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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-10-29 Daily Xml
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Regional Hospital Helipads

Mr BASHAM (Finniss) (15:05): My question is to the Minister for Health. When will the minister respond to my letter dated 16 July 2025 in relation to concerns around the non-operational status of the Southern Fleurieu Health Service helipad?

The Hon. C.J. PICTON (Kaurna—Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (15:05): Again, this goes to the helipad issue across the state. We have upgraded and made operational seven of those helipads. There are six of those helipads which we are still working between. Some of those are still under construction and there are some of those where the major construction works have been completed. We are working with Babcock to try to address issues to make sure that Babcock are comfortable that they can be declared operational.

The Southern Fleurieu Health Service at Victor Harbor is one of those ones which is still in that six, where we are working with Babcock, which is the current helicopter operator. I should say as well, we are also working with Toll, who will soon become the helicopter operator for the state for MedSTAR. We are working very constructively with Toll because it won't be long before Toll take over that contract and will become the helicopter operator in this state. We will continue that work.

Wayne Champion, as I said, has been designated to coordinate this issue on behalf of SA Health. We are making sure every possible resource is available for him to do so and we have seen some progress recently in terms of a number of helipads that have opened in recent weeks. We are expecting some more very shortly, but we are also, as I mentioned before, dealing with some of those changes that have happened to CASA regulations recently, as I am advised, in particular in terms of some of the down draft provisions which are less about the design of the helipad and more about their locality next to hospitals and other buildings that we are trying to work through with Babcock to make sure that they are satisfied that they can be operated safely.