Kruttschnitt Oval has seen many footballs kicked on it over the years but now the oval has itself become an unlikely political football.
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The issue arose during the recent visit to the Mount Isa Rodeo by opposition MP and Shadow Assistant Minister for North Queensland Jason Costigan.
Mr Costigan took the opportunity to visit Kruttschnitt Oval to watch a Lifeflight rescue helicopter land for a patient transfer to the Mount Isa hospital.
Later Mr Costigan took to social media to ask: What is the Palaszczuk Labor Government doing to improve the rescue helicopter service based in Mount Isa?
“After all, the Lifeflight rescue chopper can't even land at the hospital,” Mr Costigan said on his Facebook post.
“As Shadow Assistant Minister for North Queensland, I saw this with my own eyes on a visit to the rodeo capital last month, with patient transfers taking place here at Kruttschnitt Oval.
The former rugby league commentator noted that the oval was the spiritual home of rugby league in the Isa but it was on the opposite side of the river from the hospital.
“Surely the people of North-West Queensland deserve better than this?”
When the North West Star contacted Health Minister Cameron Dick for comment, we were handballed to the departmental media team.
A Queensland Health spokesperson said LifeFlight, the North West Health Service and Mount Isa City Council were considering alternatives to the old helipad site near the Mount Isa Hospital which was closed when the new, larger LifeFlight helicopter was introduced into service.
A new helipad was opened in 2013 in the Ian St parking lot at the hospital.
LifeFlight (which was renamed from CareFlight in July) conducted a fleet renewal program in 2015 with the purchase of AgustaWestland 139 (AW139) helicopters.
The helicopter allows for two stretchered patients and two seated passengers, and four-person crew however it has overstretched the Ian St helipad.
Mayor Joyce McCulloch confirmed council was working with the hospital to provide a new helipad.