Snowy Hydro SouthCare

What Snowy Hydro SouthCare does

Snowy Hydro SouthCare (also branded as Toll SouthCare Rescue Helicopter and part of the wider Toll Ambulance Rescue Helicopter Service) operates aeromedical helicopter rescue, patient retrieval, and critical care transport across New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory under a 10-year government contract with NSW Health and ACT Health. The service is delivered through a fleet of eight purpose-built AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters across four bases in Bankstown, Wollongong, Orange, and Canberra, with 24/7/365 readiness, response times averaging under 10 minutes in daylight and under 20 minutes at night, and coverage that places more than 96% of the NSW population within a one-hour response radius. Medical crews are drawn from NSW Ambulance critical care physicians and paramedics (including SCAT-trained specialists), ACT Ambulance flight intensive care paramedics, ACT Health doctors, and the NETS neonatal and paediatric transport service.

The underlying technology platform is centred on the AW139 airframe with integrated avionics and specialist medical configuration including neonatal capabilities. Supporting the operational fleet is the ACE Training Centre at Bankstown Airport, established in 2016 in partnership with NSW Ambulance, which houses Australia's only OEM-endorsed AW139 Level D Full Flight Simulator (jointly developed by Leonardo and CAE) and a Helicopter Underwater Escape Training facility with METS30 Modular Egress Training Simulator capable of Sea State 3 environmental conditions, the most advanced in the Southern Hemisphere. The ACE Training Centre became part of Leonardo's global Authorised Training Centre network in January 2021.

The business model is a managed-services government contract under which NSW Government funds 90% and ACT Government funds 10% of agreed operating costs as part of a $151.2 million statewide Helicopter Retrieval Network investment. There is no direct consumer pricing; service access is through NSW Ambulance and ACT Ambulance dispatch. Additional revenue streams include commercial training delivered through the ACE Training Centre and a Road Retrieval Ambulance Service co-located at each base. The company operates as a division of Toll Holdings Limited under the Toll conglomerate, with no external private equity, venture capital, or public ownership disclosed.

Name

Snowy Hydro SouthCare

Legal name

Toll Holdings Limited

Website

https://tollambulancerescue.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Toll Ambulance Rescue Helicopter Service, trading in the ACT region as Snowy Hydro SouthCare, operates aeromedical helicopter rescue and critical care transport across NSW and ACT from four bases using eight AW139 helicopters under a 10-year government contract.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aeromedical Emergency Services

NAICS

Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation (481219)

akta.pro primary industry

Air Medical Transport (Helicopter/Fixed-Wing) (HLAFANAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Helicopter Medical Passenger Transport (Non-Emergency) (TLAFACAI)

Keywords

• Helicopter rescue
• Aeromedical services
• Emergency medical transport
• Search and rescue
• Critical care retrieval

Headquarters

HQ city

Majura

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Contract - NSW: NSW Government funds 90% of the agreed operating costs of the helicopter retrieval network as part of the $151.2 million statewide Helicopter Retrieval Network contract.
2. Government Contract - ACT: ACT Government funds 10% of the agreed operating costs under arrangements between NSW and ACT Governments.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Snowy Hydro SouthCare operates the Toll Ambulance Rescue Helicopter Service, providing 24/7/365 helicopter-based aeromedical rescue, patient retrieval, critical care transport, neonatal/paediatric emergency transport and search-and-rescue support across NSW and ACT. The service deploys eight purpose-built Agusta Westland 139 (AW139) helicopters from bases in Bankstown, Wollongong, Orange and Canberra, and supports the ACE Training Centre in Sydney for flight simulation and Helicopter Underwater Escape Training.

Product overview

The Toll Ambulance Rescue Helicopter Service is a unified emergency aeromedical service providing helicopter rescue, retrieval, and critical care transport across NSW and ACT. The core offering consists of eight purpose-built Agusta Westland 139 (AW139) helicopters operated by Toll, with medical crews from NSW Ambulance, ACT Ambulance, and NETS. Supporting operations include the ACE Training Centre (Leonardo Authorised Training Centre providing AW139 simulation and HUET training), NETS for neonatal and paediatric transfers, and Road Retrieval Ambulance services at each base. The SouthCare Rescue Helicopter serves the ACT and NSW South Eastern Region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SouthCare: Regional brand for the Toll rescue helicopter service operating in Canberra and ACT region, in partnership with ACT Ambulance and ACT Health.

