Remote communities are set to benefit from an additional $28 million over the next two years to improve the safety of airstrips in remote communities.

Mr Albanese said that these airstrips are often the life-blood of remote Australian communities.

“They provide residents with regular air access to emergency services, essential supplies and access to regional centres,” he said.

“The work will also improve access where communities are cut off for months of the year due to the wet season and rely heavily on air access,” Ms King said.

“The funding is part of the Gillard Labor Government’s commitment to remote and regional aviation, as outlined in our national Aviation White Paper.”

Over the two years:

• $22 million will be provided for aviation safety upgrades on a co-funding basis; and to provide for a higher proportion of funding for works at identified remote Indigenous communities.

• $4 million will be provided to designated airstrips at Indigenous communities that receive essential flights subsidised under the Australian Government’s Remote Air Services Subsidy (RASS) Scheme. This funding is part of an ongoing work program to improve the aviation safety standard of aerodromes at designated remote Indigenous communities.

Applications for funding of aerodrome safety upgrades at eligible remote communities will open in June 2011 or early 2011-12.

“This vital funding continues our commitment to the safety and reliability of remote air services through which $20 million in Australian Government funding was approved for 151 projects over the last four years,” Mr Albanese concluded.