LifeFlight Clive Berghofer Maintenance Centre, Archerfield Official Opening

Representing the Premier, Minister for Treaty, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Minister for Communities and Minister for the Arts, the Honourable Leanne Enoch MP; the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Councillor Adrian Schrinner; Member for Moreton, Mr Graham Perrett MP; LifeFlight Australia Chairman, the Honourable Jim Elder and CEO Mr Ashley van de Velde OAM; Major donor, Mr Clive Berghofer AM; LifeFlight Australia senior executives, engineering and maintenance managers and crew, staff and supporters; ladies and gentlemen.

I begin by acknowledging the Original Custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging, and to all First Nations people here today.

I’m thrilled to be here today to help this incredible organisation mark another major milestone with the completion of the LifeFlight Clive Berghofer Maintenance Centre.

It is here that a team of dedicated engineers and maintenance professionals will work to keep LifeFlight's fleet of aeromedical helicopters and Air Ambulance jets in the air — around the clock.

Of course, we have almost come to expect LifeFlight to come to the rescue whenever and wherever it is needed. This is an incredible expectation to live up to, and wholly of your own making!

The speed, skill and dedication you employ to reach those in dire need of aeromedical retrieval — from some remote corner of our state, or even overseas, to a hospital in a major centre — is simply unrivalled.

The treatment patients receive along the way is so finely tuned to the treatment received once they get there, it provides their absolute best chance for recovery — and indeed, in most cases, for survival.

LifeFlight has helped almost 90,000 people during its 45-year history including more than 8,000 in the past year alone.

All of this comes down to the dedication of the medical staff and pilots in the air, and the maintenance crews on the ground, working to ensure their safety and the smooth running of these magnificent machines.

It is a large part of the reason LifeFlight was recently acknowledged as a Queensland Great in recognition of its extraordinary work.

LifeFlight isn’t just an aeromedical provider, but rather a lifeline for outlying communities. Each day it makes a profound difference to Queenslanders, no matter where they live, delivering vital search, rescue and aeromedical services across the State, giving the Queensland community certainty and equitable access to healthcare.

And so, I would like to reiterate my gratitude and pride in this organisation, as its Patron and as the Governor of a state that benefits so enormously from the lifesaving services it provides.

This new facility will enable LifeFlight to keep more helicopters in the air as demand for the organisation’s services continues to grow.

I wish to thank Clive Berghofer’s wonderful contributions to LifeFlight over many years, not just here at Archerfield, but also the Toowoomba base, as well as his generous donations towards the new LifeFlight Clive Berghofer training helicopter.

I also wish to acknowledge the State Government for their contributions, together with LifeFlight’s many supporters and donors – without you, this would not have been possible. Please join me in applause for LifeFlight and its new base.