12/01/2006 - Construction
of the first glacial blue-ice runway in
Australia's Antarctica Territory is about
to get underway in preparation for the introduction
of an intercontinental air service in 2007-08.
The Minister for the Environment and Heritage,
Senator Ian Campbell, said around $3 million
of specialist equipment - with almost $2
million of that sourced through Tasmanian
business - will leave Hobart today aboard
the icebreaker MV Vasiliy Golovnin.
"The Australian Government has earmarked
$46.3 million over four years to construct
the runway and to introduce an air service
between Hobart and Antarctica, reducing
the dependence on sea travel," Senator
Campbell said.
"Major construction will now go ahead
following preliminary works during the past
two seasons at a site to be known as Wilkins
Ice Runway inland from Casey station."
The runway is named after Australia's legendary
supporter of Antarctic exploration and aviation,
Sir Hubert Wilkins, and on completion will
be almost four kilometres long and 100m
wide.
"Construction personnel are already
at the site, after travelling in by ship
earlier this season to set up camp in readiness
for the arrival of the equipment,"
Senator Campbell said.
He said the Australian Antarctic Division
had already trialled techniques to build
a runway from natural glacial ice.
"This has considerable advantages over
a traditional rock or pavement runway in
that there will not be any permanent or
significant environmental impact,"
he said.
"If the runway were ever to be abandoned
it would revert to its natural state within
two to three years.
"Introduction of a direct air link
from Australia will allow us to do our research
in Antarctica smarter and better because
scientists will be able to get there and
back quicker than spending weeks travelling
by sea.
"This is going to attract more senior
scientists, many of whom cannot now afford
the time taken by ship.
"Within two years, when the air link
is up and running, we will see a marked
streamlining of the way we're able to do
our science, keeping us at the forefront
of research in Antarctica."
