Concerns have been raised over the newly built helipad at Victor Harbor Hospital, which remains out of service due to non-compliance with national safety standards.

Despite being part of a $23.4 million state-wide investment to upgrade 13 regional hospital helipads, the Victor Harbor facility does not meet the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) requirements. As a result, it cannot currently be used for emergency medical transport.

The site, which was completed in mid-2025, was intended to resolve ongoing safety issues with the hospital’s previous helipad. That earlier structure was temporarily closed after dust and clearance problems posed risks to patients and staff, despite more than $60,000 being spent on remediation works.

Local Member for Finniss, David Basham MP, has voiced frustration, saying the issues were foreseeable and could have been avoided had a more suitable site been chosen.

Safety experts and national studies have previously warned of rotor-wash risks, including incidents where people have been injured or objects displaced due to helicopter downdraft. These findings have underpinned strict safety guidelines from CASA since 2018, particularly for new or redeveloped helipad sites.

The current helipad location, on hospital grounds, is reportedly constrained by nearby buildings, roads, and a childcare centre — all factors that may prevent full compliance without significant intervention or land acquisition.

Community members and stakeholders have called for urgent transparency and resolution. Options suggested by local representatives include relocating the helipad to a fully compliant site or modifying the surrounding area to meet required standards.

The Department of Health has not yet provided a public response to the concerns.

Note: Photographs demonstrating proximity risks and clearance constraints for the original ‘Rotary’ site and the same for the newly constructed helipad site.

Regulation Detail and History:

From 2 December 2021, new CASA flight operations regulations began applying to helicopter air transport (including air ambulance/MedSTAR), with rotorcraft performance class rules for Part 133 operators to be fully implemented by 1 July 2025. Operators had to submit their new performance procedures by 31 March 2025 and implement them by 30 June 2025, alongside updated training/checking systems due from 31 August 2024–28 February 2025. The new framework standardises “performance classes” (PC1, PC2, PC2 with exposure and PC3), requiring operators of multi-engine helicopters like the Bell 412 and future AW139 fleet to formally plan for engine failure and demonstrate safe operations through risk assessments and documented procedures. While hospital helipads/HLSs themselves are not directly certified under Part 139, CASA now provides detailed guidance (AC 91-29, AC 139.R-01 and related materials) requiring larger rotorcraft operations to establish and manage rotorwash/downwash exclusion zones (typically 50–65m for medium/heavy helicopters), and expects medical transport operators and hospital site owners to jointly assess each site, apply risk controls (barriers, warning systems, signage, clearances for pedestrians, buildings and vehicles) and obtain specific CASA approvals where operations occur outside the standard performance classes.