Emerald Airport is the only publicly accessible, high-capacity airport in the Central Highlands region. Critically, the airport also caters for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, providing medical services to regional Queensland. With changes to Civil Aviation Safety standards, Emerald Airport was required to upgrade their aviation security screening equipment to meet the requirements of new enhanced screening procedures. As the new screening infrastructure was considerably larger than the old equipment, additional upgrades to the existing terminal were required to accommodate the new machines and provide facilities for new security equipment and procedures.
Central Highlands Regional Council (CHRC) determined that the necessary extension, which included an upgrade to the facilities should not only address compulsory regulatory issues but also support ongoing operations and future growth in the region. With this aim, Council commissioned GenEng Solutions to assist them with the preparation of a funding application through the Queensland Government’s Building our Regions Round 5 program.
Approach
An initial meeting was conducted with Council to establish a sound understanding of the project and collate relevant information that would support the preparation of an Expression of Interest application for the Building Our Regions funding program. GenEng was engaged to collate supporting information and documentation on behalf of Council, with the intent to seek approval from the Department to progress to the next stage of the funding application.
The submitted Expression of Interest was successful, and Council received an invitation to submit their Business Case. At this juncture, GenEng were again engaged by Council to both coordinate and develop the application, including obtaining a Cost Benefit Analysis developed by an Economist in support of the project. Coordination with Council representatives and collation of information ensured all key criteria were addressed per the Building our Regions guidelines
Outcome
CHRC’s funding application of $2.14M was successful, and, along with Federal funding to cover the unavoidable costs of compliance upgrades, Council was able to fund screening requirements that included a new communication room, the upgrade and reorganisation of a number of terminal facilities, the repositioning of the passenger drop-off zone, and additional amenities.
The Emerald Airport now meets Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Department of Home Affairs Aviation and Maritime Security Division laws, and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services regulations and standards. This will ensure continued critical transport services and support of ongoing growth and development to the Central Highlands region.