Rescue services merge
The communities of Mt Isa and surrounding regions in Australia will continue to have access to helicopter air medical rescue services thanks to a planned merger of the local RACQ NQ Rescue and CareFlight Group Queensland.
The communities of Mt Isa and surrounding regions in Australia will continue to have access to helicopter air medical rescue services thanks to a planned merger of the local RACQ NQ Rescue and CareFlight Group Queensland.
CareFlight’s chairman Rob Borbidge said the merger had the full support of both parties and would become official with the new financial year.“I am pleased to announce that RACQ NQ Rescue and RACQ CareFlight will move forward together under the one banner of CareFlight Group Queensland from 1 July 2015,” Borbidge said. “This merger means the community of North Queensland can be assured [that] critical care air medical services will continue to be provided by a rotary-wing aircraft based in Mt Isa. However, like all of our community services, we will only be as strong as the support we receive from the communities in this region.”
RACQ NQ Rescue’s CEO Alex Dorr said that the merger was a win for the community: “The merger with CareFlight has secured an emergency rescue helicopter for the region. I’m very excited that what was started back in 2007 can move forward with the opportunity for further enhancement of services in the years to come.”
Having been the naming rights sponsor of NQ Rescue since its inception, RACQ will stay on as the major supporter of the service. The Mt Isa base will operate in addition to the five bases operated by RACQ CareFlight Rescue in Toowoomba, Bundaberg, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, with operations at the Brisbane base also commencing on 1 July.