New bush broadband comms network to save lives in Western Australia

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Sunday, 20 April 2008 10:08

IT Industry - Strategy

WA Industry and Enterprise Minister Francis Logan said: “WA is the largest State in Australia and our population is widely dispersed and separated by long distances.”

Logan continued, saying: “Bush Medivac WA will address the barrier of distance and improve the delivery of health and emergency services for 454,000 Western Australians, across an area of 2.55 million square kilometres.”

Minister Logan said public health and safety were particularly important issues in the lives of residents and businesses in isolated communities.

“Rural communities also have a high level of local participation through volunteer emergency service workers and health aides and rely on partnerships with State and local government agencies to access the relevant tools and technologies to do the job,” he said.

“Bush Medivac WA will allow these workers to deliver enhanced health and emergency services more efficiently and safely, and it will also extend their operational reach into the more remote areas of our massive State.”

South-West MLC Adele Farina said that communities in the South-West region would welcome the Bush Medivac WA system.

“Past emergencies in the South-West, such as the 2003 Bridgetown bushfires, highlighted the need for a comprehensive emergency communications system across rural areas,” Ms Farina said.

“Bush Medivac WA will fill that vital need and I congratulate the Carpenter and Rudd Governments on taking the project forward.”

Work on Bush Medivac WA is expected to be finished by June 2010.  It is being developed by the WA Department of Industry and Resources in partnership with the Department of Health’s WA Country Health Service, the Department of Environment and Conservation, St John Ambulance Australia, Surf Life Saving WA and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.