Victoria Invests $26 Million To Upgrade Rural And Regional Airports
Victoria’s regional and rural airports are becoming hubs for fighting fires, responding to agricultural threats such as locusts and driving new business growth as part of a $26.8 million Brumby Labor Government program to drive improvements at airports across the state.
Regional and Rural Development Minister Jacinta Allan said the Victorian Government’s Regional Aviation Fund was delivering vital upgrades to further position key regional and rural airports to house larger planes, attract more import and export-related business investment and boost aerial emergency response.
“More than ever before, it is vital that our regional airports have the facilities that can house aircraft for emergency medical, health, fire and rescue services,” Ms Allan said.
“The Brumby Labor Government is committed to supporting regional airports to capitalise on their potential and that’s why we have invested more than $26 million in the Regional Aviation Fund.
“These upgrades not only make the airports better equipped but they also create jobs in regional Victoria during construction and support local communities.”
Since its inception in November 2006, the fund has committed to 14 airport upgrade projects at: 12 regional airports with five projects already completed, including:
- $5.7 million for a terminal upgrade of Mildura Airport to accommodate passenger screening, bag screening, explosives detection and sealing of shoulders on main runway;
- $5.2 million for infrastructure works at West Sale and Bairnsdale aerodromes including hangar refurbishments and taxiway reconstructions;
- General improvements to Ballarat Airport with a $3.4 million investment including improvements to the runway lighting system, installation of underground fibre optic cabelling and the construction and sealing of a new taxiway;
- A $3.4 million boost to Stawell Airport to upgrade runways to accommodate a larger range of aircraft, relocate a weather station and improve public amenities, car park and lighting;
- Extending the main runway, strengthening the apron, replaced the existing runway lights and upgrading the terminal building in a $2.3 million upgrade of Hamilton Airport;
- $2 million to upgrade Avalon Airport which includes taxiway and apron extensions, external electric light and power upgrades and provision of below ground fuel lines;
- A $1.35 million modernisation of Portland Airport through doubling the capacity of the main hangar and extending the area of the apron to accommodate larger style aircraft;
- Extending, strengthening and sealing the north-south runway in a $1 million upgrade of Horsham airport; and
- Further upgrades to regional airports including 791,000 for Mallacoota, $550,000 for Yarrawonga and $492,000 for Latrobe and Warrnambool.
The Regional Aviation Fund is part of the Victorian Government’s Regional Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).
So far RIDF has invested more than $611.2 million in regional Victoria and directly helped start 393 projects worth more than $1.63 billion.
Topics: 2010, Australia, aviation, Ballarat Airport, Brumby Labor Government, bushfire, business, economic development, economic growth, economic recovery, Economy, emergency medical, fire, Governance, government, Hamilton Airport, Health Care, Horsham Airport, investment, Jacinta Allan, Latrobe, Mildura Airport, moniter, monitor, news, Portland Airport, Regional Aviation Fund, Regional Infrastructure Development Fund, rescue services, RIDF, rural airports, society, Stawell Airport, transportation, Victoria, Warrnambool
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