The Mackay Port Authority is seeking more information to determine if security cameras at the city’s busy airport can be linked to Mackay police station.

The Federal Government has announced a $48 million package to improve security at Australia’s 146 regional airports.

Mackay Airport operations manager Ray Waters examines camera images of the main carpark.

Mackay Airport operations manager Ray Waters said $3.3 million dollars had been set aside in the Securing our Regional Skies offensive to undertake trials linked to airport Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) security.

“The MPA is still seeking clarification but I understand that there could be funding available to link our current network to the Office of Transport Security Operations Centre,” he said.

“The vision could then be monitored on a 24 hour basis at Mackay police station or be made available to other appropriate agencies.”

Mr Waters said more than $250 000 had recently been spent on upgrading the CCTV coverage at the airport.

The MPA had injected more than a million dollars over the past two years improving airport security.

Another key part of the Federal Government’s aviation security initiative has been directed at establishing rapid deployment teams to counter potential terrorist threats at airports.

Mr Waters had hoped at least one of the four teams would have been based in a regional city such as Mackay, rather than in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

“Mackay is centrally located and would have been an ideal regional port for a rapid deployment team,” he said.

“Mackay is on the doorstep to the mineral rich Bowen Basin. The region has extensive mining infrastructure and growing communities that are serviced by a host of smaller airports such as Emerald, Dysart, Proserpine, Bowen, Rockhampton and Gladstone,” he said.

Mr Waters said the Federal Government’s Securing Our Regional Skies program was a positive initiative that would be particularly welcomed by smaller regional airports.