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The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) and LifeFlight have opened their new $31.8 million aeromedical base in Mount Isa.
Mount Isa hosted more than 2,300 RFDS flights and transported over 1,000 patients in the 2023/24 financial year, and the new facility replaces the aircraft hangar in use since 1964.
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“We know the Mount Isa base is a key emergency retrieval hub, but it also has growing Primary Health Care needs with six remote locations serviced weekly including Bedourie in the south, Camooweal in the west and Gregory Downs in the north,” said RFDS (Queensland Section) CEO Meredith Staib.
“These patients are also provided with expert mental health support. The Mount Isa Primary Health Care team is vital to the health and wellbeing of people in some of Queensland’s most isolated locations, carrying out over 4500 consultations last year.
“The RFDS (Queensland Section) continues to work closely with our partners, Queensland Health, Retrieval Services Queensland, Queensland Ambulance Service and LifeFlight to deliver the finest care to the furthest corner.
“As a sign of the important integration taking place between medical services, RFDS Doctors are now trained to carry out their lifesaving work on LifeFlight aircraft so the region can benefit from greater response capability.”
LifeFlight chair Jim Elder said the new base would “ensure our commitment to provide equity of healthcare to all people, no matter where they live”. The organisation has provided aeromedical care to Queensland’s North West region for 18 years.
“The larger and better equipped hangar and crew quarters can now accommodate the latest AW139 helicopter, perfect for a range of complex rescue missions in this part of the world, while state-of-the-art engineering and maintenance facilities will provide support onsite.
“It’s an historic day and LifeFlight acknowledges our partners RFDS, the LifeFlight North West Regional Advisory Committee for its tireless advocacy, Queensland Airports Limited, Newlands Group for an incredible build, and our State and Federal Government partners for backing the project. It will make a quantifiable difference to the communities we serve.”
The project was enabled through a $9.7 million contribution from the Albanese Government, alongside $10.9 million from the Queensland Government, $900,000 from Mount Isa Airport operator Queensland Airports Limited, and other contributors.
Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Senator Anthony Chisholm, said the Federal Government is “proud to be honouring and extending the legacy of the Royal Flying Doctor Service and LifeFlight in regional and remote Queensland”.
“Our commitment to regional Australia is as strong as our commitment to healthcare, and the opening of this new aeromedical base is further evidence of that,” he said.
“The old hangar had been in operation since the sixties, and it’s my hope that these new and improved facilities allow the RFDS to provide lifesaving support to regional Queenslanders for another six decades, at least.”
A historic 1950s de Havilland “Drover” aircraft was installed for display at the new base last month.
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