Kingaroy Aerodrome Safe & Secure with New Fence
The South Burnett Regional Council is pleased to announce the completion of a new animal proof fence at the Kingaroy Aerodrome.
Proudly funded by the Queensland Government’s Works for Queensland 2021-24 in association with South Burnett Regional Council, the new fence establishes a safe and secure aerodrome and particularly reduces the risks from marsupial encroachment such as kangaroos.
The completion of this project is welcomed by the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), airport users and local residents who have been advocating for this project for a considerable time.
It not only brings about safety improvements but will save Council and the community significant call-out costs for Council staff to attend to aero-medical evacuations. The RFDS provides a high number of evacuations as part of their service, particularly at night, which required Council’s Aerodrome Reporting Officer (ARO) to clear the runway of kangaroos prior to take-off and landing.
In the past twelve months (1/7/2021 to 30/06/2022), RFDS crews landed 384 times at Kingaroy Airport.
Moving forward, residents can be confident that this project has guaranteed ongoing aeromedical services for the region.
Council appreciates the work performed by the contractor on this project and the ARO involved in supporting the work of the RFDS.
Local residents may have noticed the new fencing and vegetation clearing that occurred along the Kingaroy-Cooyar Road. During construction of the seven kilometres of fencing, the contractors were the ‘talk of the town’ as the project generated huge interest among local residents.
The final result is a high-quality fence that greatly improves the appearance, security, and operations of the aerodrome.
Future improvements will continue at the Kingaroy aerodrome including an upgrade to the runway lighting. This will further improve safety and assist in night landings by the RFDS. New lighting is due to be installed by September this year and is partly funded by the Australian Government, through the Regional Airport Program (RAP).
RFDS Executive General Manager Aviation and Logistics Glyn Butchard said the new fence will help to improve access and safety for RFDS crews and patients.
“Our highly-experienced pilots can land in a range of environments, however, kangaroos and other animals which encroach on airstrips can present unpredictable hazards and can increase the time it takes for us to respond to an emergency.
“It’s great to see the completion of this new fence which will help provide an extra barrier – ensuring our crews can land quickly and safely at all times of the day, as we continue to deliver the finest life-saving care right across the region.”
