[Peetwo]

Airports update - The good, the bad & ugly. 

At last the miniscule 4D can spruik a relatively less contentious good news aviation story...

10FEB2017
Essential upgrades to isolated airstrips across Australia
Keeping rural, regional and remote Australian communities connected is the driving force behind the continued rollout of funding under the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Programme

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• 91 aerodrome upgrade projects funded under Round 4 of the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Programme
  
• Projects range from rebuilding an entire runway to constructing camel proof fences. Each will improve access to fresh food, medical services, work and education opportunities
  

Keeping rural, regional and remote Australian communities connected is the driving force behind the continued rollout of funding under the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Programme.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said each of the 91 projects funded under the current round meant people living in remote areas would have improved access to services and connections with the rest of the nation.

“The $11.8 million committed to projects under Round 4 will help upgrade airstrips in New South Wales, Queensland, West Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory,” Mr Chester said.

“Australia's tyranny of distance is a way of life for many of our most remote communities, and safe and functioning airstrips are often the only reliable means of transport for freight and urgent services.

“Smooth runways or keeping wildlife away from airstrips can make all the difference in a safe landing. These upgrades will safeguard access to essential health care services including emergency medical evacuations, while also improving access to work and education opportunities.

“Having access to fresh food and water, and indeed access to communities hundreds of kilometres away, is an underappreciated fact in many cities, but for residents in remote communities it is essential.”

Mr Chester said the Royal Flying Doctor Service was a prominent applicant to the round, and a number of remote airstrips to be upgraded were frequently used by the service.
“These vital infrastructure improvements, including new airport lighting, runway resealing and modern satellite-based instrument approaches, are essential to keeping the Royal Flying Doctor Service flying,” he said.

“The RFDS is a magnificent medical provider to remote communities across the nation and we are proud to be able to support their work by ensuring their operations can be conducted as safely as possible. The Australian Government clearly remains committed to improving services in regional and remote communities across Australia.”

Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia CEO Martin Laverty welcomed today's announcement.

“It's common for emus or kangaroos to disrupt aircraft landings on unfenced airstrips during medical emergencies in remote areas. Night landings on some airstrips are also hindered where there is no lighting,” Mr Laverty said.

“Commonwealth funding, and the terrific aviation planning relationship we have with Minister Chester and his Departmental staff, means the Flying Doctor will be better able to deliver emergency medical care to injured or ill Australians across 91 frequently used airstrips.”

The funding is part of the Government's announcement in the 2015–16 Budget of $33.7 million over four years to fund access and safety upgrades for remote community airstrips under the Remote Airstrip Upgrade Programme. Round 4 was the second tranche of upgrades under the 2015–16 Budget funding.

A list of projects approved under the programme is attached. 

&.. the Oz take on that... :

$11.8m fix lifts flying doctors
12:00amANTHONY KLAN

The federal government is to spend $11.8 million upgrading more than 90 regional airstrips across the country.

The federal government will spend $11.8 million upgrading more than 90 regional airstrips across the country, with remote Queensland townships Julia Creek and Mornington Island among the biggest winners.

Infrastructure and Transport Minister Darren Chester confirmed the latest round of funding as the Australian Airports Association lodged a 2017-18 budget submission warning substantially more was needed to allow facilities to continue operating.

Mr Chester said the funding, the latest round in $33.7m set aside in the 2015-16 budget, would be a major help to the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which used many of the airstrips set to be upgraded. “These vital infrastructure improvements, including new airport lighting, runway resealing and modern satellite-based instrument approaches, are essential to keeping the Royal Flying Doctor Service flying,” Mr Chester said.

The government has set aside $3m for an upgrade of the taxiway, runway lighting and aerodrome of the airstrip on Mornington Island, in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
North Queensland’s Julia Creek and Bathurst Island in the Northern Territory would receive $1.17m and $1.5m for runway reconstructions while the Mimili Aboriginal community airstrip would receive $125,000 for the erection of a camel proof fence.

