Bushwalk Australia

Choppers on it's way down south........

doogs wrote:
another one of your pics that makes me say to myself what ... am I doing in front of a computer, where are my boots, I reckon I can fid a sunrise like that in about 9 hours time". But life isnt always that easy! Guess - Stepped Hill.

minor mod - rule 1


Thanks Doogs, and yeh this morning I was very happy to get up at 430 to catch the sunrise, but no not Stepped Hills!!ILUVSWTAS


Changed my mind, stuck the thumb out and off I go.
(Hope nothing too serious though.)

Brilliant.... I love timing gags.... but yeh probably not a good thing it's flying down my way at 10pm........

Oh Dear. I almost wish I had needed to call it in at some stage. A free chopper ride would be great fun . . .

Problem is they are not free. Someone has to pay the bill and apparently it's a very big bill. The budget is 1.8million in the red.

I'm an Ambulance member. Surely that covers me?

north-north-west wrote:I'm an Ambulance member. Surely that covers me?

You need Cabcharge vouchers.

Thats interesting wTas. To be fair they do appear to be using it for more than bushwalkers and stubbed toes.
Maybe for our part insurance could be included in parks passes, car rego style...

Nuts wrote:Thats interesting wTas. To be fair they do appear to be using it for more than bushwalkers and stubbed toes.
Maybe for our part insurance could be included in parks passes, car rego style...

Sounds fair in principle. Wonder how much it would add to the cost?

The latest media release from the Tasmanian Police suggests that they are seeking a new tender to run the Rescue Helicopter.

I don't begrudge anyone who genuinely needs to use this service. After all it is there to rescue people in need. I am concerned though that the increased use will continue, even escalate, as more and more people take up bushwalking. Especially it people continue to underestimate equipment needs and over inflate person ability.

I hope the rescue helicopter never goes to a user paid system like the ambulance service has in some Mainland States. If this happens then everyone will need insurance before going bush. Also, I won't be surprised if we see the cost of ambulance services back on the political agenda soon.

Off the top of my head, I think the number of rescue flights (or maybe it was hours) was up from 96 to 120 from the previous year. But this was dwarfed by the flights (or hours) used for ambulance work - ie. patient transfers to a hospital. So bushwalkers were only a small contributor to the total costs of the service.

That wont stop somebody blaming us though, I'm sure.

walkinTas wrote:I hope the rescue helicopter never goes to a user paid system like the ambulance service has in some Mainland States. If this happens then everyone will need insurance before going bush.

Annual ambulance subscription in Victoria is about $70 (from memory) for a single adult. And that includes helicopter flights if necessary and, as far as I am aware, reciprocal rights in other states where payment is required. It's not going to break the budget.
So far, I've never needed it . . . *crosses fingers*

The "user pays" system may reduce the calls to ambulances for a paper cut to a little finger, or at least make it possible for Ambulance services to levy a charge against non emergency calls. There are examples of people calling emergency services for exceptionally trivial or brainless reasons.

I find it wasteful and negligent that money is just shuffled around, excuses made to cut one budget or demand reduced costs of one department.
Despite this, the situation must be far less wasteful than yet another user pay scenario in the way they are done where increased administration swallows much of the benefit.

In this case though, a few simple moves to build the cost into existing charges would seem to proportion the cost to those that are using the services. Inbuilt insurance to cover the annual shortfall.
In our case, it would make people think twice about dodging park fees at least (even if they dont seem to give much thought to pressing the eject button )

Yes, unfortunately no government has yet figured out how to do things efficiently in terms of minimal admin costs, reduced red taoe and public accountability

Late last new years eve I spent some chatting to a lady about ambulance cover. I think it goes like this here in the west. If it is a genuine emergency then it is covered by your insurance, if you have it. If it not, then user pays. I am not sure if this would be the same for choppers as I guess they are run by a different company???

rogo wrote:Late last new years eve I spent some chatting to a lady about ambulance cover. I think it goes like this here in the west. If it is a genuine emergency then it is covered by your insurance, if you have it. If it not, then user pays. I am not sure if this would be the same for choppers as I guess they are run by a different company???

that's a good idea. I'd be happy to see that as most of the frivulous "rescues" are due by you lot on mainland Aus.

Sorry but it's true

rogo wrote: If it is a genuine emergency then it is covered by your insurance, if you have it. If it not, then user pays. I am not sure if this would be the same for choppers as I guess they are run by a different company???

Who decides whether it is a real emergency though? Some people think a sprained ankle is an emergency

ILUVSWTAS wrote:that's a good idea. I'd be happy to see that as most of the frivulous "rescues" are due by you lot on mainland Aus.

Agreed. When I was on the OT a lady with her 11 year old daughter found the first day a bit tough and was trying very hard to find a way of getting a ride out. No she didn't succeed and she had to walk out back down and out. Shame, it would have easier to keep walking towards Lake ST C. They had all brand new equipment as well. I guess it is in a cupboard now, getting dusty.

frenchy_84 wrote:Who decides whether it is a real emergency though? Some people think a sprained ankle is an emergency

Ambos and or hospital emergency room.

Exactly right Rogo. Sadly many visitors to down here think they can get away with tarps as shelters or underestimate the terrain and temperate they are heading into.....

The mercury last year printed a report pf the last 10 call out the chopper recieved, 8 of 10 were ridiculous call outs along the line of...

a lady lost the track along Frenchmans, hit the button on her PLB only to find the track 5 mins later, walk out and find a SES team about to head in looking for her...

ACT group of guys hit the button after a 7 day ordeal into the SW biting off more than they could chew trying to walk UP one of the most remote rivers in SW tas.

Sprained ankle at Pelion.

so on.. so sadly on......