Livingstone Shire Council announces decision on Emu Park Airstrip following extensive community consultation

Livingstone Shire Council have voted to retain trusteeship of Lot 48 Emu Park Road, also known as the Emu Park Airstrip, following the presentation of the results of extensive community consultation at last Tuesday’s Ordinary Council Meeting.

An assessment of the airstrip conducted earlier this year concluded that significant improvements were necessary to ensure compliance with civil aviation safety standards.

In March this year, Councillors voted in support of the officers’ recommendation to take the matter to consultation to hear the community’s thoughts on the future of the airstrip. Council received over seven hundred survey responses during the month-long consultation in August, the highest number of responses to any consultation in Livingstone Shire’s history of engagement.

Council staff presented the results of the consultation at the November Ordinary Council meeting, where Councillors decided to “retain the Trusteeship of Lot 48 Emu Park Road/Emu Park Airstrip and facilitate its continued use as a ‘landing ground for aircraft’ and allocate $40,000 in the 2024/2025 capital works budget to address improvement conditions.”

"During four weeks of consultation, we witnessed an unprecedented level of community participation, indicating the significance of the Emu Park Airstrip to the Livingstone community," Livingstone Shire Mayor Andy Ireland said.

“Most respondents to the survey voted that Council should continue as Trustee for the Airstrip (62%), with the second most popular option being that Council return the land to the State Government (31%).”

Council officers will now begin working to implement the steps outlined in the recommendation, beginning with the preparation of an Aerodrome Operating Procedure that includes maintenance arrangements for the airstrip, an inspection and replacement schedule for airstrip equipment, communication procedures and an Emergency Response Plan.

"Community feedback is critical to the Council’s decision-making process, and I would like to thank those community members who came forward with their thoughts and aspirations for the future of the airstrip”, Mayor Ireland said.

“As a result, we have been able to make an informed decision that reflects the best interests of Emu Park residents and the broader Livingstone community.”

Further details of the resolution can be found at the Council’s Get Involved page for the Emu Park Airstrip at https://getinvolved.livingstone.qld.gov.au/