CFS expands aerial firefighting network with new regional airbases

Airbase operators practice loading an airtanker at Renmark Airbase.

In a significant development for South Australia’s bushfire aviation response strategy, State Aviation Operations officially launched three new aerial firefighting airbases in Renmark, Wudinna and Malinong in September 2025. 

This expansion marks a major step forward in enhancing regional firefighting capacity, enabling faster and more effective aerial support during bushfire events.

The new facilities are strategically positioned to serve as reload bases for fixed-wing firebombing aircraft, reducing turnaround times and improving response coverage across some of South Australia’s most fire-prone rural regions.

Wudinna Airbase infrastructure

With quicker access to reloading of aerial firefighting suppressants, aircraft can provide more agile and sustained support to ground crews during critical operations.

A cornerstone of this rollout is the training and deployment of 14 new airbase operators from the Chaffey Group and 9 from the Coorong Group, who are now fully equipped to manage operations at the Renmark and Malinong bases.

Wudinna Airbase set up for operations

Their readiness ensures that the airbase can function at full capacity when required, adding a critical layer of capability to regional operations.

‘These new airbases are a game-changer for our firefighting strategy,’ said Aviation Operations Officer Ryan Pym.

‘They represent the culmination of significant work by State Aviation Operations, supported by members across Murraylands and the Riverland, West Coast and Eyre Peninsula, and by the District Councils of Wudinna and Renmark Paringa.

‘Together, we’re not just expanding our operational reach, we’re building the infrastructure and skills needed to respond more effectively to bushfire threats,’ said Mr Pym. 

The establishment of the new airbases significantly strengthens the CFS’s aerial firefighting network, opening additional areas of the Eyre Peninsula, Riverland, and Upper South East to faster aerial response and improved fire protection.