Bushfire bomber

A NEW water bomber has been unveiled to boost Australia’s firefighting capability ahead of the upcoming bushfire season.

Emergency Management Minister Bridget McKenzie on Sunday announced an additional $4m a year for the National Aerial Firefighting Centre to keep the aircraft in Australia.

More than 150 specialised, highly mobile aircraft are positioned across the country to respond to bushfires. The new large air tanker will be able to drop about 15,000 litres of water on a bushfire.