Broome International Airport management of Djarindjin-Lombadina Airport finishes, DAC takes over

Djarindjin-Lombadina Airport will no longer be managed by Broome International Airport, with the Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation taking over full operational and management responsibilities from February 1. The hub services oil and gas operations in the Browse Basin, 425km north of Broome, including the Shell Prelude and Inpex Ichthys projects, which are expected to continue for the next 40 to 60 years. Located on the Dampier Peninsula 170km from Broome, it is fully managed and staffed by local Indigenous workers and has created jobs for 20 people from Djarindjin and surrounding Aboriginal communities, including Beagle Bay and Ardyaloon. The venture began in 2010 when the Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation entered into a partnership with Broome International Airport to build a facility that could provide refuelling for helicopters flying to and from the Browse Basin. The airport has a 1200m sealed runway with pilot-activated lighting and includes a Royal Flying Doctor Service transfer station. To establish the facility, the corporation needed to borrow $6 million from BIA, which was repaid in just six years. In a statement released on February 10, Broome International Airport chief executive Paul McSweeney said BIA had finished management and operation of the airport. “Since 2010, BIA has worked closely with the Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation and we are very proud of what has been achieved,” he said. “The airport has and continues to be staffed by an all-Indigenous workforce, who do a wonderful job. “The transition to DAC managing and operating the airport from February 1 has been very smooth and we wish DAC all the very best for the future.” Djarindjin had a population of 395 in the 2016 census.