Industry buoyed by airport investment

Sydney Airport will receive 20 additional SmartGates, as part of a $7.9 million investment by the federal government.
The facilities, first installed at the airport in 2009, use facial recognition technology to move people through passport control in just 90 seconds.
Sydney Airport chief executive Kerrie Mather said good numbers of passengers were already using the service.
“We expect this to increase as Australian passports are replaced with microchipped e-passports by 2015," she said.
Tourism and Transport Forum boss John Lee called the investment a “great sign” that the government had acknowledged industry concerns over mounting customs delays.
“As our tourist inflows move away from the traditional markets of Europe and North America towards Asia, customs officers will need more time to process incoming passengers,” he said. “We know that first impressions matter and more SmartGates mean these new visitors won’t be stuck in the queue while customs officers process returning Australians.”
However, he called for the extension of SmartGate eligibility beyond Australian and New Zealand passport holders, highlighting US citizens as ideal for inclusion.
“We also need to look at what the New Zealanders have done with SmartGate on departure and simplify our process for outbound passengers,” he said.