INTHEBLACK May 2025 - Magazine - Page 47
To reduce the prospect of disruptive
flooding, a common problem for many
airports located on low-lying land,
Gillies says that any new infrastructure will
be developed in conjunction with the latest
flood modelling, to protect these assets.
This sustainable approach includes working
with rental-car partners at the airport to
ensure that there is sufficient electric-vehicle
(EV ) charging infrastructure. “If you come
to this clean, green state, you don’t want
to have to get into a petrol car. Having
electric vehicle options is important.”
Gillies says other Hobart Airport
initiatives include working with food and
beverage partners to compost food waste
from the terminal, and adopting indigenous
cultural practices that do controlled burns
of grass on site, rather than slashing it.
As the tourism industry responds to calls
for greater sustainability, Durband says any
measures to protect the environment should
be reasonable and rational, noting
that the “flight-shame movement” that
developed before COVID-19 could
conceivably rise again.
Avoiding air travel, he says, would
be a disaster for many South-East Asian
and Pacific economies that rely on coastal
tourism. “What we say is that if you don’t
fly to Pacific islands where 30 to 40 per cent
of GDP is based on tourism, they then
become double victims of climate change.
The ocean levels are already taking away their
land and, in a resource-free environment
where they have less minerals or agriculture,
they must have tourism.”
Although “flight shaming” is on the radar
for Hobart Airport, Gillies believes
Tasmania’s status as a “green destination”
holds it in better stead than most.
“We’re hopeful that Tasmania’s reputation
and location means people will still want to
fly to here.”
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