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Launceston Airport has turned the first sod on a new Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) facility.
The 470-square-metre firefighting hub will strengthen the emergency response capabilities at Launceston, and is expected to be finished in time for the peak summer fire season later this year.
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“As well as supporting our normal aerial firefighting fleet, it will be the nominated base when we need to deploy Large Air Tankers (LATs) into Tasmania, which were used extensively in response to the West Coast fires in 2025,” said Tasmania Fire Service’s assistant director for statewide operations and capability, Mark Dobson.
“We will also incorporate a state-of-the-art computerised fire suppressant loading system into the facility. This allows for a rapid turnaround for the LATs, which in turn enables us to build stronger containment lines for large bushfires, or where the terrain is inaccessible by fire trucks.
“Particularly with our large air tankers, once they’re based here, they can be deployed to anywhere in Tasmania because of the central location. It gives us a really good response time to any part of the state.
“I’ll go back to the fires on the West Coast and up around Cradle Mountain last year – if the air base had been, say, in southern Tasmania, then the turnaround time would be much greater. So, this gives us a much, much more efficient capability.”
According to Launceston Airport CEO Katie Cooper, the facility will “ensure the TFS has modern, fit-for-purpose infrastructure and reinforces Launceston Airport’s role as a trusted partner to the agencies that protect our communities every day”.
“Launceston Airport is more than a transport hub – it’s a critical enabler for emergency response across northern Tasmania,” she said.
“Our firefighting personnel do extraordinary work every year to protect Tasmanian communities, often in challenging and dangerous conditions, and we’re proud to support their operations here at Launceston Airport.”
It comes after Launceston in December opened its $5 million reinforced Taxiway Foxtrot, which began construction last April and required more than 6,000 cubic metres of material to be excavated, as well as the laying of 2,200 square metres of specialist concrete.
The taxiway and TFS base come alongside Launceston’s terminal upgrade project, which will add three new food and beverage outlets and increase passenger amenities.
Iain Clarke
says:My late grandfather used to be the chief at the station back in the 60s. While other kids played on tractors at the Show, my brother and I had the fire trucks whenever Pa went to collect his ‘biccies for the barrel’.
Iain Clarke
says:From my uncle: My first outing in my first car was to said fire station. He showed me around, a very enjoyable afternoon.