Mount Gambier’s multi-million dollar airport upgrade will open on Monday – on budget and a month ahead of schedule.
The $9.2m Mount Gambier Regional Airport upgrade follows two years of construction and 10 years in the planning stages.
Stage 2 of the $6.2m terminal will open to the public from Monday and passengers will be able to enjoy the new layout and design which has improved passenger flow and created more usable public spaces.
Stage 2 includes the two main departure lounges, departure ramps and access airside, amenities, carpet and painting as well as landscaping and signage.
The overall $9.2m project had four main components to the upgrade and the airside works accounted for a third ($3m) of the project with the three main deliverables being an extension of 120 meters to the main runway, a brand new heavy aircraft apron and a full electrical upgrade.
Lead contractors Paul Heenan Earthworks, Airport Electrical and Stuckey Electrical worked with Grant District Council to deliver the airside outputs as the first phase of the overall development.
Landside, the most visible part of the airport upgrade was the $6.2m terminal which commenced in October 2019.
Architect Ashley Halliday said the purpose of the building was to connect travellers with the region.
“The Mount Gambier Regional Airport is not only a state of the art transport terminal, it acts as an ambassador for the whole region offering visitors both their first and last impressions. It was important to create a charismatic gateway that captured the unique essence of the Limestone Coast region.
The epic round skylight clad in charred timber and the forest of pine logs are something different, making people aware that they’ve arrived somewhere special,” he said.
Council Chief Executive Officer Darryl Whicker said “2020 has not been an easy year for anyone and throughout this project we have had to navigate the difficulties and complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic”.
“The success of this project has been a full team effort from everyone involved,” he said.
“From the beginnings of securing the funding right through to this final stage, the project has been collaborative and well executed by all lead contractors and sub-contractors and in particular the staff team behind the scenes.
“Council can now exclusively reveal that as a result of outstanding project management on the airside works there was a $640,000 saving which was reallocated to extend the footprint of the terminal providing more floor space and the ability to install access and inclusion friendly amenities.”
Starting in October 2018, the Mount Gambier Regional Airport upgrade was co-funded across three tiers of government, with federal funding from the Building Better Regions Fund, a contribution from the State Government, as well as through a $500,000 funding agreement between the Grant District and Mount Gambier City councils.
