrive here, or to walk through here, because this is a building which is not just functional but truly beautiful. Whether it be the water sculptures outside, whether it be this splendid piece that we stand beside now, whether it be the sense of style and spaciousness that we have all around us, this is a credit to everyone associated with it and it is a monument not just to the great city of Canberra, our national capital, but it is a monument to the determination, the courage and the vision of the Snow family and in particular, you Terry. So, thank you so much. It’s an honour to be associated with this on this important day.
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