Hobart Airport left to local police
Canberra has confirmed the withdrawal of Australian Federal Police from Hobart Airport.
The change means Hobart will be the only capital city airport in Australia not protected by the AFP, in a move the Tasmanian government says is disappointing.
From October 21 state police will be left to patrol the terminal, located about 20 minutes drive from the city centre.
The decision comes just weeks after an increase to the national terror threat level, but AFP Commissioner Andrew Colvin says there is no specific threat to the airport.
"Should a significant change in risk to HIA (Hobart International Airport) be identified, the AFP would reconsider resource allocations," Mr Colvin said in a letter to Tasmania Police received on Thursday.
Tasmanian Police Minister Rene Hidding said the state government had previously asked the AFP to review its decision to withdraw.
"We remain of the opinion that it is appropriate that (the AFP) have officers based at the state's major airport," he said in a statement on Thursday.
Tasmania Police Commissioner Darren Hine said his force is "well advanced" in planning the takeover of Hobart Airport and confident in providing an effective service.
Regular commercial passenger flights used to operate between Hobart and New Zealand but in more recent times the airport has been used only for domestic routes and the occasional flight to Antarctica.
