Broome will benefit from an investment of nearly $20 million into a brand-new fire station and air traffic control tower at the airport.

I made the announcement at Broome International Airport today.

This investment reflects the Rudd Labor Government's commitment to making sure that safety is the highest priority in aviation.

As the first combined facility of its kind in Australia, the new, state-of-the-art Aviation and Rescue Fire Fighting service and air traffic control tower will bring together the major safety infrastructure at Broome Airport.

Fire fighters and air traffic controllers will provide support to all scheduled passenger transport operations seven days a week.

The new Airservices Australia facility will make sure that the airport is well-equipped to handle expected growth in air traffic over the next 15 years.

Broome is one of the busiest regional airports in Australia, with aircraft movements expected to double from 36,000 a year to more than 73,000 by 2025.

It provides regular services for domestic and international tourists and business visitors, as well as serving as a vital regional hub for remote Kimberley communities.

The new custom-built fire station will replace the service's temporary home in an aircraft hangar.

Over the past 12 months, the fire station and its 15 highly-skilled staff have responded to about 50 calls and also provide back-up to the local fire service on major incidents like bushfires

The new four-storey air traffic control tower will be cyclone-proof and equipped with the latest air traffic management technology.

It will also include rain water collection for landscape irrigation and vehicle cleaning to improve environmental efficiency.

As required by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Airservices will have a temporary air traffic control service operational in Broome by 18 November 2010, and the new tower is expected to be operational by mid-2011.