Our Region

Central QLD is a big country. Literally. From St Lawrence to the north, Agnes Water to the south, Alpha to the west and up to 110 nautical miles out to sea, CapRescue serves 300,000 people across a total area of 350,000km2.

 

In an operational environment as big as the Capricorn region, we need to be ready to fly 24/7. That’s why we have two emergency helicopters: one for rescuing people in an emergency and one ready to be tasked during natural disasters.

No two days are the same and we respond to primaries on roads, stations, mines, and the gas works industry. This is in addition to providing support when tasked by QPS or QFRS.

A big region needs a fast response

 

Maybe it’s because we see it from the air, maybe it’s because we’re locals, but we believe in exploring and celebrating the places we serve in Central QLD.

It’s no secret – the Capricorn region has an incredible amount to offer.  Where else can you visit tropical islands, rainforests and the outback, all in the same day?

It’s a big region full of diverse terrain that you can’t get anywhere else. It’s where Queensland lives. It’s also an area tourists can’t wait to visit.

We visit more places in Central QLD than most people do. There’s often a serious reason for that and it’s important not to trivialise our primary purpose; saving lives. But we also feel extremely fortunate to see as many places as we do. It’s a wonderful place to live and work.

 

Our Region

 

When we get called out on a search and rescue mission, we need to move quickly. How quickly? Let’s just say we’ve done this enough times we can now predict flight times to the minute. In this table you can see how long it takes to reach some of the areas we serve.

Town Flight time Fun fact to connect with CapRescue
Baralaba 35 mins Baralaba, situated in the Banana Shire, is the hub for properties surrounding the town. From floods, rural incidents, and motor vehicle accidents we support the Baralaba community in a number of different capacities.
Biloela 35 mins Each year, we are overwhelmed by the support of the Biloela community. Through our Bequest Program, community minded people generously leave us a gift in their will. This keeps us flying and we're grateful.
Blackwater 51 mins We provide support to the people working at the mines, the mining companies support us with significant financial assistance. In fact, BMA was our first corporate sponsor!
Emerald 60 mins Emerald, equates for approximately 65% of our total tasks within the Central Highlands Region. Emerald is beautiful country and takes us an hour to reach.
Gladstone 35 mins Not many people know that Gladstone Marina boasts one of the highest boat ownerships per capita in Australia. As a result, we are often called to do water rescues in the Gladstone area.
Great Keppel Island 16 mins Great Keppel Island is where it all started for us. On February 18, 1996, our crew performed their first rescue here. All these years later and it's still one of the most beautiful spots we visit.
Woorabinda 46 mins We provide a vital service to many vulnerable and isolated communities - Woorabinda is just one of them. To these remote and indigenous communities, we are quite literally the difference between life and death.
Yeppoon 12 mins The majority of our crew's water winch training is performed off the stunning Yeppoon coast line. Every now and then you can even see them completing their water operations training in conjunction with the Yeppoon Coast Guard at Wreck Point and with the Emu Park Surf Lifesaving Club.