THE Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service Moree Volunteer Support Group will hold its annual general meeting in September and invites new members to go along and discover what volunteering for such a vital service is all about.

The local AGM and general meeting will be held at Moree Golf Club on Tuesday, September 9 at 5.30pm.

The Moree branch is one of 37 volunteer support groups across northern New South Wales with volunteers who generously give their time to raise awareness and funds.

Each group is supported by a service volunteer co-ordinator in their region.

Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service Moree Support Group spokesperson Libby Smith said being a volunteer for the WRHS is a rewarding experience.

Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service Moree Volunteer Support Group members Libby Smith and Joy Holmes. The Moree group invites new members to its AGM on September 9.

“As a volunteer, you get to engage with the general public in a way that you may normally not be able to, and you are able to do things that may not normally be in your day-to-day routine,” Libby said.

“There is also a wonderful sense of giving back to your community, because if we didn’t have the service, there would be a lot of people who would be dealing with very different outcomes.

“Having seen the chopper in action first-hand, I can attest to the value and necessity of this service,” she said.

Only recently, a Westpac Rescue Helicopter was tasked by NSW Ambulance to a motor vehicle accident on the Carnarvon Highway north of Moree.

A woman in her 70s sustained multiple injuries in the accident.

The patient was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics and the helicopter’s critical care medical team before being airlifted to Tamworth Rural Referral Hospital.

Last Thursday, a rescue chopper was tasked with an urgent inter-hospital transfer from Moree to John Hunter Hospital.

A man in his 60s, suffering a serious medical condition, was stabilised by hospital staff, NSW Ambulance critical care paramedics and a NSW Health doctor before being airlifted to Newcastle.

“The team on the chopper go above and beyond to provide an outstanding service to our rural and remote communities,” Libby said.

“In rural New South Wales, if we didn’t have access to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, patients wouldn’t have the prompt access to medical care that is at times very difficult to find.”

Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service Moree Volunteer Support Group

When: Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Where: Moree Golf Club

Time: 5.30pm

More information: Call Libby Smith on 0447 056281