Narrabri Airport
Overview
Location – Narrabri, NSW
Length – 5.5km
Application – Aerodrome Fencing
The Client
Narrabri Airport is a regional airport in the rich Namoi Valley of North West of NSW, where the Kamilaroi Highway meets the Newell Highway. The airport connects the local industry and community to essential services in Brisbane and Sydney, as well as the ever crucial RFDS.
The Challenge
The airport faced a crippling influx of wildlife during the height of the drought which became a significant safety issue for pilots attempting to land and take-off on the runway. To avoid a serious accident, they had to be excluded.
Another challenge was the need to be compliant with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Regulations (Federal Government Regulatory Authority) to secure funding.
The Solution
Chris Booby (Narrabri Council) contacted Matthew Dowell (Southern Wire) who immediately got to work with the Southern Wire Production and Research & Development teams to first see what was possible from a manufacturing standpoint, then what design of fence would be best suited to the application. What the team arrived at was a 17/180/15 Fastlock plus 30cm Barbed Hinged Apron (17 line wires, 180cm high + 30cm apron, 15cm picket spacings) installed onto 240cm Galvanised star pickets. This prevented kangaroos from pushing through, digging under, or jumping over the fence. Critically, the picket wires extended to the top of the fence, rather than barbed or plain wires above a shorter fence. This creates a better visual barrier for kangaroos when looking down the fence line. Additionally, this met the CASA requirements for the Regional Airports Funding Program.
Southern Wire manufactured and dispatched the complete project within 4 weeks of order confirmation.
The Result
Now Narrabri Airport enjoys the peace of mind that comes with having an exclusion fencing that is custom manufactured in Australia and fit for purpose.
5 years on, the number of incidents relating to wildlife incursions within the aerodrome have been significantly reduced. This means less risk and less time spent on runway inspections.
Testimonials
“For us to be able to do all jobs to high standards of completion, fence materials that provide us with consistency of quality and being fit for purpose along with reliable supply plus back-office support, Southern Wire tick all the boxes for us.” – Mike McFall (Installer)
“I’d say we have had 90% improvement in keeping kangaroos off airside since we installed…before the fence it was a hell of a lot worse...really the kangaroos are kept out well by it…I haven’t seen one clear it yet…its performing very well” - Geoff Smith (Narrabri Council – Airport Coordinator)