Unnecessary airstrip

AN AIRSTRIP in Antarctica makes the new nuyina icebreaker redundant.

Why is the Australian government building an airstrip next to Davis station? The nuyina icebreaker has just arrived in Hobart to service Antarctic stations and cost $1.9 billion.

Surely this investment provides for ongoing research and maintenance in the area?

Scientists say that the multibilliondollar airstrip project is unnecessary and will be damaging to wildlife.

The construction of the airstrip is likely to involve blasting of petrel rookeries, disturbance of penguin colonies, storm petrels and Weddell seals, and would encase a 2.7km length of wilderness in more than 115,000 tonnes of concrete.

Is Australia scrambling to assert its international standing in Antarctica when it should be focusing on issues closer to home?

FELICITY HOLMES, Toowoomba