{"id":321423,"date":"2022-07-15T17:50:13","date_gmt":"2022-07-15T07:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=321423"},"modified":"2022-07-15T22:30:22","modified_gmt":"2022-07-15T12:30:22","slug":"fence-to-save-lives-and-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2022\/07\/15\/fence-to-save-lives-and-money\/","title":{"rendered":"Fence To Save Lives … And Money"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cr Scott Henschen, SBRC Senior Recreational and Services Officer Michael Hunter, Cr Kirstie Schumacher and Cr Danita Potter with the new animal-proof fencing which also improves the appearance and security at Kingaroy Airport<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

July 15, 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n

A $195,000 animal-proof fence erected around Kingaroy Airport will save the South Burnett Regional Council an estimated $91,000 a year – and ensure the Royal Flying Doctor Service can continue to land safely at night.<\/p>\n

The 6.8km of fencing encloses the sealed and grass runways at the airport, keeping kangaroos safely away from both landing strips.<\/p>\n

Before the new fence was installed, a Council worker had to “run the strip” in a vehicle at night to clear the runway of ‘roos before the Flying Doctor could land or take-off.<\/p>\n

This could occur several times a night, racking up substantial call-out costs for Council (and meaning the employee was continually being woken up).<\/p>\n

A Council spokesperson said RFDS crews landed 384 times at Kingaroy Airport during the past financial year.<\/p>\n

The new wire fence was erected by Focus Fencing, the same company which erected 14km of animal-proof fencing around Wondai Airport last year.<\/p>\n

Work on the Kingaroy project started in April and was completed by the end of June after delays caused by wet weather.<\/p>\n

RFDS spokesperson Glyn Butchard said the new fence would help to improve access and safety for RFDS crews and patients.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOur highly experienced pilots can land in a range of environments, however kangaroos and other animals which encroach on airstrips can present unpredictable hazards and can increase the time it takes for us to respond to an emergency,” he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s great to see the completion of this new fence which will help provide an extra barrier, ensuring our crews can land quickly and safely at all times of the day, as we continue to deliver the finest life-saving care right across the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both the Kingaroy and Wondai airport fences were funded through the State Government’s Works For Queensland grants scheme.<\/p>\n

A Council spokesperson said future improvements at Kingaroy Airport included an upgrade to the runway lighting.<\/p>\n

The new lighting is due to be installed by September and will be partly funded by the Federal Government through the Regional Airport Program.<\/p>\n

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