Quilpie Aerodrome work set to take off

March 29, 2022

The Coalition Government is investing $1,783,314 in Quilpie to rehabilitate the pavement of the Quilpie Airstrip, with work expected to begin next month.

Made possible under the third phase of the Australian Government’s $2.5 billion Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) program, the project will support the jobs of five Council employees and up to 12 contractors.

Federal Member for Maranoa David Littleproud said that work would help sustain future aircraft traffic movements to the Quilpie region.

“Currently, there’s a twice-weekly service from Brisbane and the existing pavement can’t sustain large aircraft, which limits access to the community and surrounds,” Mr Littleproud said.

“Due to the limited Pavement Classification Number rating, this can cause a safety issue if larger aircraft are required to land at the airstrip, particularly during times of disaster, when essential goods and services need to be airfreighted to the community.”

The allocation of funding to the Aerodrome project reflects Quilpie Council’s priority to upgrade access to the region and will ensure the needs of the local community are met, as well as facilitating easier visitor entry to the region.

“We’ve moved quickly to approve the Aerodrome funding, paving the way for shovels to hit the dirt to make it a reality. We’re backing local jobs and economic growth while delivering lasting upgrades that will benefit residents for years to come,” Mr Littleproud said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Barnaby Joyce said $1 billion in funding is flowing under the third phase of the LRCI program to local councils across Australia to improve their local road networks and deliver priority community infrastructure projects.

“This builds on the $1.5 billion already approved to deliver more than 6,100 projects nationwide under the first two phases of the program,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

“This program is having a significant impact across the country, with more than 2,000 projects already complete or under construction – delivering upgrades to local roads, bike paths, community halls, playgrounds, parks and sports facilities, as well as improved accessibility to public facilities.

“Phase 3 will build on this, delivering more jobs, more economic stimulus, and more of the local priority projects that communities need and deserve.”

Assistant Minister for Local Government Kevin Hogan said the program forms part of the Coalition Government’s unwavering commitment to back local councils and their communities through COVID-19 and secure a stronger future out the other side of the pandemic.

“We want to deliver the best outcomes for locals under this program, which is why we have listened and acted on council feedback, providing a longer delivery window for local governments to pursue larger, more complex projects that may be a higher priority and have a bigger impact on the community,” Assistant Minister Hogan said.

“We also get councils to use local businesses and workforces to deliver these projects as much as possible, ensuring this stimulus flows directly into the hands of hard-working Aussies, their families, their businesses and their communities.

For more information on the $2.5 billion LRCI program, including the allocations for the $1 billion third phase, visit https://investment.infrastructure.gov.au/local-roads-and-community-infrastructure/.