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Agenda – Planning & Sustainability Committee 14 November 2012 - #3749628

PLANNING AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE

14 NOVEMBER 2012 2

CAIRNS ESPLANADE EMERGENCY HELIPAD

Malcolm Robertson MR: 1/59/13-01: #3743379

RECOMMENDATION: That Council a) advises the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Board that Council is

supportive of a Trustee Lease being entered with Queensland Health for the purpose of maintaining an emergency services helipad public exclusion zone on the Cairns Esplanade;

b) notes that the location of the Lease area shall be subject to further

discussions between the parties, with a preferred outcome being that the car parks currently closed are reopened for use;

c) notes that the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Board be

responsible for all costs associated with the creation of the Lease as well as any site works and improvements needed as a result of the helipad and car park works; and

d) delegates authority to the Chief Executive Officer under Section 257 of the

Local Government Act 2009 to finalise any and all matters in relation to above actions.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Queensland Health has over the past three years been reviewing emergency helicopter access to Cairns Base Hospital in the context of:

The hospital redevelopment; and Changes to the size and power of helicopters providing the emergency service.

To date, this has led to

improved security arrangements for the creation of a larger temporary public exclusion zone at the time of landings and take-offs (managed by Hospital security staff); and

the ongoing closure of 32 public car spaces at the southern end of the nearby public carpark (on the Esplanade reserve) to mitigate public safety concerns caused by stronger helicopter downdraft; the spaces remain in place but are fenced off from use.

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Agenda – Planning & Sustainability Committee 14 November 2012 - #3749628

Recently however, the Chair of the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Board (the Board) has:

raised issue around the authority under which the Hospital security guards are able to carry out their exclusion zone duties and

sought resolution of the matter of the closed-off public car spaces. The solution proposed by the Board is as follows:

To address the take-off and landing public exclusion enforcement authority matter – that a lease be granted over an area of around 7000m2 (Attachment 1) being part of the Cairns Esplanade reserve.

To address the carpark matter – that the existing helipad be removed, and a new helipad constructed around 25m to the southeast, at the same elevation. The helipad would be upgraded at this time to include in ground lighting and uninterrupted power supply. Costs would be borne by the Hospital.

The recommendation to Council is that it advises the Board that it is supportive of the following actions:

The granting of an appropriate Trustee lease to Queensland Health for the purpose of maintaining a helipad public exclusion zone on the Cairns Esplanade, to be in effect only at the time of emergency helicopter landings and take-offs; and

That Council and Queensland Heath officers work in partnership to take the necessary steps to reactivate closed Esplanade Hospital car parks.

BACKGROUND:

Cairns Esplanade includes Lot 711 on NR7289, 174-280 Esplanade, Cairns North, a Reserve for Park and Recreation purposes held in trust by Council as trustee, with an area of 7.99 hectares. The emergency helipad has been in place on the Cairns Esplanade for approximately 20 years. Previously the helipad was positioned around 100m to the south of its current location in the centre of a large parkland area. In 1999 it was moved to its current location to bring it in closer proximity to the relocated emergency department. Originally the Emergency Helipad was set up to service approximately one landing per week in daylight hours only. The current demand is for around 430 landings per annum, with these occurring around the clock. Landings year to date are shown below.

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Agenda – Planning & Sustainability Committee 14 November 2012 - #3749628

As context to this request, Council officers have noted:

The absence of any reported incidents involving emergency landings that have threatened or caused public safety issues, since the closure of the carpark.

The success of the current Hospital security arrangements in creating and managing a satisfactory temporary exclusion zone around the existing helipad at the time of landings and take-offs.

On-going issues with the availability of on-street public parking in the vicinity of the hospital, post completion of the Hospital off-street parking facility.

