“On behalf of the Flinders Island community, I congratulate Jess Teesdale on her successful campaign for the seat of Bass,” Mayor Rachel Summers said.

“We look forward to welcoming our new Federal representative to our island as soon as possible and showing her all that our extraordinary community has to offer.

“Importantly, I look forward to continuing our discussions with Federal Labor about the urgent need to upgrade the Flinders Island Airport.

“Before the election, Labor committed $2.7 million to upgrade the electrical system, but we still need more than $23 million to meet CASA standards on the runway.

“As an island, our lives and livelihoods depend on all conditions access and having a safe and functional airport is critical to this.”

Mayor Summers also thanked outgoing Liberal MP Bridget Archer for her support over her six year term.

“Bridget has been a steadfast supporter and advocate for our island. It’s easy to overlook remote communities like ours, but Bridget always championed our island, and I sincerely thank her for that.”