GRANT District Mayor Richard Sage has made a desperate plea for government officials to keep Regional Express (Rex) in the air amid the decimation of the city’s aviation passenger services.
Mr Sage – who has held urgent talks with the stricken airline and political figures – said air services were crucial for Mount Gambier Hospital’s health workforce.
The civic leader also warned lives could be lost given COVID-19 tests and other pathology samples were flown to Adelaide by the regional carrier.
“The collapse of regional air services would be disastrous for our community. They are an essential service,” Mr Sage said.
“Test samples are sent to Adelaide by Rex. If there is a delay in getting these results, this could mean the difference of people surviving or not.”
He also warned test results needed a level of expediency to prevent COVID-19 community transmission in the region.
Rex – which has described the situation as “horrifying” for regional communities – will drastically slash services to just two return flights per week along the Mount Gambier Regional Airport routes.
This follows the airline recording a dramatic slump in patronage due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Sage said air connectivity was an essential service and must be maintained at some level.
The civic leader warned both state and federal governments needed to broker an urgent solution to keep the airline operational, even it was just at a cost-neutral arrangement.
“We need both state and federal governments to come to the party, ” he said.
“Airline services are needed to get health professionals to our region from Adelaide and Melbourne to ensure we can keep the hospital’s emergency department open.
“We need to keep Rex in the air, even if it means reduced services.”
While Rex was buoyed by council’s decision to scrap the passenger head tax , he warned this measure was not enough to save the region’s air services.
The council leader also warned air services could be lost forever if governments allowed Rex to collapse.
He said it would be insurmountable for a new airline to establish services at the Mount Gambier airport.
“It would be nearly impossible for someone to start up a regional airline from scratch.”
Mr Sage yesterday held pressing talks with Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell, Member for Barker Tony Pasin and Member for MacKillop Nick McBride following the airline’s bombshell announcement late Monday.
Health leader advocates for daily return service
LIMESTONE Coast Local Health Network board chair Grant King yesterday advocated for a daily return service between Adelaide to Mount Gambier.
“Ideally, to support GP locums and other clinicians, a daily return service between Adelaide and Mount Gambier would be ideal,” Mr King said.
He said this would be mean health professionals could fly into Mount Gambier in the morning and return later that day.
In particular, Mr King said this would ensure the emergency department was adequately resourced.
“Locum services provide significant support at Mount Gambier Hospital’s emergency department.”
Mr King said a daily service would also facilitate the transport of pathology tests to Adelaide, which included COVID-19 tests.
The health leader fully backed efforts by local government officials who were advocating to keep services in the air.
“We support their efforts,” Mr King said yesterday.
City Council has also backed calls to keep Rex flying.
Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin rallied behind efforts to keep Rex operating, in conjunction with Grant District Council.
“I am writing to Premier Steven Marshall and Minister Transport Minister Stephan Knoll seeking State Government support to enable Rex to continue services,” Ms Martin said.
Ms Martin said air services were essential for the state’s second largest city, particularly as the region navigates through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I understand COVID-19 tests are transported to Adelaide via Rex flights and a disruption in this service could prolong the results of those tests,” she said.
“The regular Rex schedule also enables specialist medical practitioners to travel from Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide to provide support to the Mount Gambier Hospital.”
