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- 20 October 2005
Helicopter Rescue Services
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Mr THOMAS GEORGE (Lismore) [11.40 a.m.]: It is with pleasure that I move:
That this House:
(1) acknowledges the commencement on 14 June 2003 of Helicopter Awareness Week;
(2) recognises the contribution to the community by the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service based at Sydney and Wollongong, the Westpac Hunter Region Service based in Newcastle and Tamworth and the Westpac Northern Region Service based in Lismore; and
(3) congratulates and thanks the staff and voluntary crew members who continually place their lives at risk to save lives.
What motivated this motion some 2½ years ago was that in 2003 the Northern Region Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service, based at Lismore, celebrated its twentieth anniversary. At the time I congratulated the service on that achievement. I am especially proud of the service based at Lismore, of which I was honoured to be a director prior to coming to this House as the member for Lismore. Although the helicopter service is based at Lismore, it covers eastern areas from Kempsey north to the border, and western areas from Glen Innes and Inverell north to the border. The service covers the electorate of Ballina, and the honourable member for Ballina gave a very good private member's statement in June 2002, recognising the 20 years of the Northern Region Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service.
The honourable member for Coffs Harbour would have liked to pay tribute to the service, and its full-time employees, in Coffs Harbour. I will give a brief summary of the life of the service in the northern region. In December 1982 the service commenced at Ballina using a Hillier piston engine aircraft. In 1983 the service became permanent in Lismore with the leased Bell Jet Ranger helicopter, based at Lismore's St Vincent's hospital. In 1984 Surf Life Saving Australia Ltd took full control of the service and provided another Bell Jet Ranger helicopter. In 1985 major sponsorship of the service came from the Northern Co-operative Meat Company and Casino Hide Traders, based in Lismore. Those companies are major employers in the Northern Rivers area, with 1,800 members of the co-operative working on the land at that time. The companies realised the need for a helicopter service should there be a disaster at the company and/or on any of the properties in the region.
I pay tribute to the Northern Co-operative Meat Company for its sponsorship. I was honoured to be the director of the company at that time. In 1988 the late Robert Bruce Duncan, MP, was appointed to the position of chairman of the board. I need not elaborate on the contributions of Robert Bruce Duncan and Harold Fredericks to the success of that company. In 1991 the Westpac Banking Corporation became the major sponsor of the service throughout New South Wales. In the restructure, the service appointed a general manager and company secretary, Perry Wells. In 1996 the service purchased a second twin-engine aircraft. In 1997 major extensions were carried out to the hangar complex. In 1998 Warren Tozer, a prominent citizen and representative for Grafton and the Clarence Valley, was appointed as chairman, to take over from the late Robert Bruce Duncan.
In 2000 a reorganisation of the administration complex and extensions at the base took place. In 2002 the company celebrated 20 years of dedicated service to the community. In 2003 the Coffs Harbour office was launched as an extension of the Lismore operation, with a view to placement of a helicopter service at Coffs Harbour. In June 2005 the latest addition to the service's fleet was launched and brought online. I acknowledge the proud record of the Northern Region Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service, which has been strengthened by the involvement of NSW Health, the co-operation and input of the New South Wales Ambulance Service, Surf Life Saving Australia Ltd and other agencies around our region involved in rescue and emergency work in the community.
Much credit must go to the invaluable role played by the people of the region served by the helicopter through generous and continuing financial support and the professionalism and commitment of the staff in the maintenance and operation of the service. The staff accept without question the extra demands required when working for an organisation of a charitable nature. Aircraft used in the service are twin-engine, single-pilot Eurocopter Dauphins. The cabinet layout allows for two patient stretchers. What I have described is typical of the much-needed services provided across the State in conjunction with the New South Wales Ambulance Service and NSW Health. I pay tribute also to Ron Rankin, Chairman, and Greg Nance, Chief Executive, of Surf Life Saving Australia Ltd for their support over the years. They have provided the mechanism and the expertise required in the initial years and they have continued their association. I thank them and all the team for their support.
