The winching capabilities of the rescue service will cease from today as part of sweeping NSW government reforms of aero medical services, citing safety concerns.

It comes days after the region welcomed the news the service would become a 24-hour operation from January 2015, but the most recent news marred the announcement.

“It’s wonderful news that we’ve been told we will have a 24-hour service starting from January 2015, but in many ways the great news has been outshone within the community with the announcement that they’re taking away one of the most important tools that the helicopter is equipped with, which is winching capability,” Cr Webb said.

“The claim that it is for safety reasons is a claim I dispute, because the level of training that is required for the winch retrieval is the same, whether it is used once or 10 times in a year.”

Cr Webb said the winch training for the helicopter crew would continue, because it was needed if crew members had to work from Lismore or Newcastle, where winching capabilities would remain.

“The claim that the service can be offered from Lismore or Newcastle to the North West has some real problems,” he said.

He said additional hours due to travel time and refuelling requirements would be added to any rescues carried out in Walcha gorge country or west of Tamworth.

“If the helicopter winch capabilities are maintained in Tamworth, it will be just as safe to maintain them here as in Lismore. Providing the relevant training remained in place, a rescue from gorge country near Walcha or west of Tamworth could be done in a much shorter timeframe,” Cr Webb said.

“Medical professionals talk about the golden hour. If we lose our winch recovery, we lose that golden hour.”

He said the service was needed now more than ever, because more people were participating in bushwalking, mountain bike riding and rock climbing in remote areas.

Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson said he was “taking his cues” from Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service general manager Richard Jones.

“I spoke at length to Richard Jones and he’s considering the decision and the options about what the recommendations were on the report,” he said.

“No doubt we will be talking in the coming week.

“At the end of the day, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter are the experts on this. I’ll continue my discussions with them and if they would like to see that winching capability retained, then I will be taking my advice from the Westpac Rescue Helicopter crews.

“We are all concerned and disappointed about losing the winching capabilities, but it’s a highly specialised, very risky operation that requires a high level of skill. The decision has to come from the crews – they are the ones who have to say, ‘We want this retained’.”

Cr Webb said the community was “up in arms” about the issue, with people approaching him in the streets asking him to fight to keep it.

He said losing the winch capabilities of the rescue service could also impact on Tamworth’s ability to secure the contract for the Australian Defence Force Basic Flying Training School which the city must tender for again in the next few years.

“There is a whole suite of services that we need to keep us in the running for the contract and one of those is a rescue service, which we now provide locally. Up until now having a helicopter with winch capabilities has meant we’ve been able to tick that box,” Cr Webb said.

“Taking away the service has a far greater impact on the community than the retrieval of injured people in remote locations.”

He will take the issue to Tamworth Regional Council’s meeting tomorrow night as urgent business, with all councillors he’s spoken to backing him.

“We will be making representations to Health Minister Jillian Skinner to rain the service, so that our community receives an equal level of service to those of coastal and metropolitan areas,” Cr Webb said.

“This is a service we are entitled to and we should never forget that the community have funded, and continue to fund, the service to a great degree. This is a bad decision and the consequences for an injured person could be tragic.”