Northern Grampians Shire Council is pleased to announce a successful funding grant for safety and usability upgrades to the Stawell Airport.
Council applied for $300,000 from the Australian Government’s Regional Airports Program Round One with Council matching that contribution for a total $600,000 package of works.
The funding will allow council to deliver a number of significant safety improvements at Stawell Airport which operates as the region’s major aviation hub and emergency response base and will deliver stages 5B and 5C of the Stawell Airport Redevelopment Project.
This stage of the redevelopment focuses on the remaining aviation/airside works packages to improve the overall safety and efficiency of the airport.
This project includes:
- The installation of 3,580 metres of vermin-proof fencing, preventing wildlife from entering the airport by securing the entire perimeter.
- Upgrade and realignment of the Taxiway Bravo to Code B requirements for safe passage of aircraft to the main runway and improving access to Runways 11/29 and 18/36, the apron, hangars and refuelling area.
- Extension of the apron parking area to improve efficiency and safe aircraft movement to the hangars and refuelling area by increasing the apron area by 1,500 square metres and installing cable type and normal tie-downs to provide additional apron parking.
- Renewed line marking of the runways, taxiways and apron areas; additional aircraft tie-down points and general safety upgrades to ensure compliance with the new Manual of Standards (MOS) regulations.
Northern Grampians Shire Council Mayor, Murray Emerson, said these upgrades will make Stawell Airport safer and easier to use for everyone.
“The main ongoing safety concern at the airport has been the presence of kangaroos and other wildlife on and around the airport. There have been many near-misses over the years,” he said.
“With this funding and the additional fencing, we’ll be able to effectively keep the animals away from the planes which will be safer for the airport users and help to protect our local wildlife as well.”
“The overall safety improvements this project and funding will allow for are the result of many hours of work with the Stawell Airport Management Committee and reflects a genuine need from the airport users.”
“Our entire region will be better served with a better regional airport.”
Northern Grampians Shire Council CEO, Liana Thompson, thanked the Member for Wannon, The Hon Dan Tehan MP, for his support for the project.
“Minister Tehan has taken a strong interest in this project as an opportunity to boost emergency services and the economy and we thank him for the support,” she said.
“These improvements to our airport will mean better access to our region from the air, increased safety of our residents during events such as bushfire, and increased safety at the airport itself.”
The upgrades are scheduled to start as early as next month and are estimated to conclude in June 2022.
