1
00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,640
Speaker 1: Well as we know, those major works are underway on

2
00:00:03,680 --> 00:00:07,480
Speaker 1: the runway at the Darwin International Airport, and contingency plans

3
00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,200
Speaker 1: have been put in place to ensure that CareFlight can

4
00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:13,760
Speaker 1: continue their jet operations. Earlier this week on the show,

5
00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,160
Speaker 1: we revealed that CareFlight will only be impacted by runway

6
00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:21,360
Speaker 1: closures on two occasions, during which time they'll rely on

7
00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:24,160
Speaker 1: their helicopters. Now, joining me on the line to explain

8
00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:29,640
Speaker 1: the contingency plans is care Flights general manager of Northern Operations,

9
00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:32,240
Speaker 1: Jody Mills. Good morning to you, Jody.

10
00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:34,280
Speaker 2: Hi Katie, how are you going?

11
00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:36,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, really good. Great to have you on the show.

12
00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,960
Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your time this morning. Now, Jody,

13
00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:42,680
Speaker 1: talk us through how care Flight's going to navigate the

14
00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:45,160
Speaker 1: works being carried out by the Defense Force.

15
00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:47,320
Speaker 2: Yeah, certainly.

16
00:00:47,479 --> 00:00:47,599
Speaker 1: So.

17
00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,559
Speaker 2: First of all, we've absolutely known about these works for

18
00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:54,080
Speaker 2: quite some time now, and we've been working with Darwin

19
00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:58,520
Speaker 2: Airport and also NTY Health and the government around contingency

20
00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,960
Speaker 2: plans asians only of about four and a half hours

21
00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:07,000
Speaker 2: overnight now those two occasions. The good thing about this,

22
00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,600
Speaker 2: which is not what we normally get, is that we

23
00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,160
Speaker 2: know when they might be around about so we can

24
00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,399
Speaker 2: make plans, as you say, we can make contingencies. So

25
00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:19,760
Speaker 2: we have challenges that come up. I think all of

26
00:01:19,840 --> 00:01:21,720
Speaker 2: us know in the territory. We have challenges that come

27
00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:24,280
Speaker 2: up out of the blue all the time and we

28
00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,480
Speaker 2: have to make plans around it. So this is being

29
00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,319
Speaker 2: an actual planned occasion has given us the time to

30
00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:33,039
Speaker 2: put all of our minds to it and come up

31
00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:35,880
Speaker 2: with the best solution for territory. And so one of

32
00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:39,920
Speaker 2: the contingencies we have is that we would relocate a

33
00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:43,840
Speaker 2: jet potentially to another location such as Catherine and use

34
00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:47,600
Speaker 2: our sixteen King King As to ferry patients down to

35
00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:53,920
Speaker 2: that aircraft right now, saying that there is a whole

36
00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:58,000
Speaker 2: lot that happens overnight and for a patient to actually

37
00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:02,280
Speaker 2: require a jet mission to during these times is extremely low,

38
00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,040
Speaker 2: saying that we at care Flight are always thinking about

39
00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,240
Speaker 2: the one percentage. We have to make contingency plans for everything.

40
00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,880
Speaker 2: So that is but one contingency plan. The other is

41
00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,320
Speaker 2: that it does take time for patients to be collected

42
00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:18,799
Speaker 2: from the hospital only because that's the process we need

43
00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:21,440
Speaker 2: to ensure that they're stable. So we would go through

44
00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:24,160
Speaker 2: that process and we work with world in hospital on

45
00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,000
Speaker 2: those those days where we do have this where we

46
00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,560
Speaker 2: time when patients as much as we can refer. We

47
00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:32,840
Speaker 2: absolutely know that patients may come up out of the

48
00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:36,400
Speaker 2: blue and require retrieval during that time period and we

49
00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:38,600
Speaker 2: will have planned in place for all territory and to

50
00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:40,360
Speaker 2: make sure that we have a response to them.

