Ballina Byron Gateway Airport wildlife management

Client | Ballina Byron Gateway Airport
Location | Ballina (NSW), Australia 
Service | Wildlife Hazard Management Program

Avisure has been consulting to Ballina Byron Gateway Airport (BBGA) since 2005, having been initially engaged for Australian White Ibis management. The relationship has since extended to a comprehensive wildlife management program that includes on- and off-airport surveys, wildlife aerial surveys, relief aerodrome reporting officers, wildlife hazard management committees, off-airport development risk assessments, wildlife hazard management training, wildlife hazard management plans and emergency exercises. In 2020, Avisure signed a five-year contract with BBGA which will ensure the continuity and ongoing improvement of BBGA’s wildlife hazard management.

In 2019, Avisure introduced the data collection app, Fulcrum©, to the BBGA wildlife hazard management program to assist biologists in collecting wildlife data at the airport and in the Ballina region. The app allows for real-time location capture of wildlife hazards and can be used for wildlife surveys, bird strike reporting and wildlife dispersal, among others. The app can link with other third-party programs, such as Tableau©, which analyses and presents bird strike, wildlife survey and wildlife dispersal activity data in a high-quality and easy-to-interpret format. Linking the two programs means Avisure will have access to real-time wildlife data as biologists perform surveys, as well as decreased project running costs.

The introduction of Fulcrum© and Tableau© to BBGA followed 18 months of testing at other airports along the Australian east coast. The cost savings, along with the improved data analysis, mean BBGA now receives monthly and quarterly wildlife summary reports. Potentially, following further testing, an online reporting system will be available.

This data program has successfully been implemented at other airports including Gold Coast, Sydney International, Western Sydney and Brisbane. Avisure has a team of GIS analysts trained and certified in these programs, and can create tailored wildlife summary reports to suit our clients’ needs.

Scroll to Top