Council to proceed with new option
18 December 2023
It was reported at the August 2023 Ordinary meeting that if the Aerodrome Upgrade project was to proceed with the initial design and the 240m runway extension, flood mitigation works would cost Council some $17 million. Council resolved to defer their decision until they received a presentation from RFS on the capability of fixed wing fire-fighting and received further information on upgrade options.
An options analysis report was present to Councillors at the 14 December Ordinary meeting. Following a review of five different options Council resolved to proceed with Option 3 which entails:
- Adding 90 metres to the take-off distance and 30 metres to the landing distance over the existing runway arrangement
- Improved performance / payload for emergency services operations
- Pavement strengthening
- Widening runway pavement to 23 metres for Code 2 design aircraft
- Permanent pilot activated runway lighting, making night operations possible
- Lengthen southern parallel taxiway to improve operational efficiency
RFS Briefing to Council
During a public forum at the November 2023 Ordinary Meeting, RFS Deputy Commissioner Kyle Stewart explained that while the current status allows the Air Tractor fixed-wing aircraft to operate from Tumut Aerodrome, it's not at optimal capacity, a situation seen in many aerodromes across the state. He assured the Council that despite limitations on runway extension due to flooding a mix of resources, including heavy helicopters and air tanker support, would address firefighting needs in the area.
