FUNDING ASSISTANCE HORN ISLAND AIRPORT RUNWAYS

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FUNDING ASSISTANCEHORN ISLAND AIRPORT RUNWAYS
Torres Shire Council - To lead, provide
facilitate
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HORN ISLAND AIRPORTTORRES STRAIT FAR NORTH
QUEENSLAND
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SUMMARY

• Horn Island Airport, owned and operated by Torres
  Shire Council,
• Torres Strait, Far North Queensland, needs urgent
  funding to
• enable main runway, minor runway (part) and
  parking transit area to be strengthened to
  overcome surface damage with asphalt overlay.
• The main runway requires 74 metres extension to
  cope with the larger
• and heavier aircraft such as Qantas Q400
  Aircraft.
• Estimated funding required is 9.4 million.

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CURRENT SITUATION

• The Horn Island Airport plays a vital role as the
  primary regional transport hub and stepping stone
  for aircraft movements not only to the 15
  populated outer Torres Strait Islands but to
  Papua and West Papua as well as the Indonesian
  Archipelago. Being the port of disembarkation for
  aircraft movements from Cairns, the airport
  services the following Northern Peninsula Area
  (N.P.A), Torres Strait Island Communities between
  Bamaga
• and Daru, Papua New Guinea.
• The following Australian airports are serviced
  from Horn Island.
• 1. Badu 7. Poruma
• 2. Bamaga 8. Boigu
• 3. Kubin 9. Saibai
• 4. Mabuiag 10. York
• 5. Murray 11. Warraber
• 6. Darnley 12. Yam

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Merauke
Daru
HORN ISLAND
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Thursday Island is the government administrative
hub for the region and has over 36 federal and
state offices located on it with a further 40-45
offices within the Torres Strait. These include
essential services such as Police (Federal
State), Australian Customs and Border Protection
Service, Dept of Defence, Australian Quarantine
and Inspection Service, Dept of Immigration,
Queensland Health and Queensland Fire Service.
The transportation of government officers to
maintain these services account for more than 65
of passengers.
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There are no other feasible passenger transport
systems, such as road, rail or sea, between our
nearest metropolitan city (Cairns located
1,000kms away) and the Torres Strait. Air
transport is the only practical connection with
the Australian mainland.
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OPERATIONAL INFORMATION

• The aerodrome operator and licensee is the
• Chief Executive Officer, Torres Shire Council.
• The aerodrome is licensed and maintained as a
  "Licensed International Aerodrome" and consists
  of two sealed runways
• 1. RWY08/26 (Length 1389 x Width 30 metres)
  and
• 2. RWY14/32 (Length 1235 x Width 23 metres).
• RWY08/26 is equipped with runway lights and PAPI
  (Pilot
• Activated Path Indicator).

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DAMAGE TO AIRPORT
A report from SKM (Sinclair Knight Merz
Consulting Engineers) has revealed serious damage
to the pavement to the degree that the risk
assessment carrying on with the Q400 aircraft
revealed a Medium to High risk possibly that
further damage may cause a crash or serious
incident. This degree of risk is unacceptable
to currently sustain continuous use of the
Airport runway. The report revealed that
rutting has occurred on the main runway from the
western end 08-26 to the intersection of 14-32
which is used as the taxi way for the larger
aircraft including the Q300 and Q400.
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TYPICAL CROSS SECTION 08-26 RUNWAY CH 1000-3290
NTS
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RUNWAY DAMAGE
Taxiway from Runway 14-32. Rutting has occurred
in several locations.
Runway 08-26. Rutting from intersection to
holding point Runway 08-26.
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RUNWAY DAMAGE
Runway 08-26 RHS. Serious depressions caused by
rutting hold water which owing to the pavement
cracking can enter the sub base.
Threshold 08-26. Seal delaminating from pavement.
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RUNWAY DAMAGE
Runway 08-26 LHS as detailed previously. Rutting
continuous through to Threshold 08-26.
Threshold Runway 08-26 Rutting continuous from 08
to intersection of 14-32
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RUNWAY DAMAGE
Runway 08-26 LHS Emulsion has been sprayed from
08-26 to intersection 14-32. This is only a
temporary measure to preserve the pavement and
sub base.
Runway 08-26 RHS Details as above.
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OVERLAY CONCEPT PLAN
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AIRPORT RUNWAY14.32 - RECENT FLOODINGThis
runway section below requires future elevation
and relaying of sub-grade and pavement.
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CONSULTANTS ENGAGEMENT

• Sinclair Knight Mertz (SKM) have been employed to
  look at
• the following and report back
• Geotechnical Investigation into the 74 metre
  extension and the possibility of a 190 metre
  extension.
• Detailed Geotechnical investigation of both
  runways and Apron Area.
• A Scope of Works to
• - Strengthen Runway 08-26
• - Strengthen Part Runway 14-32 which is taxiway
  to 08-26
• - Strengthen Apron (Parking and Transit Area)
• A Scope of Works for a 74 metre extension.
• Estimate for all of the above, including both
  length proposals.

