Edenhope and Stawell Airports in Victoria's Wimmera district are to get upgrades thanks to government funding.
Aviation Minister Gordon Rich-Phillips made the funding announcements during a visit to the area today.
Edenhope, 400 km west of Melbourne, will be given $100,000 to improve access for air emergency services including the air ambulance and aerial firefighters.
“Edenhope’s aerodrome is a vital piece of community infrastructure and I congratulate West Wimmera Shire Council for pursuing this project,” the minister said.
“The upgrade will give peace of mind to the West Wimmera community by helping the state’s air ambulances and aerial firefighters to reach Edenhope more easily.
The funding will be used to widen the airstrip, which will mean Air Ambulance Victoria will be able to fly in and out of Edenhope during the day or night. The upgrade will enable larger aircraft such as the King Air B350 to use the airport.
At the moment, Edenhope residents need to travel almost 100 km to Horsham or make the 400 km haul to Melbourne to access many services. Upgrading the airport is expected to provide the community a better option than making the trip by road.
Stawell Airport , the major airfield servicing the Grampians (Gariwerd), will benefit from a grant of $565,000 to complete a significant upgrade.
“The Coalition Government is funding this project because we believe the airport is a vital piece of infrastructure for the community of Stawell,” Rich-Phillips said.
“The upgrade will allow the airport to operate in inclement weather and at night by providing pilot activated access direct to the automatic weather station at the site.
“It will also provide a surveyed approach and take-off path for pilots that is designed, flight tested and published in reference manuals to improve safety. This will improve the community’s access to air ambulance services and reduce the number of occasions where patients are taken by road to Horsham or Ballarat because of unsuitable weather conditions.”
The funding will also be used to complete the construction of internal access roads and to upgrade runways and the airport’s terminal.
Member for Western Victoria, Simon Ramsay, said the final stage would complete the first major upgrade of the airport since it was built in 1964. “Stawell Aerodrome is a key asset for Western Victoria, providing direct access to the Grampians and surrounding nature-based tourism opportunities,” he said.