Carparking Given the on-going carparking issues, the Board has proposed moving the location of the helipad approximately 25m south-east of its current location in order to open up the currently closed 32 public carpark spaces on the Esplanade. Options for Council to assess in response to this request include:

Proceed as suggested; or Leave the helipad where it is, return the closed carpark spaces to parkland and

extend the carpark at its northern end by a compensating number of car spaces; or

Leave the helipad where it is, return the closed carpark to parkland and look to better manage on-street carparking in this vicinity through specific regulated parking strategies.

In 2011 Council’s Regulated Parking officers investigated options to extend the current Esplanade Hospital carpark facility. The concept plan (Attachment 2) allowed for an additional 25 parking spaces. This carpark extension was costed at approximately $165,000. Council officers have estimated that the cost to construct an enhanced relocated helipad would be in the vicinity of $185,000. On this basis, it is recommended that Council and Queensland Heath officers work in partnership to take the necessary steps to remedy the format and operations of the Esplanade Hospital carpark. The two options to be explored in detail by officers will be: - the relocation of the helipad as proposed by the Board, and - the relocation of closed car spaces from the southern end of the Esplanade Hospital carpark to the northern end of the same carpark, in lieu of relocating the helipad. If this temporary carpark is now to be retained as part of the Esplanade reserve, it is also considered appropriate that Council makes an application under the Land Act 1994 to dedicate the carpark as road, due to the following reasons:

the carpark area is a regulated carpark; the carpark area can no longer be used as part of the reserve; the carpark has been in existence since 1997, and is no longer a temporary

carpark the most appropriate tenure for a carpark is road, not reserve

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Agenda – Planning & Sustainability Committee 14 November 2012 - #3749628

the primary purpose of the carpark is to service Hospital visitors, not Esplanade visitors.

Authorisation to remove persons The Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Board has asked Council to assist in enabling Cairns Base Hospital’s security guards to have statutory powers to restrict public access to the helipad area when it is in use for hospital purposes. The Board has previously been of the view that it is necessary for a lease to be granted over the helipad area in order for Cairns Base Hospital’s security guards to acquire these statutory powers. However, Queensland Health does not need exclusive occupation of the helipad area, either to enable it to be lawfully used or to enable Queensland Health’s security guards to have the access restriction powers they need. It is possible for Council to devise a Lease which gives Queensland Health exclusive occupation of the helipad area only when it is in use and at other times reserves rights to use the area by Council and contain a provision prohibiting or restricting fencing. This approach (i.e. lease) would give Queensland Health control over that part of the Reserve Land while the helipad is in use. Other Helipad Options Other helipad relocation options have not been formally put forward by the Board on this occasion although a number have been raised previously. Attachment 3 addresses these alternatives although no action is recommended in relation to them by Council. The current location is working effectively, with risk being mitigated to acceptable levels.

CONSIDERATIONS:

Corporate and Operational Plans: There are no specific Corporate or Operational Plan considerations relating to this matter. This report addresses a proposal submitted to Council. Statutory: The Cairns Esplanade is Trust land in accordance with the provisions of the Land Act 1994. The existence of the emergency helipad is noted within the Esplanade Management Plan, however no formal tenure exists. Council’s main responsibility as trustee of reserve land under the Land Act 1994 is to take all action necessary for the maintenance and management of the land and ensure that such actions are consistent with the purpose for which the reserve was dedicated.

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Agenda – Planning & Sustainability Committee 14 November 2012 - #3749628

It is considered that the helipad is an inconsistent use of the Reserve for Park and Recreation purposes therefore requiring the Minister’s approval for the proposed trustee lease. The Minister may approve use that is inconsistent provided the inconsistent use will not diminish the purpose for which the reserve was dedicated or adversely affect any business in the area surrounding the reserve. Policy: The helipad is sanctioned in Council’s Esplanade Management Policy No.1:06:03. Uses or activities not mentioned within the Cairns Esplanade Land Management Plan or 2005 Cairns Esplanade North Parklands Secondary Use Management Plan require approval under the Land Act 1994. Financial and Risk: The Hospital Board has offered to meet the cost of a helipad relocation of some 25m. Subject to Council endorsement of the recommendations of this report, Council officers would look to ensure that whatever the agreed solution is for the carpark issue, that Queensland Health will bear the main costs associated with the agreed solution. The granting of the lease to Queensland Health for temporary management of the public exclusion zone around the helipad will mitigate risk by a modest amount. Sustainability: The recommendation seeks to ensure that a sustainable long term option for emergency helicopter access to Cairns Base Hospital is developed and progressed. The recommendation seeks to ensure that impacts upon the environment, community, culture and the economy are considered prior to a decision being taken.

