Representing Santos GLNG, Australia Pacific LNG, QGC and Arrow, GLNG operations chief executive officer Mark Macfarlane said: “The LNG industry-funded AME [aero medical evacuation] chopper will provide the region with an additional medical resource for the LNG workforce, their families and the Gladstone community.

“As our workforces grow on Curtis Island to build the LNG plants we want to ensure we do not put further pressure on the emergency response services and that is why we have come together to develop a combined industry response.

“We also wanted to give something back to the community that has supported us and that is why it will form part of the Queensland Health emergency response service during its period of operation.”

In another announcement last week, Santos GLNG said it had donated $250,000 worth of fire fighting equipment to volunteer fire fighters in the Banana Shire and Central Highlands regions.

“We donated equipment last year to volunteer fire fighters in the Maranoa region and we received positive feedback on how valuable that donation was to the local community,” Macfarlane said.

“Safety is our number one priority at Santos GLNG so when we heard from the local Rural Fire Service volunteers that they would greatly appreciate assistance in the lead-up to the upcoming predicted busy fire season we were more than happy to assist.”

Santos’ donation will buy 30 slip-on units – portable 500 litre water tanks that are easily transportable in the tray of a four wheel drive utility vehicle, designed to access areas fire trucks cannot.

Santos GLNG said the donation was part of its social impact management plan, which would see more than $200 million invested into local communities.