In a letter to treasury, AAA chief executive Caroline Wilkie said while the $33.7m regional aviation access program provided “much needed assistance”, there were limitations of the program “both in quantum and eligibility”, meaning it was “far from ­adequate” to support regional aviation. “State government assistance has been made available in some states. However, funding is often ad-hoc or insufficient for major remediation works to ­ensure Australian aerodromes continue to operate in a safe and secure manner,” Ms Wilkie writes.

Last September the AAA released a report it commissioned from ACIL Allen Consulting which claimed regional airports were collectively expected to suffer budget deficits of $17m each year for the next decade, leaving a $170m “shortfall in essential infrastructure and maintenance”.

“The AAA has consulted on the report with a number of federal members of parliament, with many acknowledging the challenging environment that regional airports operate within and the need for appropriate government support,” Ms Wilkie wrote in her letter to treasury.

The $11.8m to be announced today had been committed to upgrading airstrips in every state and territory other than the ACT. “Australia’s tyranny of distance is a way of life for many of our most remote communities, and functioning airstrips are often the only reasonable means of transport for freight and urgent services,” Mr Chester said. “Smooth runways or keeping wildlife away from airstrips can make all the difference in a safe landing.”

The Royal Flying Doctors Service of Australia was the applicant behind 41 of the runways to be upgraded in the latest spend, almost half of all projects to be undertaken. Chief executive Martin Laverty said the funding meant the service would be better able to deliver emergency care to “injured or ill Australians across 91 frequently used airstrips”.

“It’s common for emus or kangaroos to disrupt aircraft landings on unfenced airstrips during medical emergencies in remote areas,” Mr Laverty said.

“Night landings on some airstrips are also hindered where there is no lighting.” In NSW 32 airstrips would have lighting installed or repaired or RNAV Area Navigation systems installed as a result of Royal Flying Doctor Service applications, including Ivanhoe in the state’s west and Louth in the northwest.

According to the study commissioned by the AAA, regional airports invested $185m nationwide in 2014-15 to maintain and improve operations.

Just over 60 per cent of regional airports had budget deficits in the year, with an average of 6 per cent. AAA said expenditures at regional airports were expected to rise by a total of 38 per cent over the next decade.

Next a not so good aviation & airports news story with yet another HoR MP asking some more embarrassing questions about the Gold Coast PFAS issue...

Mrs ELLIOT (Richmond) (13:49): I call on the Turnbull government to ensure there is complete transparency with the investigation into potential PFAS contamination at Gold Coast Airport. In July, Airservices engaged an independent environmental consultant to conduct a preliminary site investigation at the airport. The purpose of the investigation was to identify any potential PFAS contamination through targeted soil, groundwater and surface water testing. I note that whilst the test results on the boundary indicated potentially low risk, Airservices continues to work with relevant agencies to determine further testing.

Airservices recently announced on 24 January that it will begin conducting a seafood sampling program in the Cobaki Broadwater adjacent to the Gold Coast Airport. The project is focused on examining if there is any potential historical PFAS contamination affecting local seafood species. In their related media release Airservices stated that they will share the results, which are expected to be available from March, with relevant Commonwealth and state environmental and health regulators and the airport as part of their ongoing work with these stakeholders in taking a risk-based approach to managing PFAS concerns at the Gold Coast Airport. I understand that Airservices will then coordinate with relevant Commonwealth and state agencies to consider the most appropriate approach to keeping the community informed.

Given that so many local community members have contacted me about their concerns—quite relevant concerns—about the potential impact of PFAS, I request that the Turnbull government ensure that Airservices provide all of that information from the investigations in an informative and timely manner to all those interested parties throughout our community, as there is a very strong interest in the result of these investigations.

 
TICK..TOCK...Harfwit, Sir A & 4D, TICK..TOCK indeed...
MTF...P2