General News
31 July, 2024
Bigger, better helicopter on its way to the North West
The region will have improved life-saving capacity as a result of a $31.8m project at the Mount Isa Airport.
When monsoonal floods swept through the North West in the summer of 2022-23, the number of evacuations and rescues across the region doubled the annual total in a matter of weeks.
The workload required aeromedical support from across the state – including a purpose-built AgustaWestland 139 all-weather helicopter – which proved to be a vital lifeline when covering the vast distances during the disaster emergency.
The current LifeFlight and Royal Flying Doctor Service facilities at Mount Isa could not normally house the six-tonne aircraft, which is used to transport multiple patients and medical staff at a time.
Instead, the AW139 was brought in specifically to assist with the flood recovery before returning to the coast.
But with the construction of a $31.8 million aeromedical hub at Mount Isa Airport, which was officially launched with a sod turning on Tuesday, the North West will soon see the aircraft become a fixture in our skies.
The new facility will serve as a joint base for LifeFlight and the RFDS, which will allow both medical service providers to operate cohesively from the same location.
The base will also expand the available hangar space, enabling more emergency aircraft to be based in Mount Isa.
With access to local health services in decline and the ever-present risk of farming, traffic and mining sector accidents, the air base will provide a vital medical addition for those living and working in the region.
Queensland RFDS CEO Meredith Staib said the base was expected to be completed by mid-next year and would provide a significant improvement for both patients and medical staff.
“The new base will have a dedicated ambulance bay, patient transfer facilities and administration space, meaning our Mount Isa team will finally be housed under the same roof,” she said on Tuesday.
“With three hangars for RFDS planes and dedicated engineering space, we think this new facility will provide a significant improvement in patient care across the growing north-western region.”
LifeFlight chair Jim Elder said the Mount Isa facility would enhance the organisation’s capability to service the region where demand was increasing.
He said aircraft such as the AW139 helicopter would be transportable to the completed Mount Isa base.
“LifeFlight has provided aeromedical care to communities around Mount Isa for 16 years and demand on our services increased by almost 20 per cent last year,” Mr Elder said.
“Once completed, the new build will provide LifeFlight with a larger hangar that will enable us to position a more capable helicopter that can go further and faster, state-of-the-art engineering and maintenance facilities, search and rescue and medical storage.
Queensland Airports Limited CEO Amelia Evans said the new facility would enhance health outcomes across the region.
“This development represents a significant step forward in our ongoing commitment to connect communities and facilitate critical aeromedical health services across regional Queensland,” she said.