Grants to improve safety and accessibility of remote airstrips

To be eligible you must:

• have an Australian Business Number (ABN)
• be an owner and/or operator of an existing aerodrome in a remote or very remote area in Australia as defined by the 2021 Australian Statistical Geographic Standard (ASGS) Remoteness Area. Check the remoteness of your aerodrome location using nationalmap.gov.au.

You must also be one of the following entities:

• an entity, incorporated in Australia
• an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth)
• an incorporated trustee on behalf of a trust
• an incorporated association
• an incorporated not for profit organisation
• an Australian local government agency or body as defined in section 14 of the grant opportunity guidelines
• an Australian state/territory government agency or body including statutory corporations that are deemed by statute to be a body that represent the government of a state/territory
• a corporate Commonwealth entity.

An eligible organisation may apply on behalf of an aerodrome owner or operator (this excludes Indigenous owned or operated aerodromes seeking 100% of funding). In this case, you will be:

• the lead applicant in a joint application
• responsible for the project including administering, reporting and acquitting project expenditure
• responsible for entering into a grant agreement with the Commonwealth.

We can only accept applications where you provide evidence from your board or Council (or chief executive officer (CEO) or equivalent if there is no board) that the project is supported by the applicant organisation, and that the organisation is willing to accept responsibility to complete the project and meet the costs of the project not covered by grant funding.

You can’t apply if you are:

• an organisation, or your project partner is an organisation, included on the National Redress Scheme’s list of Institutions that have not joined or signified their intent to join the Scheme
• an employer of 100 or more employees that has not complied with the Workplace Gender Equality Act (2012)
• an individual
• a partnership
• a trust (however, an incorporated trustee may apply on behalf of a trust)
• a non-corporate Commonwealth entity.

Partner with other organisations

You can partner with one or more other organisations that also meet the eligibility criteria. But you must decide who the lead organisation is.

The lead organisation must fill out the application form.

If we give your group the grant, the lead organisation:

• signs the grant agreement
• is responsible for making sure your group follows the rules in the grant agreement.

You must complete your project by 30 April 2027.

To be eligible your project must:

• be aimed at enhancing the safety and accessibility of aerodromes in remote and very remote areas of Australia
• have at least $5,000 in eligible expenditure.

Eligible activities must directly relate to the project and may include the following:

• works to improve all weather capability of the aerodrome and aircraft safety including:
  • sealing and/or re-sealing and re-sheeting of aircraft pavements
  • repair, restoration and/or reconstruction of the airstrip, taxiway and/or apron
  • airstrip drainage works
  • basic airside ambulance and passenger shelters (to support patient health in transit).
• works to enhance aerodrome safety for aircraft operations including:
  • installation or restoration of animal fencing
  • provision of markers and navigational aids
  • works to reduce safety hazards at an aerodrome
  • provision of safety related operational and/or training manuals and training for key operational personnel.
• works to better enable night time operations including:
  • installation of runway and taxiway lighting
  • provision of power for aerodrome lighting
  • installation of Pilot Activated Lighting Control systems.
• works to support access to air services for people with disability including:
  • installation of ramps, signage or other modifications or works to improve disability access to existing facilities
  • provision of aircraft boarding facilities where these will allow an accessible whole aviation journey
  • other works or expenditure may be considered where evidence of consultation with community disability accessibility stakeholders and need is provided.

We may also approve other activities any additional activities must be in line with objectives and outcomes in the guidelines.

You can use this grant funding for:

• contractor costs
  • costs associated with contractors who undertake project activities (including capital items and materials purchased by contractor).
• employee costs
  • the portion of employee costs directly related to undertaking core elements of the project (including labour-on costs at an additional 30%).
• aviation-safety related staff training
  • costs associated with the provision of aviation-safety related staff training.
• capital expenditure for the purchase of assets, including:
  • power provisions
  • lighting and control systems
  • markers and navigational aids
  • training materials
  • assets to support access to terminal and/or aircraft for people with disability. 
• cost of materials associated with:
  • airstrip sealing, re-sealing and sheeting
  • repair, restoration and reconstruction or drainage works
  • fencing materials
  • basic airside ambulance and emergency patient shelters (to support patient health in transit)
  • clearing of land for an approved project
  • works to support access to terminal and/or aircraft for people with disability.
• independent audit report
  • the cost of an independent audit of project expenditure (where we request one) up to 1% of total eligible project expenditure but no more than $5,000.
• tender design and process costs:
  • costs associated with final engineering specifications and drawings required for tender design and construction process
  • contingency costs, inspection reports and/or consultancy advice up to a maximum of 10% of the eligible project cost. Noting that we only make payments based on actual cost incurred.

We may also approve other items of expenditure any additional expenditure must be in line with objectives and outcomes in the guidelines.