By Ewen McRae
Ballarat Airport will receive a major facelift if the Labor Party is able to form government at this weekend’s federal election.
Local MP Catherine King and opposition infrastructure spokesman Anthony Albanese announced a $14 million investment to the airport, which would open it up to larger aircraft.
The airport’s main north-south runway has been cut in half by an access road. This project will re-join the two parts of the runway and upgrade the surface to ensure year-round access.
Ms King said the expansion would be a financial boon for the region.
“The expansion of the runway at Ballarat Airport will allow larger aircraft to fly in and out of Ballarat, encouraging further economic development across our region,” Ms King said.
“This expansion will be the first step towards developing Ballarat Airport into a facility appropriate for a growing regional city.”
The two most common regional passenger aircraft used in Australia are the Dash 8 and SAAB-340, which require runway lengths of about 1600 metres. Ballarat Airport’s runways are only 1245 metres.
This project will increase the main runway’s length to at least 1800 metres.
Overall, the project will cost $22.5 million to complete. The City of Ballarat will fund the remainder of the project.
