Rotor-Lift in crisis: outsourcing fears spark political blame game

A 25-year-old search and rescue operator hangs in the balance as its expiring contract could soon be handed to a mainland business. What Labor’s leader is proposing.

Labor leader Dean Winter speaks to media at Rotor-Lift Tasmania. Picture: supplied.

The state’s Labor leader Dean Winter announced plans to provide a lifeline to a lifesaving rescue service in Tasmania, which faces outsourcing to a mainland operator next year.

The future of Tasmania’s emergency rescue helicopter service Rotor-Lift hangs in the balance, with Labor stating on Friday that a “botched tender process” by the Tasmanian Government could result in the service being operated by a mainland service.

Rotor-Lift’s Allana Corbin said the service has operated for 25 years with a total of 37 staff.

With the contract for the rescue service ending in mid-January next year, Ms Corbin said the Rotor-Lift staff have been left in limbo.

Labor Clark MP Ella Haddad, Rotor-Lift's Allana Corbin, Labor leader Dean Winter and Allana's daughter Isabella. Picture: supplied.

“They come here every day, they’re the most professional, dedicated and highly skilled pilots, engineers and office staff,” she said.

“They’re 37 fine Tasmanians and I will fight for them to remain here doing their job because they do it spectacularly well.

“It has been really tough for us, morale has been challenging.”

Rotor-Lift’s rescue capabilities were recently featured in ABC’s Australian story as part of the Franklin River rescue.

Mr Winter said Labor would step in to save the 25-year-old service if elected.

“This is an organisation that’s been synonymous with search and rescue, with looking after Tasmanians when they need it most, that’s why we’re going to back them in,” he said.

Rotor-Lift Rescue. Picture: Linda Higginson

“The Liberals’ plan here has been to effectively outsource a Tasmanian rescue service to the mainland – that is not good enough. “It doesn’t pass the pub test and Tasmania Labor will stop the tender process to make sure that it goes to a Tasmanian operator.”

But Jeremy Rockliff has blamed Dean Winter for throwing Rotor-Lift’s future into limbo.

“We guarantee that Tasmanians will get the best possible service when it comes to supporting and rescuing Tasmanians,” he said.

“The fact is we were going through a tender process, but Dean Winter blew up the Parliament and forced us to an election.

“Therefore, impacting on that tender process.

“What Tassie wants is to ensure they get the best possible service through a competitive tender process to ensure that we do get the best possible service.”

Originally published as Rotor-Lift in crisis: outsourcing fears spark political blame game