Helipads at Murray Bridge and Mannum’s hospitals not being used as MP blames ‘bureaucratic stuff-up’
Critical helicopter ambulance services remain grounded at two regional hospitals despite multimillion-dollar upgrades being completed five months ago.
A Murraylands MP says he fears someone could die as a “bureaucratic stuff-up” keeps helicopters from landing at two regional hospitals, despite upgraded helipads being finished five months ago.
Adrian Pederick, the Liberal member for Hammond, said he believed helipads at Murray Bridge and Mannum’s hospitals, which were completed in April, were not yet being used because the operator, Babcock, had not yet approved them.
The Advertiser understands Babcock is not landing helicopters at the sites because of what it has deemed to be a safety risk to the community.
The landing pads play a lifesaving role in transporting regional patients to better-resourced Adelaide hospitals during emergencies.
They have not been used for more than 12 months after work to upgrade them started in August as part of a $23.4m government commitment to improve 13 helipads at regional hospitals.
“I want to know why he (Health Minister Chris Picton) hasn’t got these landing pads signed off,” Mr Pederick said.
“It’s sheer madness, and it’s literally a threat to human life and safety. Whatever the issue is, just fix it.”
Mr Picton would not explain why the helipads were not being used, saying the opposition knew “the former Liberal government failed to invest in regional hospital helipads despite being fully aware they were no longer meeting safety regulations”.
“To date, we have upgraded and opened regional hospital helipads in Kingscote, Meningie, Wallaroo and Balaklava, with more on the way,” he said.
When he announced the helipad upgrades, Mr Picton said: “The new helipads will allow South Australian public hospitals to better comply with the new civil aviation safety regulations while improving the safety of operations.”
An SA Health spokesman said it was “working through the commissioning of upgrades” to helipads at the sites with Babcock. Mr Pederick said constituents had shared concerning stories about the consequences of the delayed helipad openings.
He said a baby in a serious condition was forced to be transported by ambulance to Adelaide but it would have been “far less stressful and far better” to have been done by helicopter.
“Another patient from Murray Bridge had to be stabilised for 14 hours before they could be transported in a land ambulance,” Mr Pederick said.
Helicopters are still able to land at an airfield at Pallamana, about 10km from the Murray Bridge hospital – a 30-minute return trip – but Mr Pederick said this was not used as often.
The SA Health spokesman said alternative landing sites close to both hospitals would continue to be used.
Toll Aviation was awarded a contract in March to operate a fleet of new MedSTAR helicopters from mid-2027, when it will take over from Babcock.
Each year, 7400 patients are transported by air between health facilities in SA to access specialist care, owing to the state’s relatively sparse population outside of Adelaide.
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Originally published as Helipads at Murray Bridge and Mannum’s hospitals not being used as MP blames ‘bureaucratic stuff-up’
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