The rescue service CareFlight has received a $300,000 boost from Queensland mining company New Hope Coal.

Until now, CareFlight has had to rely on charitable donations to support its four aircraft around the state.

Tom Gillespie reports.

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After 25 years of saving lives in remote areas of Queensland Care Flight is now getting its own helping hand.

The deal with New Hope Coal helps CareFlight run a service to cover the Darling Downs.

Peter Young, Director CareFlight: “The fact that there is an emergency helicopter provided that can provide first class medical service quickly and rapidly and then transport those people to intensive care centres in Brisbane and Toowoomba does give those people peace of mind and also provides greatly for their safety.”

New Hope says it decided to increase its support for CareFlight after the work the rescue service did during the Toowoomba floods in January.

Bruce Denney, New Hope Group: “”We’ve always been a long term supporter of CareFlight on a lower level, but during the floods earlier this year, we realised the criticality of rescue helicopters, and we thought this was a very sensible thing to support.”

In a quarter of a century CareFlight has rescued over 15,000 injured and sick people throughout the state.

Bruce Denney, New Hope Group: “We would hope never to see this helicopter here on site, but we understand that accidents do happen and most of them happen on the road and in this part of the world with the growth of the Darling Downs, it’s very important we have a rescue facility availlable.”

New Hope Coal will reconsider its commitment to CareFlight in a year.

Tom Gillespie, QUT News.