The construction of a helipad at the Launceston General Hospital (LGH) has reached a new milestone, although the project remains delayed.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
After months of work, the helipad and hospital are finally linked with the installation of an aerobridge.
The $15 million initiative has employed 240 people through Vos Construction and Joinery and 35 more with Crisp Bros and Haywards.
Vos chief executive officer Kurt Jones said it was an exciting build to be involved with.
"It's a major engineering job, this project, and it's great to see it being done by locals," he said.
Most of the construction was completed off-site, with the aerobridge lifted into place via crane on Friday morning.
Mr Jones said the team had been fortunate to not encounter any major issues during installation.
"It was a little bit windy this morning, so the bridge moved around a little bit but they were able to get it in place securely and safely and fit it, which was the main thing," he said.
Ambulance Tasmania director of operations Alistair Shephard said it was great to see the project taking shape.
"This helipad and aerodeck represent a significant investment across health throughout Tasmania," he said.
"It improves our capacity of transferring critically injured patients into and out of the LGH."
All transfers from helicopter to the hospital are currently done through a road ambulance from Launceston Airport.
"That takes a few minutes so obviously the significant investment here provides much greater care," Mr Shephard said.
Patients will be transported by aeromedical contractor Rotor-Lift Aviation once the helipad is complete.
The project was originally set to wrap by mid-2024, but was delayed on May 6 to late September.
Workers are waiting on the delivery of a specialty-built lift to connect the aerobridge to the rest of the LGH.
Guy Barnett said earlier this month that it wouldn't arrive on time due to "conflict in the Middle East".
"The delays in the Red Sea have impacted the manufacturer's shipping schedule, and due to the fact the lift has been exactly manufactured to the helipad's specifications, we have no alternative but to wait for its arrival," he said at the time.
On May 24, Mr Barnett clarified that this was an "acceptable" delay given the build's steady progress.
"In the meantime, we're getting on with the job," he said.
"This helipad will save lives, that's the long and short of it."