Runway extension opens up more options

The concept comes after engineers found a problem with layers underneath the surface of the runway, during resurfacing.

Problems with the base means the runway needs to be completely relaid, prompting the Shire to consider if it should extend the runway at the same time.

The runway is 1800 metres long and an extension would take it to 2100m.

Airport Consultancy Group has been awarded the tender to design the new runway.

"We would be certainly interested in having a conversation with the State government about the advantage of having a runway which could be used by air tankers," said Esperance Shire president Ron Chambers.

"And even talking to tourism operators, whether there's the opportunity to at some point in the future to bring larger aircraft into town.

"If we're going to have to rip up the base and redo the existing 1800m, should we look at extending it the extra 300m while we're at it?"

A longer runway would make it suitable for landing firefighting air tankers during the bushfire season.

Currently, air tankers fly to the region from Busselton, but given the time taken, they are not filled to capacity.

Busselton has the airside infrastructure which allows emergency services to fill tanks up with fire retardant and water, however the time it takes to return back to base and refuel adds delays.

"I know they haven't used the air tankers at the current fire out on the highway, the reason being is the return flight time," Mr Chambers said.

"Aircraft on fires work effectively the closer you can get to the fire.

"When they're utilised more often, you get to understand what their capabilities are and get a way better outcome.

"They can't hang around over a fire ground very long, the further away they are.

"If you can get them in the air relatively close, you can have them sitting in the air and utilise them when you need them.

"You wouldn't be relying on an aircraft to put out a fire but it's certainly a tool in your toolbox to control it."

Mr Chambers said the Shire had spoken to a tourism and economic development manager visiting Esperance who is interested in putting the Esperance Airport on a commercial flight path, similar to that of the Busselton Margaret River Airport.

"It'd be great to get one of the airlines flying here from Adelaide, Melbourne or Sydney," he said.

"One of the things that restricts our tourism a little bit is access, a lot of people who travel don't want to spend 16 hours of their holidays driving from Perth to Esperance and back.

"The potential to improve our tourism here is huge."

Mr Chambers said he was waiting to hear back from Airport Consultancy Group on what the best course of action would be.

"We would really like to make sure that we have an airport that's not going to restrict any future growth in town, it's really important that we get this right," he said.

Mr Chambers said Esperance had a cross-runway, which means the proposed upgrades wouldn't impact current services including REX services.

"We'll end up with a better cross-runway as well, which will help smaller and lighter planes that operate here," he said.

"We can still have the current services in place."

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) said it has been in discussion with the Shire of Esperance for more than a year to discuss aircraft landing capacity, and that the air tankers require specific runway conditions to land.

"DFES and Coulson Aviation met with the shire in December 2022 and informed it that LATs (large air tankers) could not land safely at Esperance Airport because the runway was not designed to support the weight of such large aircraft," said a DFES spokesperson.

"Under the Shire's proposed runway upgrades, LATs will be cleared to land at Esperance Airport subject to runway specifications for the aircraft type for minimum pavement strength rating, manoeuvring areas and runway length requirements being met.

The spokesperson said Esperance Airport was suitable for smaller firefighting aircraft, including fixed wing water bombers to boost firefighting capabilities.