51
00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:42,600
Speaker 1: Well, this is the thing. You guys do a phenomenal

52
00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,200
Speaker 1: job in terms of helping territorians when they are you know,

53
00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:49,880
Speaker 1: in the sometimes in the in their darkest hour. Jody,

54
00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,240
Speaker 1: what kind of you know, like, what kind of situation

55
00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:56,200
Speaker 1: might it be where you know where the GT is required.

56
00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:01,919
Speaker 2: Yeah, so certainly our we have the G one fifty jet.

57
00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:04,359
Speaker 2: We also have a smaller jet up here in Darwin

58
00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:08,800
Speaker 2: which we use. Those jets are predominantly used were mostly

59
00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:13,680
Speaker 2: used for patients who require transport to another hospital into

60
00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:18,399
Speaker 2: state to receive a higher level of care. So mostly

61
00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:21,480
Speaker 2: what that looks like is patients going to add to Adelaid,

62
00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:26,120
Speaker 2: but it also does include potentially babies who require treatment

63
00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:29,799
Speaker 2: down it in Melbourne for instance, and we would we

64
00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:33,200
Speaker 2: always make contingencies for this and one example of this

65
00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:37,480
Speaker 2: every year is cyclone seasons. We have very robust aircraft

66
00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:42,400
Speaker 2: emergency response plans. We have relocated aircraft during cyclones before,

67
00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:44,720
Speaker 2: so this is not unusual for us to have to

68
00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:48,240
Speaker 2: come up with different ways of providing the service and

69
00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:49,640
Speaker 2: ensuring the service continues.

70
00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:52,080
Speaker 1: And I guess the other thing is, you know, it's

71
00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,440
Speaker 1: it's not a situation in the Northern Territory where you know,

72
00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:58,360
Speaker 1: when people are needing to go off to Adelaide, they're

73
00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:00,560
Speaker 1: not always coming from Darwin. They could be coming from

74
00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,760
Speaker 1: different parts of remote areas of the Northern Territory. So

75
00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:06,960
Speaker 1: then having the jet in Catherine for those couple of

76
00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:11,080
Speaker 1: days is not necessarily I'm assuming going to add a

77
00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,640
Speaker 1: huge amount of time on should somebody need to be

78
00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:14,880
Speaker 1: transported that far.

79
00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:20,000
Speaker 2: No, not at all, and O my stress, our care

80
00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:24,560
Speaker 2: aircraft that do go to those communities, they are not

81
00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:27,640
Speaker 2: affected by these works. We can absolutely continue that service

82
00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:30,880
Speaker 2: and we would always bring those patients into World Done

83
00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:35,720
Speaker 2: Hospital for assessment and stabilization before transport into State because

84
00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,800
Speaker 2: obviously it's a lot longer to a hospital into State

85
00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:42,080
Speaker 2: than into Royal Darwin. So that is routine practice. That

86
00:04:42,160 --> 00:04:44,400
Speaker 2: is exactly how we do it each and every day.

87
00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:46,719
Speaker 1: And I know that there had been it'd been mentioned

88
00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:49,239
Speaker 1: in the statement that we'd received a couple of days

89
00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:52,920
Speaker 1: ago that reduced fuel loads would allow ongoing access as

90
00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:56,120
Speaker 1: well for care flight. How will that how will the

91
00:04:56,520 --> 00:04:59,400
Speaker 1: reduced fuel loads allow that ongoing access for care flight

92
00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,880
Speaker 1: when other airlines aren't going to be able to operate

93
00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,720
Speaker 1: From what we can gather, yeah.

94
00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:09,280
Speaker 2: So absolutely we can go. We can reduce our payloads,

95
00:05:09,279 --> 00:05:12,719
Speaker 2: such as your load, so that the aircraft is lighter.

96
00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:16,560
Speaker 2: We will then have to refal potentially in somewhere like

97
00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:20,240
Speaker 2: Alice Springs on the way down to Adelaide, but that

98
00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,080
Speaker 2: again is something that we negotiate day by day.

