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Under the initiative, the Birdsville Airport runway will be resealed and upgraded following a $432,500 investment – jointly funded by the Queensland government and the Diamantina Shire Council.
Meanwhile, a 2km stretch of road linking Napranum Township to the Peninsular Development Road and Weipa will receive a $1.48 million widening and upgrade makeover. The project will be majority funded by the state government, with the Napranum Aboriginal Shire Council contributing $77,000.
Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning Jeff Seeney said the upgrade works would significantly benefit the community, visitors and industry by ensuring the facility’s longevity.
“Through Royalties for the Regions, the Birdsville Airport runway will be resurfaced to fill water pooling areas and upgrade the tarmac to ensure the airport remains open into the future,” he said.
“The [airport] is a critical piece of transport infrastructure in Far Western Queensland and provides access for medical services, and an increasing number of fly-in fly-out resource exploration teams.
“These activities, coupled with weekly commercial flights, private visitor flights and use of the airport by the Royal Flying Doctor Service, require the runway to be in good condition.”
In discussing the Napranum road upgrade funding, Seeney said the works would better connect the township to the rest of western Cape York, improving economic development for the community.
“This project will improve economic development opportunities for the Napranum community by providing a better road to service the new Napranum Industrial Estate,” he said.
“It will also reduce flood impacts on the road and improve its standard to the benefit of the whole community.
“We promised to deliver better infrastructure and better planning and the Royalties for the Regions program is providing just that to the Napranum community.”
Seeney said that through Royalties for the Regions, more than 39 regional councils had received over $250 million to deliver 235km of road upgrades, as well as community infrastructure and flood mitigation projects.
