OZ Minerals is pleased to confirm it will continue its support as a Major Partner of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, Central Operations (RFDS) an agreement intiated by Oxiana Limited in November 2007

The agreement will continue under the stewardship of OZ Minerals – the company that resulted from the merger of Oxiana with Zinifex Limited in July this year.

The partnership sees OZ Minerals commit $280,000 over four years to RFDS Central Operations (which provides emergency aeromedical and primary healthcare services to South Australia and the southern half of the Northern Territory).

The RFDS is one of Australia’s great icons providing an invaluable service to remote and regional communities and businesses in Australia said OZ Minerals CEO Andrew Michelmore.

Nationally, the RFDS provides vital medical assistance to more than 250,000 Australians each year – equivalent to one person every two minutes.

“On occasion, we have had to call on the ‘Flying Doctor’ to treat and transport employees requiring medical attention from our remote mine sites around Australia,” he said.

“They provide us with a level of comfort and the ability to operate in these remote locations.”

As a not-for-profit organisation, the RFDS relies on fundraising and donations from the community to finance the purchase and medical fit-out of its aircraft and other major capital initiatives. Each Pilatus PC-12 aircraft costs approximately $A6 million to purchase and medically equip.

“We hope that with our support, we can help to ensure the future of this vital service,” said Andrew.

“OZ Minerals is proud to continue as a Major Partner of RFDS and to launch this aircraft re-badged with our new logo today.”

The OZ Minerals RFDS aircraft will be unveiled at the RFDS Hangar, James Schofield Drive, Adelaide Airport at 9.30am on

Tuesday 16 December. The aircraft will be unveiled by Mr John Nitschke, Executive General Manager – Projects & Technical

Services at OZ Minerals and Mr John Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of RFDS Central Operations.

Coober Pedy Regional Times