Airstrip upgrades provide a lifeline to remote Kimberley communities
Friday, 16 December 2011
Six isolated communities in Western Australia’s remote Kimberley region will soon have improved access to air services following $1.438 million of upgrade works to their aerodromes.
The remote communities of Kupartiya (Bohemia Downs), Mulan Aboriginal Station, Myroodah Station, Yaruman (Ringer Soak), Tirralintjii and Yakanarra are receiving upgrades to ensure that regular air services can continue delivering essential goods and services.
Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport, Catherine King said that having safe, operating aerodromes in these communities is vital in connecting towns with each other and with major regional centres and cities.
“This is so important to these communities where road access is unavailable, unreliable or disrupted for extended periods during the year because of extreme seasonal weather conditions.” Ms King said.
Senator for Western Australia, Louise Pratt said “for the residents of remote communities that depend on air services to survive throughout the wet season, these upgrades will provide an important link to the outside world through better access to medicine, mail and food; and also for emergency medical evacuations should the need arise.”
“The increased safety and reliability of the airstrip will also allow local school students such as those at the Birlirr Ngawiyiwu Catholic School in the Yaruman community, to receive deliveries of educational materials and help maintain their connections with other nearby communities,” Ms Pratt said.
These upgrades are part of a broader program of works to airstrips throughout remote Australia, funded through the Regional Aviation Access Program. They include repairs to runways and taxiways, work on drainage, widening of airstrips as well as replaced windsocks and animal proof fencing.
To assist with providing more remote airstrip infrastructure upgrades, the Gillard Government allocated an additional $26 million in the 2011–12 Budget, taking the total commitment of funding to $43 million over three years to 2013.
**Details of funding at each airstrip is below**
MEDIA CONTACT:
ALANNA CLOHESY (PRATT) 0417 175 220
PETER DWYER (KING) 0409 866 054
Remote Aviation Infrastructure Fund
Community |
Works
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Kupartiya (Bohemia Downs)
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- Filled concrete slab at the parking area to allow aircraft access onto the slab.
- Relocated shelter area outside the runway strip and approach areas.
- Relocated drainage on both sides of the runway outside of the 80m runway strip.
- Dragged, watered and rolled the runway.
- Replaced the windsock.
- Constructed additional runway width of 18m.
- Cleared and construct an area for a taxiway and apron and define with cones.
- Removed and reinstall the existing fencing outside of the newly added runway width and length.
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Mulan Aboriginal Station
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- Graded smooth the scours immediately to the west of the taxiway.
- Marked the runway and runway strip.
- Removed the broken fibre cement marker and make smooth the area in the vicinity.
- Provided a signal area.
- Watered and rolled 100m western end.
- Slashed additional runway strip width from 60m to 80m.
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Myroodah Station
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- Straightened the runway by grading smooth and adjusting the markers in a straight line.
- Marked the runway and runway strip.
- Created and defined a Taxiway and Apron.
- Dragged watered and roll 250m of the runway at the eastern end.
- Moved the runway approximately 10m South (away from the fence at the Western End) to achieve the runway strip width and side transition slope.
- Widened runway strip from 60m to 80m, graded smooth and removed rocks and debris.
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Yaruman (Ringer Soak)
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- Dragged and rolled the runway.
- Installed markers and signal circle.
- Marked the runway and runway strip.
- Installed new windsock.
- Slashed runway strip out to 60m.
- Shortened the Western runway threshold 30m to achieve a 30m RESA.
- Relocated all solar runway lights to 15m either side of the runway centre line (presently 9m). Ensured new position is clear of grass.
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Tirralintjii
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- Dragged and rolled the runway to remove all weeds and re-tightened the surface.
- Removed the vegetation from the runway strip and made smooth to an overall width of 60 metres.
- Dragged and rolled the apron and taxiway areas.
- Marked the runway and runway strip.
- Cleared the take off areas to provide a take off gradient of 1 in 30. The transitionals were also cleared to provide a side gradient of 1 in 5 – that is, 5 horizontal to 1 vertical, starting from a point 30 metres from centre line.
- Shortened eastern runway end 15m to achieve a 30m RESA.
- Realigned the cattle proof fence near the gate to facilitate relocation of the apron.
- Relocated the gravel apron outside of the runway strip and extended the gravel taxiway.
- Replaced the windsock.
- Coned the runway with small cones and relocated existing large cones to the runway strip edge.
- Reshaped 200m of drainage near the apron to achieve the correct cross fall gradient.
- Removed and reinstalled existing fencing (including new fence materials where required.
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Yakanarra
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- Carried out a grade and roll of the runway.
- Marked the runway and runway strip.
- Slashed the Runway strip.
- Constructed a signal area.
- Full set of runway strip gable markers set out.
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