Media Release

KAP Leader and Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter is thrilled that Kennedy has once again come out a winner in the latest round of Federal funding grants – this time receiving 45 percent of the $2.7m in funding allocated to upgrade remote airstrips in Queensland.

The Richmond, Hughenden, Karumba, Mornington Island and Chillagoe airports will receive a combined $1.2m under the Federal Government’s Remote Airstrip Upgrade Programme – in order to upgrade electrical works, build animal proof fences and repair landing strips.

“This is a wonderful achievement for all of our people who have aggressively sought money for the upgrading of our rural airports,” Mr Katter said today.

“Nearly one half of the allocation for Queensland has gone to just one Federal electorate and that is attributable not to myself, but to the people that worked hard and we want to congratulate each and every one of them.

“During the wet season it is impossible to keep all of the roads operable and our airports quite literally become our only lifeline – so every effort must therefore be made to keep those airports in working order.

“Once again it amuses me that people say you can’t get anything as an Independent, yet this proves those people wrong.

“Whether they give the money out to get rid of me or because of good representation, the fact of the matter is that if you have an Independent Member of Parliament, you often get a hell of a lot more than if you don’t.”

Mr Katter did not however hold back his anger at the Federal Government for having shirked their responsibility for the upkeep of rural airports, the burden of which now falls on local Councils and their ratepayers.

“In a way I would rather spit upon this Federal Government than thank them – since all of these airports were their constitutionally designated responsibilities and they simply walked away and dumped them upon Local Councils.

“It’s just another way in which our tax dollars don’t get returned to us. But we will, in spite of that thank them.”

Mr Katter will now be holding serious discussions with Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) officials over their hefty charges and impositions, which he said had driven almost every small plane out of the sky.

“There are hardly any light aircraft left in North Queensland and most certainly commercial charter planes are about as common as an abominable snow man in Boulia.

“Whereas in Mount Isa, the Mid West and Charters Towers we had nine charter aircraft, now we’re lucky if we’ve got two. In Townsville there were 15, and arguably we would now have only four.

“The very patriotic and wonderful man Dick Smith said you have to have affordable safety; or there’s no need for safety as you’ll have no aeroplanes.

“CASA’s hypocrisy is highlighted by their refusal to put power line alerts in choppers, yet their charges and impositions have driven almost every plane out of the sky.

“And Mr CASA, when people can’t fly, they die. I know this all too well as I lost my uncle and my father due to the tyranny of distance,” Mr Katter said.

The Councils and airstrips that received funding are as follows:

Richmond Shire Council (Richmond Airport) - $42,500 – New airfield ground lighting control panel;

Carpentaria Shire Council (Karumba Airport) - $85,654 – Replace gable markers, windsock upgrade and construction of concrete base with bitumen seal around windsock;

Flinders Shire Council (Hughenden Airport) - $86,052 – Animal proof fence;

Mareeba Shire Council (Chillagoe Airport) - $160,000 – Re-seal runway, drainage works and instillation of an illuminated wind indicator;

Mornington Island Shire Council (Mornington Island Airport) - $837,000 – Re-seal apron, upgrade lighting and install animal proof fencing.