The Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley has been awarded a $7.57 million grant from the Commonwealth to complete airside upgrades at its Kununurra regional airport.
The Round 5 Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF) grant will allow the shire to strengthen taxiways, build a new apron and improve other airside infrastructure at the East Kimberley Regional Airport.
It was one of 298 infrastructure and community investment projects awarded BBRF grants to “support economic and social infrastructure for the long-term benefit of regional communities”.
The Wyndham East Kimberly Shire will contribute $2.5 million of its own reserves to the $10 million airport project, which will form the start of major works intended to improve the gateway and boost the East Kimberley’s tourism potential.
Other BBRF grant recipients included Lake Macquarie City Council ($10 million), Lismore City Council ($9.86 million), City of Broken Hill ($8.78 million), Parkes Shire Council ($6 million), and Cloncurry Shire Council ($5 million).
The projects range from housing initiatives, new cultural and sporting facilities, community hall revamps, water infrastructure upgrades, extensions to botanical gardens, and CBD activations.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Barnaby Joyce said $300 million had been committed to Round 5 funding, $100 million more than had been originally announced.
This will enable regional communities to rebound strongly from the Covid-19 pandemic, he said.
Supporting regional tourism as part of economic recovery plans was a particular focus of Round 5, with $125 million committed to 81 shovel-ready tourism-specific infrastructure upgrades under the infrastructure projects stream.
Click here for a full list of the successful community investments stream projects.