If a $3.6 million upgrade to Mounty Beauty's airport does not happen, ambulance helicopters and planes will not be able to land on the site at all in the future.
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As it stands, they can only fly into Mounty Beauty Airport during the day.
Alpine Shire councillors last week voted to submit a grant application to the federal government, which they hope will cover half the cost.
In a report presented to councillors last week, Alpine chief executive Charlie Bird said the funding was considerable, but would provide access for both air ambulances and fire service aircraft.
"There is an expectation that when the Air Ambulance Victoria aircraft fleet is upgraded the current runway would be inadequate and the Air Ambulance Victoria aircraft would not be able to access the Mount Beauty Airport," he said.
"The upgrade will effectively future-proof emergency service access to the airport for decades to come."
The upgrade will effectively future-proof emergency service access to the airport for decades to come.
- Alpine CEO Charlie Bird
The works would extend the usable runway length from 648 metres to 1.1 kilometres and the width to 18 metres, and install Pilot Actuated Airport Lighting Control lights on the runway and obstacles lights on towers and hills. Mr Bird said the PAALC lights were mandatory to allow ambulance aircraft to have access to Mount Beauty airport at night.
"It is expected that lights will impact the amenity and it is anticipated that there will be some community dissatisfaction associated with the new obstacle lights," he said. "It is important that the community is effectively engaged to communicate the need for the obstacle lights and benefits of upgrading the runway."
Alpine Council will apply for $1.6 million through the federal government's regional airports program.