99
00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:26,000
Speaker 1: And well the weather, like will the weather have any

100
00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,600
Speaker 1: kind of impact as well, or I guess like you've

101
00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:30,919
Speaker 1: touched on just before. I mean that's something that you're

102
00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:33,159
Speaker 1: obviously dealing with at different times anyway.

103
00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:38,159
Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, Katie. The weather absolutely does. The wet season,

104
00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,200
Speaker 2: as we know, comes around every year, and we know

105
00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:44,839
Speaker 2: that aircraft needs to have the ability to fly over

106
00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:47,600
Speaker 2: the top of Darwin Airport. If there's a cell even

107
00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,200
Speaker 2: over the top of the airport, we know when they're cycloned,

108
00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,440
Speaker 2: the Darwin Airport sometimes is closed. So we already have

109
00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:57,960
Speaker 2: contingencies for closures and these are normally unexpected this. This

110
00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,600
Speaker 2: is the good thing about this. We have time plan

111
00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:03,680
Speaker 2: so we can get through this in an unexpected situation.

112
00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:06,719
Speaker 2: We can certainly get through this in a planned situation.

113
00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:10,400
Speaker 1: So, Jody, by the sounds of things, care Flight really

114
00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,760
Speaker 1: can assure territorians at this point that they are still

115
00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,200
Speaker 1: going to be able to get that urgent medical assistance

116
00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,240
Speaker 1: that they need during those major runway works in the

117
00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:21,000
Speaker 1: same way that they'd always be able to.

118
00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:26,080
Speaker 2: Absolutely, Katie, I want to assure every territory and listening

119
00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:30,599
Speaker 2: to your program and everyone else that we absolutely will

120
00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:32,359
Speaker 2: be able to help them out in their time of

121
00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:36,200
Speaker 2: me and I assure them that that will happen as

122
00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:37,200
Speaker 2: it does every day.

123
00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,240
Speaker 1: Well, Joni Mills, you guys do a phenomenal job out

124
00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:43,560
Speaker 1: there at CareFlight. We really appreciate you coming on the

125
00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:45,599
Speaker 1: show this morning and having a chat with us. We'd

126
00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:48,240
Speaker 1: started to receive a few messages throughout the week, you know,

127
00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:51,080
Speaker 1: people a bit worried with all the work happening out

128
00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:53,280
Speaker 1: there at the airport that it was going to impact

129
00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:56,480
Speaker 1: care Flight. So I'm pleased to hear that you guys,

130
00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:59,960
Speaker 1: as I would expect, you've always got contingencies in play

131
00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:03,840
Speaker 1: because Unfortunately you so often sort of vir staff for

132
00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:08,640
Speaker 1: heading out to different scenarios, different environments, different emergencies, that

133
00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:12,000
Speaker 1: you really you always need to have those contingency plans

134
00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:12,840
Speaker 1: in place.

135
00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:16,640
Speaker 2: Absolutely, Katie. And again I mean the wet season is

136
00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:20,000
Speaker 2: a classic for us, you know, going out to communities

137
00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:21,800
Speaker 2: and if you end up there and we know how

138
00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:26,440
Speaker 2: quickly these fain cells appear, we will then divert off

139
00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:28,640
Speaker 2: stop somewhere near and wait for that cell to go

140
00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:31,000
Speaker 2: and then go in. So if there is a delay,

141
00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,360
Speaker 2: it's so very short and we will minimize that as

142
00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:35,760
Speaker 2: much as we can, but we obviously also need to

143
00:07:35,880 --> 00:07:38,000
Speaker 2: ensure the safety of the crews and the patients that

144
00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:38,600
Speaker 2: we carry.

145
00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:43,520
Speaker 1: Well. Jonie Mills, the general manager of Northern Operations with CareFlight,

146
00:07:43,640 --> 00:07:46,360
Speaker 1: good to speak with you this morning. I really appreciate your.

147
00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,000
Speaker 2: Time, no problem, Thanks so much, Katie.

148
00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:49,720
Speaker 1: Thank you,