Mayor says flood-prone airstrip may need to move despite $27m upgrade

Key points

• The mayor of Burketown in Queensland says the town's airstrip may need to move to a more flood-resistant site, even after a $27 million upgrade. The Queensland and federal governments funded the work, which raised the airstrip by 400 millimetres.
• Commercial flights are expected to resume in mid-November after about nine months of repairs, during which the only access was by bus on unreliable dirt roads. Mayor Ernie Camp said he remains worried the airstrip would not survive another flood like the one in 2023.
• A regional council group said long-term planning is needed to protect air services.