CONSULTATION: Queensland Health and Emergency Services Queensland have been consulted in relation to this report.

OPTIONS:

Options for consideration by Council include: 1. Endorse the request as received: this option is not fully supported at this stage as

Council officers would like to explore with Queensland Health officers more fully the alternative to carpark solution identified in this option; that is, if the proposed helipad location is seen as inferior to the current site (because it is further from the Hospital), can the same carpark outcomes can be achieved at approximately the same cost by relocating the carpark spaces to the northern end of the carpark; or

2. Support securing an appropriate lease arrangement at Queensland Health

expense and agree that Council and Queensland Health officers be tasked with determining the optimum solution to the carpark matter: this is the recommended option.

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Agenda – Planning & Sustainability Committee 14 November 2012 - #3749628

CONCLUSION: An appropriate lease over an exclusion zone for the helipad would formalise the current public exclusion management arrangements for emergency helicopter landings and take-offs. Relocating the Helipad as proposed by the Board or reconfiguring the Esplanade Hospital carpark layout both appear reasonable options to achieve the desired carpark outcome. It is recommended that Council and Queensland Health officers work together to establish the preferred option and be authorised to implement the option as a priority.

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment 1: Requested Lease Area Attachment 2: Proposed carpark realignment Attachment 3: Other previously considered helipad locations Malcolm Robertson Inner City Facilities Manager Brett Spencer Manager Parks & Leisure Ian Lowth General Manager Community Sport & Cultural Services

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Agenda – Planning & Sustainability Committee 14 November 2012 - #3749628

Attachment 1: Requested Lease Area

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Agenda – Planning & Sustainability Committee 14 November 2012 - #3749628

Attachment 2: Proposed Carpark Realignment

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Agenda – Planning & Sustainability Committee 14 November 2012 - #3749628

Attachment 3: Alternative helipad locations considered previously EMQ Cairns Proposed Treatment to relocated Helipad

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Agenda – Planning & Sustainability Committee 14 November 2012 - #3749628

Hospital Roof top location In May 2010 the Princess Alexander Hospital opened a new emergency helipad that was situated in a rooftop location. The Princess Alexander helipad’s elevated location was considered to be safer for emergency retrieval helicopters and less intrusive for surrounding residents compared with the previous ground level helipad. It is made entirely out of aluminium, and features a unique lightweight and maintenance-free design with inbuilt fire fighting system. The helipad, which is located on the roof of the hospital building, is more than 50 metres above ground level and incorporates a high-speed lift that travels directly into emergency department resuscitation rooms. Figure 1: Princess Alexander Hospital Emergency Helipad

The Cairns Base Hospital has emergency helicopter movements that are similar to the Princess Alexander Hospital in Brisbane. On opening of the new Princess Alexander Hospital, the Premier advised that the facility receives four to five critically ill patients via helicopter retrieval each week. Figures from EMQ show that Cairns Base Hospital averages around eight transfers per week. The Princess Alexander Hospital type of helipad facility could have been incorporated into the current redevelopment works, and potentially can be retro-fitted to the hospital, as occurred at the Princess Alexander Hospital. EMQ Helicopter pilots have previously confirmed preference for this type of installation. Cairns Base Hospital Director of Emergency Medicine has also previously confirmed preference for a helipad system that enables a patient to be transferred directly from helicopter into the emergency ward.

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