George Christensen (Dawson, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Not everyone lives within 10 minutes ambulance ride of a hospital, but medical emergencies can strike anyone at any time. For the almost 30 per cent of Australians who live outside of capital cities, responders like CQ Rescue helicopter service are a lifeline in times of need. This service provides rapid response critical care and airlifting services every minute of the day. CQ Rescue has already completed more than 300 missions this year. In the past week, missions have included emergency flights to mining towns such as Moranbah and Clermont, as well as to Collinsville, to airlift a person injured in a car accident, and to the Whitsundays, to retrieve a tourist who had suffered a fall.

We can't imagine living without the CQ Rescue service today, but it only began in the mid-1990s. In 1992, Mount Isa Mines donated the use of its helicopter for medical emergencies, and it was used 190 times in three years. But a multi-vehicle traffic accident near Lake Elphinstone, where patients were transferred to Mackay Base Hospital, highlighted the need for a dedicated helicopter service. The service created from that first meeting has gone on to fly over 8,000 missions, saving lives and providing help when it is most needed.

With operational costs of more than $8.6 million a year, the CQ Rescue service needs to raise $5 million on its own every year, and it does that mostly from the local community. During its history of more than 20 years, the service has relied heavily on sponsorships and community donations but also on the dedicated service of many individuals. In 2013, eight crew members past and present were awarded the National Emergency Medal, for their work during a natural disaster. In 2014, volunteer coordinator the late Bob Sim, a personal friend of mine, received an Order of Australia medal, for his service to the community. In 2015, founding board member Dr Peter Bastable received the Mackay Regional Council Australia Day Citizen of the Year award, for his 25 years of meritorious service to this organisation.

Two weeks ago, the Deputy Prime Minister and I visited the service headquarters of CQ Rescue and met with CEO Ian Rowan. Ian has spent more than 20 years in the military, emergency management and public safety realm. He heads a team of 10 administrative staff and 16 helicopter crew and engineers. Many have come out of a military background and are continuing their service to the nation and community via CQ rescue. We spent some time discussing the service requirements of CQ rescue and its plans for future expansion. The Deputy Prime Minister was impressed by the professionalism of the team and the community's strong support for CQ rescue. It's an essential part of the community in Central and North Queensland, and I'm going to do whatever I can to support it in the future.