Airport flying with $25m boost

Designs for the multimillion-dollar redevelopment of Port Hedland International Airport have been revealed.

The Town of Port Hedland approved a master plan for the $25 million upgrades in July.

The works, which were unveiled by Woods Bagot recently, would include an 800sqm extension to the current terminal and include other functionality improvements.

The project was scheduled to be completed mid-2021.

The airport was leased to the Town of Port Hedland by the PHIA Group in 2015 for 50 years, with the agreement that it would spend $40 million upgrading the facilities over five years.

As part of the lease, $17 million had already been spent on completing a new asphalt overlay of the runway and a new taxiway.

PHIA Group chairman Cheryl Edwardes said this was an opportunity to think outside the box and deliver an airport, which makes the Port Hedland community proud and service the mining interests, oil and gas industry, and other opportunities in the region.

ToPH Commissioner Fred Riebeling said the endorsement of the PHIA master plan and capital works program reflected the Town’s long-term goal to drive tourism and trade in the Pilbara. “I’d like to commend the PHIA for completing upgrades to airside pavements and infrastructure, expanding capacity, and further meeting the aviation needs of the Pilbara’s growing economy,” Mr Riebeling said.

Mr Riebeling said the improved runway lighting, signage, helicopter parking, new asphalt overlay improved the town’s capabilities to meet growth demands and safety standards into the future.

“The newly unveiled terminal design by global architects Woods Bagot is visually spectacular and responds to Hedland’s unique environmental conditions and improves function-ality,” he said.

“The significant progress made by the PHIA since it took over the lease of the airport in 2016 is commendable.

“I look forward to seeing the final terminal construction in mid-2021.”