Liberal candidate Thomas Brough promises $14m to upgrade Albany Regional Airport he said has “fallen apart”

Albany’s Liberal candidate has promised to put in $14 million to finish the Albany Regional Airport upgrades, saying the infrastructure has reached a “crisis point”. Thomas Brough pledged this week to complete the works detailed in the Albany Regional Airport Master Plan 2043, including upgrading the runway, apron and taxiway, expansion of the passenger terminal and carpark. The project has already received $14.6m in Federal government funding, $2.5m in State Government funding and $14.1m from the City of Albany, with the latest Liberal promise pushing the total to $42.7m. Mr Brough stressed on Tuesday the importance of upgrades to the runway pavement, which the assessments included in the master plan show are too weak for some of the larger planes landing on it, causing the pavement to weaken with each landing. “For years, Albany has had a Labor MP and a Labor Government — so why has nothing been done?” he said. “They let the airport fall apart. They ignored local government. Even at crisis point, they still didn’t care. “This is more than an airport — it’s a lifeline for our economy, our healthcare, and our connection to the world.” Albany mayor Greg Stocks said he was grateful for recent funding commitments to the city-owned asset, and upgrades would allow the city to consider the prospect of interstate aviation. WA Liberals leader Libby Mettam said Mr Brough’s promised upgrades to Albany Regional Airport are “another example” of “real, effective local representation”. WA National’s candidate Scott Leary last week promised $14m towards the airport upgrades that he labelled a “great asset” to the Great Southern. WA Labor was contacted for comment.