The chief executive officer of the Sydney service is Doug Menzies. He and his team have provided a wonderful service for the Sydney-based Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter service. In the Hunter region, based in Newcastle and Tamworth, the chief executive, Richard Jones, and his team do a fantastic job. I know that other honourable members will recognise services throughout the State and the job that they do. The service has a proven track record of efficiency and co-operation with NSW Health and the New South Wales Ambulance Service. It successfully, efficiently and professionally fulfils all the requirements under the health department's rotary wing aeromedical retrieval services funding agreement. In my area the service has unqualified support from the community throughout its flight area. Various voluntary committees located in Lismore, Casino, Grafton Coffs Harbour, Macleay, Tenterfield and Ballina shire co-ordinate and promote events.
In accordance with the funding agreement with the New South Wales Ambulance Service, assignments also exist to provide assistance and support to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, Aus SAR, the State Emergency Service, NSW Police, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Surf Life Saving Australia, bushfire services and the volunteer coastguard. This service, which provides security to country, coastal and regional areas, is an organisation we love to support but we hope and pray we never have to use it. When people in rural areas suffer any form of tragedy it is comforting to them to know that specialist staff on board that helicopter will provide the expertise and support services they need. It is with great pleasure that I move this motion today.
Mr PAUL McLEAY (Heathcote—Parliamentary Secretary) [11.50 p.m.]: I support the motion moved by the honourable member for Lismore. I acknowledge and thank all the personnel involved in helicopter rescue services across New South Wales. In particular, I note the dedication and efforts of various non-government organisations involved in the provision of helicopter services. Their hard work and commitment in providing a safe and timely service for the community are highly valued. These organisations include CareFlight, Child Flight and Surf Life Saving Australia, with their bases distributed across the major population centres of New South Wales.
I am informed that the first civilian helicopter rescue service was started in 1973 in Sydney by the Surf Life Saving Association. That was a pioneering achievement. While substantial funding is provided by NSW Health to non-government organisations for the operation of helicopter services, an immense amount of time and effort are dedicated by each non-government organisation towards community awareness and, in particular, fundraising. Helicopters, understandably, are very visible in the community. They can be used for search and rescue missions such as rescuing a hiker lost in the bush, or inter-hospital transfers when critically ill patients are transferred to hospital in a timely fashion.
I emphasise that the vehicle, that is, the helicopter, is only one component of the helicopter service. The pilots, ground technicians, doctors, nurses and paramedics are the crucial human resources required to mount an emergency response. I therefore acknowledge the NSW Ambulance Service and the State's medical retrieval unit for their role in co-ordinating emergency retrievals of critically ill or injured patients. Co-ordinating the tasking of helicopter missions is not simple, as the cases are often urgent and life threatening. I commend all the clinical and paramedic staff who work with the helicopter and non-government organisations to deliver timely emergency care to the people of New South Wales.
I want to refer to some of the things happening locally in my electorate—an electorate in which we receive fantastic service. There have been some ongoing issues in relation to the Illawarra-based medical retrieval service. Currently a firm has been contracted to provide that service. Because of an overwhelming community desire to have a high-profile local medical retrieval unit a consortium of businesses—the Illawarra Business Chamber, the South Coast Labor Council, various businesses, organisations and trade unions—put together a proposal for Guardian Air. I was recently at the launch of that scheme.
A community-based organisation will provide a helicopter service if NSW Health issues a contract for the southern region, and I am encouraging it to do so. It is a great organisation and there is much community participation, which goes to show that the community is well and truly behind such a service. People love a locally based, high-profile and visible project such as one involving a helicopter. I will watch with interest to see which parties tender for that contract. People who tender for such a contract tend to be passionate. They want to provide those services for many reasons, most of which are esoteric. They desire to have cutting-edge specialist skills and to be involved in modern and dramatic employment. It is a fantastic job to be able to save lives in such an exciting way.
