Geraldton to get a new permanent helicopter, but MLA Kirrilee Warr questions if it’s for right purpose

Geraldton may be getting a new helicopter permanently stationed here to respond to power outages, but local MP Kirrilee Warr says it is not enough.

“The State Government has decided to base a helicopter in Geraldton, but it’s the wrong one,” she said.

The decision by Western Power to contract six new helicopters, including one permanently based in Geraldton, to find the sources of power outages has been welcomed.

Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said: “This investment will support power reliability for all Western Australians throughout our State’s biggest electricity network, ensuring Western Power can rapidly respond when homes and businesses need it.”

The helicopter will operate with a pilot and a Western Power technician to find faults and identify issues with regional power sources.

“While these helicopters will be useful when it comes to power outages, the rest of the time they may sit idle,” Nationals WA member Ms Warr said.

“(The State Government has) shown it’s possible to place a helicopter here, so why isn’t a rescue helicopter based in the Mid West being considered?”

She said stationing the helicopter in Geraldton could start a discussion about getting an emergency rescue chopper..

At the moment, emergency helicopters are based in Perth and Bunbury.

“It’s clear that unless you live in Perth or the South West, emergency response is not a priority under this State Government,” Ms Warr said.

The Nationals WA have repeatedly criticised the lack of a rescue helicopter in the Mid West.

When asked about the possibility of a rescue helicopter in Geraldton in State Parliament last August, Minster for Emergency Services Paul Papalia said: “They are placed in those locations because the operators determine that that provides the greatest coverage of population in Western Australia.

“That aside, in the event that there is an enhanced demand . . . there is a third aircraft that could potentially surge or they can shift the location. “

The 2023 Chief Health Officer’s Inquiry into Aeromedical Services in WA report found there was demand for rescue helicopters based in “Kalgoorlie/Goldfields, Geraldton, Port Hedland, and potentially Broome”.

“I urge the State Government to reconsider, given they have shown a willingness to provide another helicopter for a separate use,” Ms Warr said.

The State Government has been contacted for comment.