Airstrips at Greenvale and Pentland are among those receiving much-needed facelifts thanks to funds received via round eight of the federal government's Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program.
Each of the strips will receive $150,000 in grants designed to assist operators of facilities in remote and very remote parts of Australia to enhance safety and all-weather access, particularly in areas where road access is unavailable or unreliable.
Other round eight beneficiaries in North Queensland include the Cook Shire Council, which will receive $371,800 to reseal the runway at Coen, $358,685 for the Mornington Shire Council, $124,500 for the Burke Shire Council to upgrade lighting at Burketown and Gregory, and to Aboriginal councils at Palm Island, Pormpuraaw, and Aurukun.
In southern Queensland the Maranoa Regional Council will receive $215,000 to help fix the apron and taxiway at Mitchell, the Bulloo Shire has been granted $154,000 for fencing at Thargomindah, and there's $148,163 for the Diamantina Shire to get work done on the Bedourie strip.
The Boulia Shire will benefit to the tune of $136,340 for crack repairs and fencing, and the Paroo Shire will use $149,480 to improve the airstrip at Yowah.
Charters Towers Mayor Frank Beveridge, who hosted Agriculture Minister David Littleproud and Senator Susan McDonald last week, said the improvements were important to servicing the Greenvale and Pentland communities.
"These grants will see us able to enhance the safety and accessibility of the aerodromes," he said.
"We will be able to replace runway solar lighting, provide kangaroo-proof perimeter fencing, remove trees, and install marker cones.
"We will also improve the all year-round all-weather access to the Greenvale and Pentland communities."
Senator Susan McDonald said for people in remote areas, planes weren't just a convenience, but rather a matter of life and death.
"Upgrades like this mean that north west Queensland residents will have improved connectivity to major regional centres and increased access to essential services such as healthcare and medical supplies," she said.
"They also mean food and materials can be more safely flown in when roads are cut during the wet season.
"I am looking forward to working with these remote communities to ensure we continue to deliver the essential airstrip works they need."
The round eight beneficiaries are the latest of many local governments Australia-wide to be assisted with the costs of maintaining airstrips they inherited.
In the last round, the Carpentaria Shire was furnished with $17,500 at Normanton and $12,500 at Karumba, for line-marking work on both strips, to enhances pilot and passenger safety, especially for essential aero-medical services such as those provided by the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Programs put forward by private organisations are eligible for assistance at a lesser rate and was used in the last round by the AACo, to repair and reseal the runway, taxiway and aprons at Canobie, and to construct a cross runway, resheet and repair existing runway, construct a kangaroo proof fence and construct a concrete aircraft parking pad at the Anthony Lagoon Airstrip.
The company received $126,255 for the first project and $113,498 for the latter.
The maximum grant amount under the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Program is $500,000.
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Sally Gall
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
Based at Blackall, CW Qld, where I've raised a family, run Merino sheep and beef cattle, and helped develop a region - its history, tourism, education and communications. Get in touch at 0427 575 955 if you've got a story idea for me.
