PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Coal seam gas (CSG) industry participants in Queensland have committed to a further five-year funding for an aeromedical rescue service that has operated in southern Queensland since 2011.
Mines Minister Dr Anthony Lynham today congratulated CSG proponents Santos, Shell, Origin and Arrow Energy for their commitment to keeping the Surat Gas Aero-Medical Service (SGAS) airborne until at least 2025.
“As we emerge from the Covid-19 crisis, a big part of our economic plan Unite and Recover for Queensland Jobs will be our traditional strengths like the resources sector,” he said.
“The CSG-liquefied natural gas industry continues to deliver thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in business to Queenslanders here in the south-west.
“The ongoing support for LifeFlight means an integrated aviation and medical team are permanently on-call to provide round-the-clock emergency care for industry and communities.
“As a trauma surgeon, I know how much difference a rapid response service makes in emergency situations in remote areas.
“The SGAS Aero-Medical Service is one of the most visible ways the CSG industry puts back into the regional Queensland communities that support it,” the Minister said.
LifeFlight holds the SGAS contract and, through it, stations medically-configured AgustaWestland 139 helicopters at Roma and Toowoomba.
The SGAS helicopters provide around-the-clock coverage for about 270 000 km2 of southern Queensland, across eight council boundaries and a population of nearly 210 000 people.
The service was created to augment existing medical services by providing aeromedical coverage that in some areas was previously unavailable, not only for gas company workers, but also to the general community.