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ESTIMATE OF COSTS

• PREFERRED OPTION
• 20 years life.
• Two layers of asphalt over length of full
  runway, minor runway (part), parking transit
  area and an extension of 74 metres.
• Must be used to enable the airport to be kept
  open by utilising Displaced Thresholds.
• Will provide a safe and non restrictive runway
  which will not require any major upgrade
  expenditure for the next 20 years.

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SUMMARY OF FUNDING POSSIBILITIES
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HEAD PASSENGER TAX

• Council will investigate an increase of up to
  25 per head with CPI increases to be applied in
  subsequent years. Currently this tax is 19.40
  ex. GST.  With approx. 70,000 Qantaslink
  passengers per year, a total of 350,000 would
  be available to be initially allocated towards
  this project and then a determined amount be
  applied towards loan repayments in following
  years.
• The airport administration process does not
  enable the local domestic passengers total to be
  monitored with a view to charging a head tax
• as all other flight operations are charter work.
• The low socio-economic base of the Torres Strait
  must be taken into account when Council and the
  communitys ability to fund such an expensive
  project is analysed.

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DEFENCE MEMORIAL PROJECT
Council considers that Horn Island airports
historic significance in the defence of Northern
Australia during WW2 presents an excellent case
for the Airport being dedicated as a Defence
Memorial which would commemorate a war effort
that should be recognised and made known to all
Australians and overseas visitors. Horn
Island was bombed 8 times (with over 500 bombs
being dropped) between 1942 and 1943. This
airport was also used for reconnaissance until
the end of 1944.
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LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITMENTS TO COMMUNITY

• The long overdue but necessary airport runway
  upgrade and extension works will provide the
  Torres Strait / NPA Region with a safe air
  service in larger and faster planes which are
  required to allow this region to maintain a
  similar transport mode which is provided for the
  rest of Australia, as well as ensuring long term
  continuation of services and provision of
  anticipated regional growth
• The main reasons for regional and community air
  transport include
• Freight Health
• Government Tourism
• Economic Development Schooling
• Personal Essential Services
• Mail Employment / Training

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REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE

• Horn Island Airport is a vital regional airport
  in a vast area of 49,000 square kilometres and
  is absolutely essential for modern day
  transportation within the Torres Strait and
  Northern Peninsula Area (Cape York) region.
• The main mode of transport is by regional and
  local aircraft. It must be emphasised that the
  small islands are separated by large distances of
  ocean. Other than the mainly slow and dangerous
  boat travel, air is the only effective and
  efficient transport service.
• A modern airport is vital to enable the Torres
  Strait and Northern Peninsula Area to access
  essential government and commercial services and
  to continue to function as a developing and
  international border region.
• The strategic location of the airport enables
  the region to host and launch new knowledge,
  incentives and initiatives for the continuing
  growth and development of the Torres Strait and
  neighboring South East Asian and South Pacific
  partners.

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PROJECT SUPPORT

• Torres Shire Council seeks your earnest
  consideration of providing funding to enable this
  most important upgrade/extension project to
  proceed.
• Council looks forward to discussing all aspects
  of this project with you with a view to
  initiating a funding partnership.
• Council urges your support to lobby your
  relevant State and Federal ministers and
  departments to ensure that this imperative
  project comes to fruition within the shortest
  possible timeframe.

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OTHER RELEVANT POINTS

• Torres Shire, with a small population of 4000
  residents, is unfortunately in a precarious
  financial position to entirely fund a 12.0
  million project of this magnitude.
• A similar runway damage situation has occurred
  in other regional airports. One particular
  airport which has over 10 times this Shires
  population has overcome its problem through
  finance due to being a vibrant mining,
  industrial, service and tourist centre.
• With the current erratic weather patterns caused
  through climate change sea levels, cyclones and
  other natural disasters are significantly on the
  rise. In the case of a major disaster in the
  Torres Strait region and Western Province of
  Papua New Guinea, Horn Island would be the
  launching pad of emergency relief services.

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Mayor Pedro Stephen states The airways
are our highways our only feasible access to the
outside world. It must be emphasized that the
small Torres Strait islands are separated by
large distances of ocean. To continue to
function as a developing and international border
region, Horn Island Airport is vital to enable
the Torres Strait and Northern Peninsula Area to
be serviced by essential government and
commercial services that are required for proper
functioning of the region. Council strongly
believes that the funding of this essential
airport project would be a perfect example of the
Federal Government demonstrating how the Close
the Gap aspiration for indigenous people could
be achieved in the Torres Strait region.
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TORRES SHIRE COUNCIL MISSION STATEMENT Torres
Shire Council through community consultation,
will focus on the promotion of community values,
together with the improvement of the quality of
lifestyle whilst ensuring efficiency of servicing
and protection of the environment.