Voiceover: Growing businesses thrive in Melbourne. Melbourne’s world class infrastructure includes Australia’s largest 24-hour, curfew-free airport, ranked in the world’s top five.
Chris Woodruff, CEO, Melbourne Airport: Melbourne Airport by international comparisons is a very large, major airport with its four passenger terminals, its two runways, its 24 million+ passengers per year. Within that total there are about five million international passengers per annum served by 23 of the world's greatest international airlines...
Voiceover: One of the major strengths of Melbourne Airport is its capacity for expansion.
Chris Woodruff: Just in the last 12 months we've seen new airlines like Etihad, like Air Asia X coming to serve Melbourne Airport on a daily basis. It doesn't end there because many airlines have increased the number of times they fly into and out of Melbourne Airport every day. For example, Emirates, one of the world's truly great airlines, now flies into and out of Melbourne Airport three times a day, as does Cathay Pacific. Our major Chinese carriers have all added frequencies every week into and out of Melbourne Airport.
Voiceover: The airport is currently spending $330 million to cater for future growth in passenger numbers.
Chris Woodruff: Melbourne Airport is right in the middle now of the largest expansion since it was first built in the early 70s. We are effectively doubling the size of the international terminal over the next five years, adding check-in desks, adding space for passengers to circulate outside, adding new parking positions for aeroplanes, adding to our baggage systems. It's a rolling program of developments that will be completed mid to late 2011.
Voiceover: Other vital infrastructure in Melbourne is the biggest container port in Australia and the nation’s busiest freight rail hub. By car, Melbourne’s efficient roads and freeways make travel simple and stress free, with excellent connections to regional and interstate centres. And the city has a modern, well-connected public transport system that is always expanding.
Chris Woodruff: Like most people around the world you all have choices and I have choices about where to live and I have chosen to live and bring my family up here in Melbourne. It is the cultural and fashion centre of Australia. It has the most wonderful galleries, museums, theatres. It is the major sporting capital of Australia, there is always something going on.
Voiceover: Investment and business leaders from all over the world understand the advantages Melbourne has to offer.