Department of Defence project team to hold community briefings on the proposed airfield upgrade

The Department of Defence will have a project team on Cocos this week to engage with the community on the proposed airfield upgrade.

The airfield upgrade was recommended in the 2016 Defence White Paper to enable the replacement of the P3 Orions with the new P8-A Poseidon maritime surveillance and response aircraft.

In order to give all interested locals the opportunity to hear from the Department of Defence project team on the airfield upgrade and ask questions about this substantial project, community briefings will be held on both Home and West Islands as follows:

• 5.30 p.m., Wednesday, 12 September — Home Island Cyclone Shelter
• 3.00 p.m., Friday, 14 September — West Island Public Shelter (next to the Cocos Club)

Special thanks to the Shire and the Indian Ocean Territories Administration for organising these meetings.

I will also be on Cocos this week to facilitate the community engagement process which I actively encouraged on my last visit to Canberra.

Natasha Griggs
Administrator
Territories of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands