Tuesday, 15 October 2024

Portland District Health

Roma BRITNELL (South-West Coast) (19:07): (855) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Ambulance Services, and it is simple: I am asking for a copy of the risk assessment that led to the baffling decision to close Portland’s helipad. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) have confirmed that closure was not due to compliance issues. The community of Portland would love to know what the real reason is. Many regional hospitals have helipads and manage to mitigate risks to the public. I recently inspected the Cairns Hospital helipad and saw how public safety is successfully managed there. Portland has not had an operational helipad since 2022, and frankly it is a disaster waiting to happen. When patients require air transfers it is generally because they are in a critical condition. Time is of the essence, where every minute can mean the difference between life and death.

In 2023 I raised a constituency question regarding the decision to cease Ambulance Victoria helicopters landing at the Portland hospital helipad. This nanny state is being strangled in red tape. The buck-passing for the reasons behind the helipad closure must cease. First CASA was blamed, then Ambulance Victoria. Who is next in line for the blame? In 2024, after multiple complaints from concerned constituents, I launched a petition calling for the reopening of the helipad, which garnered substantial community support. However, the helipad is still closed, and let us not forget the biggest slap in the face: the Portland community fundraised extensively to build this helipad. They did not wait for the government to just step up on its own, they took matters into their own hands and ensured patients could be transported quickly and safely to major hospitals. Yet here we are, their efforts nullified by bureaucratic red tape. The community deserve some answers and, more importantly, action.

Portland has been more than patient. We need the government to stop the excuses, stop passing the buck and deliver what the community has fought so hard for. Our community cannot afford further delays. We need action now to ensure that our residents receive the timely emergency care they need and deserve.