Kempsey Hospital Helicopter Landing Site

The helipad was closed because it was replaced by a new, modern helipad constructed as part of the Kempsey District Hospital redevelopment. The old helipad's location at the rear of the hospital was inefficient, requiring patients to be transferred by a secondary road ambulance from the landing site to the Emergency Department. The new helipad was built closer to the ED, allowing for faster, safer, and more direct patient transfers.

The site of the old helipad (AU-0695) is now disused for aviation purposes. The concrete pad may still be physically present on the hospital grounds, but it is no longer marked or maintained as an active helicopter landing site. All helicopter operations for the hospital now utilize the new, modern helipad located closer to the Emergency Department.

This helicopter landing site was a critical piece of medical infrastructure for the Macleay Valley region for many years. It served as the primary air access point for the Kempsey District Hospital, handling medical evacuations (medevac) and urgent inter-hospital patient transfers. Operations were primarily conducted by emergency medical services such as the NSW Ambulance and the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter, bringing critically ill or injured patients to the hospital or transferring them to larger tertiary hospitals for specialized care.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening this specific helipad. It has been permanently and functionally superseded by the newer, more strategically located helipad, which offers superior logistical and patient care advantages. Reopening the old site would be redundant and a regression in hospital operational efficiency.