Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council set to fly with $13.4M airport upgrade

The state’s most northern airstrip will undergo significant upgrades that will provide vital infrastructure for passengers, businesses and emergency services.

The Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council-owned airstrip upgrades are possible thanks to funding from the federal government's ‘Growing Regions Program’ fund.

The upgrades will improve the current aircraft weight restrictions, and pavement stabilisation to allow larger passenger planes and emergency aircraft, such as the Royal Flying Doctor and LifeFlight, to land in various conditions.

Council’s CEO, Kate Gallaway, said this essential funding is crucial for the viability of the region and will be a lifeline in the wet season.

“Given the size of our community, the airstrip is our only link to the rest of Australia during the wet season,” Ms Gallaway said.

“It is critical for disaster resilience and response as well as community wellbeing to have this project completed.”

Ms Gallaway explained council secured the expertise of grant writers at Peak Services to prepare and write the extensive grant application and supporting documents to secure the funding.

“Council has been investing in improving the capacity of our local staff in grants and project management,” Ms Gallaway said.

“Peak Services provides key technical support to complement the skill sets of our existing staff workforce.”

Peak Services’ Principal Advisor and Grant Officer Manager, Zoe Dark, said that securing funding for vital projects in remote regions, in partnership with councils, is a key driver to consistently deliver competitive funding submissions.

“We are honoured to have had the privilege of working closely with council to secure essential funding for the remote region. It's crucial that these regions receive the support they need for vital infrastructure projects,” Ms Dark said.

“Our grants team work alongside council with unwavering commitment and passion for their communities, which is instrumental in achieving this success.”

The funding will allow the project designs to be finalised followed by construction works to upgrade the length of the airport runway, pavement strengthening and stabilisation, improve surface smoothness, and construct drainage channels.

The project will also stimulate capital expenditure within the region, improve accessibility and food security for residents (particularly during the wet season) and improve access for visitors to support regional tourism.