Gunnedah Shire applies further pressure to have hospital helipad restored

GUNNEDAH Shire Council has escalated its push to have the hospital helipad restored by making changes to landings at the airport.

The airport has served as the primary means for helicopter landings since the helipad has been out of action.

The council, however, noted that the shift to use its airport facilities was done without consulting with it first.

Councillors agreed to a recommendation last week for NSW Health to undertake an audit of the airport facilities to ensure that it meets the necessary standards and to indemnify the council for any risk.

The council would also implement a new landing for aircraft greater than 5,700kg.

As part of the move, the council will give NSW Health two months to address the matter before revoking access to the airport and other council facilities for patient transfer by helicopter.

Addressing the issue, shire general manager Eric Groth said he had discussions with Hunter New England Health as recently as last week, and also with AviPro which undertook the audit on the hospital helipad.

“I spoke to an officer from AviPro yesterday and they are going to work with council to see what we can do to meet the requirements,” Mr Groth said.

“The two months essentially is for council to be able to draw some sort of time limit on what’s a reasonable time frame to give us assurance that we’re managing our risk, as an airport operator.

“If, for example, Hunter New England Health and our own officers said this can’t be achieved within two months, then I would certainly alert council and we may look at going to three months or something like that.

“It’s just to try and actually get a time period there and make sure that we’re actually addressing the risks that we need to address in a timely manner.”

Mr Groth sought to allay fears that emergency incidents would be impacted and explained that emergency landings can occur at any location.

“If it’s a genuine emergency, which isn’t a patient transfer … a helicopter can land on a road, for example, if they need to, without approval or any prior arrangement.”

Councillors generally spoke in favour of the move, highlighting continued frustrations with inaction on the hospital helipad.

Cr Rob Hooke, who moved the recommendation, said the move would send a message to Hunter New England Health about how it has treated the council in the process.

“It probably would not have come to this, had they come to council in the first place, requesting landing access at the airport,” Cr Hooke said.

“It’s very important that we make sure that the community is properly covered if there’s any damage actually done to that runway and other areas around the airport.”

Cr Juliana McArthur seconded the recommendation but queried what would happen in emergency situations, which was subsequently clarified by Mr Groth.

“If it wasn’t for Hunter New England Health, we wouldn’t even be in this pickle,” Cr McArthur said.

Cr Rob Hoddle spoke against the recommendation and voiced concerns that it would be a bad look for the council.

“Although I fully appreciate that it’s a terrible situation that Gunnedah has been put in with the removal of the landing area at the hospital for what seemed to be minor problems,” Cr Hoddle said.

“If we were to impose $140 a tonne for the seven-tonne aircraft, that’s $980 a landing. Now, this doesn’t seem rational.

“I don’t think IPART would accept it.

“And I really think we’d get the backs up of sponsors of the Westpac helicopter, like Whitehaven, who spend a lot of money supporting that service, as do a lot of volunteers raising money.

“I think there’s better ways of negotiating this than throwing this out there.”

Cr Kate McGrath acknowledged Cr Hoddle’s concerns, but said the recommendation hadn’t come to the meeting “lightly or flippantly”.

“I, myself, have been part of conversations where we’ve made representation to the various powers that be to advocate for the need for a helipad at the hospital,” Cr McGrath said.

Cr Tammey McAllan also acknowledged Cr Hoddle’s concerns, but noted that helicopters could utilise the airport with the new conditions and fees imposed.

“We actually want to speak up for our community. We want to have the best possible care, and a helipad at the hospital for a helicopter to land is exactly where it should be,” Cr McAllan said.

“We shouldn’t have to rely on patient transport to the airport to get onto a helicopter.”

The implementation of a landing fee at the airport will go on public exhibition for 28 days with a report to come back to the council.