Polar plan a win for state

Hobart hot ticket to cool runway

PLANS to build a year-round runway near Australia’s Davis Antarctic research station will greatly enhance Tasmania’s growing reputation as the key gateway to Antarctica, Minister for State Growth Peter Gutwein says.

Federal Energy and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced the project yesterday.

“The new runway will provide for a permanent link between Hobart and Antarctica and improve our ability to conduct year-round research, which in turn will encourage businesses in the industry to base their operations in Tasmania,” Mr Gutwein said.

“Antarctic research organisations already contribute over 1200 direct and indirect employees locally while injecting around $180 million into the local economy each year, and this has the potential to create even more jobs as businesses take up what Tasmania has to offer.”

Tony Press, the former Antarctic Division director who led the strategic review of Australia’s Antarctic program, said the new runway would be a transformative development to equal the original Wilkins Ice runway and the new icebreaker.

“It will be a game changer. It certainly will revolutionise the way logistics are conducted in Antarctica,” Dr Press said.

“Year-round access really changes the nature of how to plan your scientific effort.

“Being able to get people in and out of Davis all year round changes the nature of science on the ice and changes the way you use your marine resources as well — it frees your very ex- pensive asset up in a way you’re not able to do if it is required early and late in the season to move people around.”

He said the runway would also be “a real bonus to international collaboration”.

University of Tasmania deputy vice-chancellor (Research) Brigid Heywood said the new runway would enable the university to grow its research and cement links within the global Antarctic community.

“The university is proud to be a lead academic partner in the national Antarctic science endeavour, driving world-class research while providing education and training,” Professor Heywood said.

“The university and our flagship research institute — the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies — produces some of the most significant, groundbreaking research in this field.”