The equipment will aid the service in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic and includes infectious control equipment and decontamination materials.

More than 1.5 million residents in Northern NSW rely on the services of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service as they provide critical care, SAR and inter-hospital transfers to the community.

Adam Lancey, General Manager at BHP, said: “We understand how vital this service is to the broader NSW community, and are proud to provide our support to the service so they can continue to operate and keep our communities safe.”

Richard Jones, Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service CEO, added: “'Our team has had to increase the infection control measures to ensure our aircrews and engineers can continue to serve our community 24/7. We are very grateful to receive this support from BHP through the Vital Resources Fund, for the provision of additional protective equipment for our team.

“This equipment is essential for our teams to continue to do their jobs, and in particular throughout the Covid-19 response, where our priority is the health and safety of our community.”

The contribution was made through BHP's newly established Vital Resources Fund, which was established to support regional Australian communities facing significant challenges as a result of Covid-19.