Miners have again shown their generosity and their strong links with the wider community with a $50,000 donation from the Mineworkers Trust to the Hunter Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.
This is the second year in which the Trust has made such a donation.
Chairman, Andrew Vickers, said the Trust regarded the donation as a way to support the outstanding work of the Rescue Service and its value to the wider community in general and to the mining industry in particular.
Service Chairman, Cliff Marsh, said the leadership shown by miners through the Trust and through their consideration pay-roll deduction contributions encouraged many members of the community and businesses to contribute to the operation of the Service.
“Despite the fact that the Service has been operating for nearly 35 years there are many who do not realise that the bulk of the funds required to provide medical transfer, emergency response and search and rescue missions must come from the community.”
About $4million of the approximately $6 million operating budget was raised by the community. The Service flies more than a 1000 missions each year.
CFMEU Northern District President, Ian Murray, said that miners had always understood the value of the rapid response and transfer capability of the service.
“For us it can be about response to mines that are tens of kilometres from trauma hospitals and for our families, our friends and our mates in the community it can be about transferring a sick baby to specialist care or a burns victim for critical attention and, of course, emergencies such as road and rural accidents.”
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