The Southern Region Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service has operated from Prince of Henry Hospital in the eastern suburbs since 1990. The Surf Life Saving Association runs a 24-hour medical retrieval service, and 20,000 rescues have been carried out by that service since it was founded. The helicopter service provides emergency rescue and basic medical assistance for patients en route to hospitals. The primary emphasis is coastal and offshore areas, though inland rescues are also available. The emergency rescue service covers my electorate of Heathcote as well as other southern Sydney areas.
The Prince Henry landing base is now within 250 metres of residential development and must be moved. Investigations have revealed a suitable location, that is, Cape Banks. That site meets nearly all the requirements, in particular, the fact that it is located on the fringe of controlled air space, the land is already cleared, and it is located about one kilometre from any residential development, thus reducing intrusion from noise. The service, which will be located in Bundeena, where I live, which is just across from Port Hacking, will assist in response times to those coastal areas. So the good people in the electorate of the honourable member for Cronulla will receive faster service.
Retrievals often need to be carried out in the Royal National Park. It is good news that the helicopter will be located so close to the Royal National Park, the world's second oldest national park. Some people argue that, technically, it is the oldest national park, but it is the only legislated national park in the world. The helicopter service will be able to work in co-operation with the National Parks and Wildlife Service. The helicopter can be used in firefighting, water dropping, fire spotting, fire plotting, winching in of fire teams—particularly remote area firefighting teams—and evacuation of personnel and communities.
These services already perform regular rescues from national parks in the Sydney Basin, the Central Coast and the South Coast. That service will now be enhanced, as it is so close to the national park. It can assist in the evacuation of communities and in times of emergency. A number of isolated and small communities are located along that coastal stretch. The helicopter can assist in searches and be a point of contact for medical and search operations within the National Parks and Wildlife Service network. In congratulating and supporting our volunteers and service providers I commend the clinical and paramedic staff that work on these helicopter services.
Finally, I highlight the collaborative and co-operative approach taken by the New South Wales Government and these organisations in the provision of rescue helicopter services. New South Wales leads the way in the provision of safe, timely and high-quality helicopter rescue and medical retrieval services. I am told that the medical retrieval systems recently introduced in other States have been extensively modelled on the New South Wales system, which demonstrates best practice. I commend the motion.
Mr DARYL MAGUIRE (Wagga Wagga) [11.59 p.m.]: I congratulate the honourable member for Lismore on moving this important motion that recognises the contribution of all those involved with lifesaving helicopter services. Rural New South Wales—indeed, rural Australia as a whole—depends on the efforts of the many people who are instrumental in providing air rescue services. In turn, these services depend on money, which is critical to keeping the helicopters in the air. I congratulate and acknowledge the many people who raise the funds that keep our air rescue services operational. The electorates of Wagga Wagga, Bega, Murrumbidgee and Burrinjuck are served by the Snowy Hydro SouthCare Helicopter Service. The service was established in 1998 and is the only primary service provider of aeromedical and rescue helicopter services in south-eastern New South Wales.
The service is based in Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory and serves our region 24 hours day, 365 days a year. The service is a charity and is committed to encouraging individuals, groups, businesses, organisations and the community to help it to continue saving lives. The primary role of the service is to fly directly to the scene of accidents and transport patients to hospital as quickly as possible while providing the highest standard of pre-hospital care. The service performs this role time after time in our region. Last year the Snowy Hydro SouthCare Helicopter Service completed 331 missions, or an average of six to seven missions per week. Last year it helped 328 local friends, families and visitors. Since its inception in 1998 the service has accomplished more than 1,700 missions in the southern region alone.
