Rose Basiuk and Matthew Minz Royal Flying Doctor Service Local Hero Award winners in South West Queensland

A volunteer for emergency services in remote western Queensland and a police officer dedicated to his community have been nominated as Royal Flying Doctor Service local heroes. Now, they need your help.

From a remote town in Queensland’s outback, one volunteer is vying for community support to continue to provide essential services for the rural community.

Every year, the Royal Flying Doctor Service crowns their Queensland Hero, chosen from the pool of local heroes across the nine regions the organisation services. The reward is a prize of $20,000 courtesy of Ergon Energy, to “create or support a health or wellbeing initiative in the community”.

Charleville Local Hero, Rose Basiuk, has her eye on the prize so that she can continue doing what she does, and bring essential services to her community.

Ms Basiuk, a resident of the remote outback town of Yowah, is a committed volunteer for the RFDS, the first officer for the rural fire brigade, and the group leader for the SES.

Rose Basiuk was crowned as the RFDS’s local hero for Charleville.

Ms Basiuk said she was the main key holder to the RFDS medical chest in Yowah, and was a vital on-the-ground support person for the RFDS in the town.

She helps co-ordinate transport of patients, and helps administer life-saving treatment under the direction of doctors. She can help transport patients to the airport to meet the RFDS planes, or meet ambulances half way if they are travelling from Cunnamulla 158km away.

She said she was “humbled” to be nominated as the RFDS local hero for Charleville.

Now, Ms Basiuk is in the running to be crowned the RFDS’s Queensland Hero, which comes with a $20,000 prize pot, courtesy of Ergon Energy.

Ms Basiuk said the funds would go towards building a carport and a toilet at the Yowah airport – essential facilities to ensure patients are as comfortable as possible, and so that doctors, nurses, pilots and volunteers can do their jobs.

She said at the moment there is no shade at the airport, which is a real problem under the unforgiving outback Queensland environment.

“When you’re looking at over 50C heat, it’s hot,” Ms Basiuk said.

Matthew Minz, a police officer in the Western Downs, was also named as one of the RFDS’s local heroes.

Mr Minz has worked in the police force in Dalby and Tara for the better part of 14 years, and has seen those communities through thick and thin.

Matthew Minz was recognised as a local hero in Roma.

In floods in 2021, a terrorist attack in 2022, and fires in 2023, Mr Minz was a go-to man on the ground for the RFDS, to make sure the community could get the medical attention they needed, without putting their doctors and nurses at risk.

Mr Minz said he was “immensely proud,” to be acknowledged in this way by the RFDS.

“It feels like a warm hug, or a nice pat on the back,” he said.

If Mr Minz were to go on and become the Queensland hero, he said he would use the prize money to help provide healthy food for school students in regions like Tara.

“I think Tara has a bit of a stigma … there are less opportunities there,” Mr Minz said.

He said that helping provide healthy food for school students, health and learning opportunities would increase.

RFDS Queensland chief executive, Meredith Staib said the awards were an opportunity for the “unsung heroes” to be acknowledged for their hard work.

“From the quiet achievers to the tireless volunteers and dedicated professionals, each of this year’s winners embody the spirit of service and compassion, and many have been touched personally by the life-saving interventions of the RFDS, which has helped fuel their commitment to giving back,” Ms Staib said.

“At the heart of the RFDS mission lies unwavering support for Queensland communities.

“It’s a collective endeavour, and we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all winners and nominees for their relentless dedication to community welfare.”

The other local heroes in the running to be the Queensland Hero are charity RideWest from Brisbane, Childers State School from Bundaberg, Jodi Hamilton from Cairns, Queensland Country Women’s Association Central Western Division from Longreach, Zoe Miller from Mount Isa, Robin Broadhurst from Rockhampton, Matthew Minz from Roma, and Georgie Arnold from Townsville.

Originally published as Rose Basiuk and Matthew Minz Royal Flying Doctor Service Local Hero Award winners in South West Queensland