Construction is officially underway on a new Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) facility at Launceston Airport with the first sod turned today, marking a major milestone in the airport’s long-term plan to support emergency services and critical aviation operations in northern Tasmania.
The new 470m2 facility will be constructed by Tas City Building in partnership with Launceston Airport, strengthening the TFS's emergency response capability at Tasmania’s northern gateway. Launceston Airport already supports a range of emergency service operations, including Tasmania Police, Ambulance Tasmania and aeromedical services, with direct airfield access enabling rapid deployment during bushfires, medical emergencies and natural disasters.
Construction of the new facility is expected to be completed later this year in time for the next summer fire season.
Launceston Airport CEO Katie Cooper said the new facility reflects the airport’s growing role as a key piece of the state's emergency services infrastructure.
“This 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,” she said.
“Launceston Airport is more than a transport hub - it’s a critical enabler for emergency response across northern Tasmania.
“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."
Tasmania Fire Service Assistant Director for Statewide Operations and Capability, Mark Dobson said the new facility will support aerial firefighting capability into the future.
“As well as supporting our normal aerial firefighting, 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," he said.
"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."
For further information contact: Launceston Airport Media on (03) 9335 3666