As I said before, the service relies on donations from organisations and individuals to keep its helicopters in the air. This vital service is known as "the angel of mercy", which is a fitting accolade for a service that we embrace and love and upon which we all depend. It responds speedily to emergencies and accidents in the remote regions of our electorates, transports newborn babies and provides primary care. Let us not forget that many visitors come to our area. Snowy Hydro SouthCare serves an area comprising 800,000 men, women and children but the five million people who visit the region on business and on holiday also benefit from the service. Although I support the motion, I shall move an amendment to it. I move:
That the motion be amended by inserting the following words after "Tamworth" in paragraph (2):
"Snowy Hydro SouthCare based in Canberra"
I move that amendment in recognition of the wonderful service that Snowy Hydro SouthCare provides. The honourable member for Lismore is a board member of his local helicopter retrieval service. He is a great local member who works with his community. He continues to fight for his constituents and to move motions such as this that recognise the efforts of vital services in his electorate. I am sure that the honourable member for Heathcote will join us in supporting this motion. It is a non-political motion that seeks simply to record our thanks and acknowledgement of the worthwhile work of rescue retrieval services and our communities' dependence upon them. I congratulate all helicopter rescue services and the honourable member for Lismore on bringing this matter before the House. I support the motion.
Mr ANDREW CONSTANCE (Bega) [12.04 p.m.]: I join the honourable member for Wagga Wagga in congratulating the honourable member for Lismore on moving this motion. I support the motion but will speak to the amendment moved by the honourable member for Wagga Wagga regarding the Snowy Hydro SouthCare Helicopter Service. The honourable member for Lismore is a board member of a voluntary organisation that provides helicopter rescue services in rural and regional New South Wales and he congratulated all such services on their wonderful work. The health system in regional New South Wales is critically dependent upon rescue helicopter services. I live near Bega hospital so I am well aware of the volume of helicopter traffic to and from that facility. The service ferries patients—many of whom are knocking on heaven's door—to hospitals in Canberra and Sydney, where better medical treatment is available. The work of the staff who fly and maintain the helicopters is underpinned by that of volunteers, who raise both funds for and awareness of helicopter rescue services throughout regional New South Wales.
Snowy Hydro SouthCare was established in October 1998 and is the only primary service provider of aeromedical and rescue helicopter services in the Australian Capital Territory and south-eastern New South Wales. The service performs several roles but its primary function is to fly directly to the scene of accidents and transport patients to hospital as quickly as possible, where they can receive appropriate medical assistance. The service has the secondary role of transferring patients from regional to metropolitan hospitals, as I alluded to earlier. I am fortunate in that one of my staff members, Ian Duff, is an ambassador for Snowy Hydro SouthCare. Ian is a true champion when it comes to raising awareness of and funds for the service in the Eurobodalla community in particular. People such as Judy Vardon and Jan Carter from Narooma have been instrumental in the ongoing success of the Eurobodalla chapter of Friends of SouthCare. I note that the chapter will hold another fundraising event, "A Night of Note", in late November on behalf of Snowy Hydro SouthCare. I encourage local people to support that fundraising effort. There is no doubt that many magnificent people work in a volunteer capacity to provide fundraising support to SouthCare, and it is a privilege to recognise them in Parliament today.
The 750,000 people who live in the south-east corner of the State depend on the service provided by Snowy Hydro SouthCare. We reflect from time to time on the family members and friends who have benefited from the service. I know of a five-year-old whose life was saved by a helicopter rescue service. I can only pay tribute to the men and women involved with these services. Regional New South Wales depends on helicopter rescue services and the money that funds them. These services save lives and help our hospitals to serve the community better. I commend the motion to the House. I support it fully and congratulate the honourable member for Lismore on moving it.
Mr STEVE CANSDELL (Clarence) [12.09 p.m.]: I support the motion moved by the honourable member for Lismore, which commends rescue helicopter services. In particular, I refer to the northern region Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service. Perry Wells, its Chief Executive Officer, has overseen a lot of tragedies the service has been involved in. Warren Tozer and Stuart Messer are two hardworking staff who raise thousands of dollars annually for the service in the Clarence and northern New South Wales. It costs approximately $3 million a year to run the northern region Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service. The average cost for one mission is $3,000 an hour, it costs $10,000 to train a new crew member, $3,500 for a crew helmet, $450 for a chopper tyre, $120,000 for a new winch and $5,000 to replace the winch cable.
