Final Countdown on Goondiwindi Aerodrome upgrades

Further upgrades of the Goondiwindi Aerodrome are on track as external contractors prepare to lay more than 2.5 kilometres of cable in new pits and ducts.

To meet Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations, the installation of new cabling will meet current electrical safety standards. This work complements the recent upgrade that involved the replacement and installation of 60 new lights along the main runway and a new illuminated windsock for night-time instrument approaches to the aerodrome.

The replacement of the old direct buried cable, installed in the early 1960s, with a new pit and duct cable system will improve reliability and be of particular benefit to Emergency Services.

The Goondiwindi Airport Electrical Cabling Upgrade project was jointly funded by the Australian Government and Goondiwindi Regional Council. Australian Government funding of $275,000 was provided through the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program. This program supports local councils to deliver priority local road and community infrastructure projects across Australia. Goondiwindi Regional Council funded the remaining $125,000 for the project.

Cr Jason Watts who holds the portfolio for Transport, Roads and Youth said that maintaining the Goondiwindi aerodrome to the required standard and condition is essential in ensuring the Emergency Services like the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) can continue to have reliable access to our town.

“The RFDS provides essential, often life-saving services to rural residents in communities like ours, and we must do everything we can to ensure their swift and easy access, regardless of the time, day or night.”

The Goondiwindi aerodrome is owned by Council and covers an area of about 160 ha. The facility includes the 1,340-metre primary bitumen sealed runway and a shorter, secondary grass runway. There is a taxiway leading to the terminal and apron facilities, which includes five hangars and short-term itinerant aircraft parking in front of the terminal building.