Southcare to end Snowy Hydro partnership and fundraising events

A new contract for the service will mark the end of the 18-year Snowy Hydro partnership and its traditional fundraising events, including the well-known Christmas gala. The Snowy Hydro's naming-rights sponsorship delivered more than $7 million in fundraising.

A new board has been appointed for the change of contractors from the Canadian Helicopter Company to Toll Helicopters.

The 2016-model AW139 helicopter is set to take off from the Southcare's Hume base in April, and will be a significant advancement for aero-medical rescue services in the region.

Southcare Trust CEO Carol Bennett said the chopper will allow immediate life-saving operations and major medical procedures.

She said it will assist ACT Ambulance helicopter doctors to reach patients in remote areas, faster than before, with a greater range, night vision technology and a larger working space.

"Now in the ACT the Southcare operation is part of a much bigger, $1 billion contract that is a fleet of eight helicopters across the ACT and NSW," Ms Bennett said.

"And the ACT and NSW governments are going to fully fund that contract, so success for community support and that operation has meant we have an essential service in the ACT that no longer community fundraising."

ACT Emergency Services Minister Mick Gentleman said the the ACT government allocated $1.57 million for Southcare between 2015 and 2017, as well as $400,000 towards improving the Hume helicopter base.

The ACT government provides 10 per cent of funding for the service, while the NSW government contributes the rest.

ACT Emergency Services Commissioner Dominic Lane welcomed the ACT government's significant investment into the new helicopter, which he said would receive a huge boost of funding compared to the the current 35-year-old Bell 412 helicopter.

"For 2016-17 the ACT contribution would be $881,000, which is quiet a bit of an increase - about 70 or 80 per cent - on the old aircraft," Mr Lane said.

"I think the key point is the new helicopter, because it is faster, more powerful and more reliable - as well as having traditional capabilities - means we can do a much better job of supporting our regional community and those people who need it the most," he said.

But he said he would miss how the Snowy Hydro partnership connected Canberra and regional communities.

"We have to sit down with the new contractor, Toll, and whilst at this stage they flagged a different sponsorship model, ESA would like to work with Toll about how we can keep those community connections going," Mr Lane said.

"Under our new model we don't rely on community-based support and in many ways that's a good thing because the service is fully funded, but there are many people in the community with stories to tell about the life-saving mission our operation has been involved in and that is very important to share."

The current Bell 412 has saved more than 6,800 lives in the past 18 years.

The new helicopter will operate out of the Hume base and will continue to service ACT and south-eastern NSW.