Helicopters have to be serviced regularly to provide a safe and efficient service, at a cost of $5,000 for a 50-hour service, up to $25,000 for a 400-hour service, $60,000 to overhaul the winch and $250,000 to service a gearbox. That funding comes from a lot of chook raffles, trivia nights, bingo days run by the ladies committee and deductions from the payroll of people who put their hands in their pockets to help this vital service. I am sure all honourable members know someone who has been helped by the rescue service. Fortunately, in the Clarence area the Rotary Club of Maclean has raised funds for a new helipad. The old helipad was located on a hill, five minutes away from the hospital, and unprotected. It was untenable to land the helicopter in extreme weather conditions. The combined Maclean, Yamba and Iluka Rotary clubs conducted a fundraiser. The money was raised in six months. On 5 March 2005 the helipad was opened, an amazing feat by the rotary clubs. Virtually minutes after the opening, the service was needed. On 11 March the Clarence Valley Review reported:
The Maclean Rotary Centenary Helipad project, which was officially opened by Rotary District 9640 governor Margaret Hayes last Saturday, sprung into action just minutes after the opening ceremony.
Twenty minutes after the helicopter on site for the opening—which wasn't fitted out with suitable equipment for the retrieval—had left, another helicopter was on the pad to pick up a patient.
The patient could not be transferred to the Gold Coast by ambulance because of spinal injuries. Some three months ago on my way to Sydney, on one of the few sections of divided road on the Pacific Highway, an accident occurred with traffic travelling north. The rescue helicopter landed on the highway to take severely injured patients to hospital. It is more than likely that it saved their lives, as they got to a hospital a lot quicker. The missions of the helicopter service include an elderly male transported to Nimbin Hospital, early morning transfer from Maclean to Brisbane for a burns victim, a missing plane located south-east of Tenterfield, and an inter-hospital transfer from Lismore to Brisbane. We should commend our helicopter rescue services in every way. I congratulate the honourable member for Lismore on moving this motion.
Mr THOMAS GEORGE (Lismore) [12.14 p.m.], in reply: I thank the honourable members representing the electorates of Heathcote, Wagga Wagga, Bega and Clarence for their contributions to this debate. I am shocked and disappointed that the honourable member for Newcastle and honourable member for Tamworth did not contribute to this debate in support of their rescue services. All speakers highlighted our concern for providing the services across the State, especially in rural and regional areas. Those areas do not have ambulance stations, so the helicopter services often save lives in country and regional remote areas.
The honourable member for Clarence referred to a plane that was missing. We need to maintain and continue to support rescue services in remote areas and areas away from the coast. Along the coastal areas employees and volunteers of the rescue helicopter services put their lives at risk, as do the staff of all emergency services in New South Wales about whom we are always complimentary. I am concerned that some areas in the State are not covered by an aeromedical service. The Department of Health has issued contracts to provide rotary wing aeromedical retrieval services under its funding agreement. I term some of those areas as black spots. I make a plea to the Minister for Health to look at those areas when providing services.
I know that efficient and professional services are being provided in the northern region, including the Hunter and the Newcastle areas, and in the Sydney Surf Life Saving service. I want the service expanded to Coffs Harbour. The northern region would be more than happy to have a helicopter based there to cover the grey area—rather than a black spot—that needs to be looked at. Contracts are being looked at across the State. The service should be extended to grey-spot areas. The CareFlight, Westpac and SouthCare services provide a wonderful service and I compliment them for doing so. They provide the Government with a professional service across the State. Community support has been second to none, as has been emphasised by other members in their contributions to the debate.
The communities overwhelmingly support the helicopter services and believe that they have an ownership and partnership with them. Country and coastal communities bend over backwards to provide financial support to the rescue services, which they hope they will not have to use. It is comforting for the regions to know that the service is available. I compliment all aero medical services in the State. In particular, I compliment the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter Service in the northern region, the Hunter and Newcastle, and the Sydney service, which operate a professional service. They are backed by boards of directors that do a magnificent job in New South Wales.
Amendment agreed to.
Motion as amended agreed to.
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