Products and services

• Toll Ambulance Rescue Helicopter Service Emergency aeromedical helicopter rescue and retrieval service operating across NSW and ACT, performing over 2,500 patient missions annually using a fleet of eight Agusta Westland 139 (AW139) helicopters; delivered as part of the NSW Ambulance Helicopter Retrieval Network's Southern Zone under a 10-year government contract.
• SouthCare Rescue Helicopter (ACT & NSW South Eastern Region) ACT and NSW South Eastern Region rescue helicopter service operated by Toll in partnership with ACT Ambulance and ACT Health, providing expert aviation and advanced critical care medical rescue operations.
• NETS Newborn and Paediatric Emergency Transport Service State-wide NSW Health service providing expert clinical advice, emergency treatment, stabilisation and inter-hospital transport for critically ill babies and children up to 16 years of age, delivered jointly with Toll's helicopter transport capacity.
• Road Retrieval Ambulance Service Specialist ground-based patient transport capability at each aeromedical base, staffed by NSW Ambulance Critical Care Paramedics and Doctors providing the same medical skills as helicopter rescue response when air retrieval is not required.
• ACE Training Centre World-class aeromedical training facility in Sydney offering AW139 full flight simulation (Australia's only OEM-endorsed AW139 Level D Full Flight Simulator), Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET) with METS30 Modular Egress Training Simulator, virtual reality training, AW139 Type Rating and Recurrent Training packages, and classroom-based instruction for Toll and NSW Ambulance aeromedical staff.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 96% of NSW population within one hour of service
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Leonardo (formerly AgustaWestland)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021ACE Training Centre in Sydney became part of Leonardo's global network of Authorised Training Centres. Partnership offers AW139 Type Rating and Recurrent Training packages with Leonardo-approved full flight simulator and syllabus. The AW139 is the most successful helicopter programme in the last 15 years.
• ACT Ambulance ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2017ACT Ambulance provides 11 flight intensive care paramedics for the Toll SouthCare Rescue Helicopter service. The SouthCare team provides expert aviation and advanced critical care medical services to ACT and NSW Southern Eastern Region.
• ACT GovernmentcoreOthers · 1 April 2017Under arrangements between NSW and ACT Governments, ACT Government contributes 10% of the agreed operating costs for the helicopter retrieval service. The new SouthCare Rescue Helicopter operates under a 10-year contract replacing the previous Bell 412 helicopter service.
• NETS (Newborn and Paediatric Emergency Transport Service)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017NETS, part of Sydney Children's Hospitals Network and NSW Health, provides expert clinical advice, coordination, emergency treatment and inter-hospital transport for very sick babies and children. Toll partners with NETS as one of the key service providers.
• NSW GovernmentcoreOthers · 1 January 2017NSW Government awarded Toll a 10-year contract as part of the $151.2 million statewide Helicopter Retrieval Network. NSW pays 90% of agreed operating costs. The state has been divided into Northern and Southern Zones, with Toll operating the Southern Zone.
• ACE Training CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2016Owned and operated by Toll, established in 2016 in partnership with NSW Ambulance. Home to Australia\'s only OEM-endorsed AW139 Full Flight Simulator, HUET facility, and world-class training centre. Provides training for all Toll and NSW Ambulance aeromedical staff.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CareFlight: CareFlight is an Australian aeromedical charity operating helicopter and fixed-wing rescue, retrieval, and patient-transport missions. It is a direct analogue to SouthCare's government-linked emergency retrieval model and serves overlapping clinical and regional use cases.
• LifeFlight Australia: LifeFlight Australia operates helicopter rescue and aeromedical retrieval services across Australian states, including emergency and inter-hospital missions. It is a direct peer in aircraft-based critical-care transport and public health-system partnerships.
• Royal Flying Doctor Service: The Royal Flying Doctor Service provides air medical transport and remote primary and emergency care across Australia using aircraft. It is a direct peer in aviation-enabled access to remote communities, although its care and funding model is broader than SouthCare's.
• Air Methods: Air Methods is a U.S. air-medical transport operator providing helicopter and fixed-wing emergency medical services to hospitals and health systems. Its contract-based, clinically crewed model closely matches SouthCare's aeromedical operations.
• PHI Air Medical: PHI Air Medical operates helicopter air-ambulance services with medical crews and hospital and health-system customers. It is a direct peer in mission-critical air-medical transport, crew integration, and contracted healthcare operations.
• REACH Air Medical Services: REACH provides helicopter and fixed-wing air-ambulance services across U.S. communities, partnering with hospitals and emergency systems. It is a direct peer by service, customer, and aircraft-based care model.
• ADAC Luftrettung: ADAC Luftrettung is a German helicopter emergency medical service that pairs aircraft with physicians and paramedics for rapid prehospital care. It is a direct peer in helicopter-based emergency response and clinical aviation.
• DRF Luftrettung: DRF Luftrettung operates helicopter emergency rescue and intensive-care transport in Europe, often in partnership with hospitals and public authorities. It is a direct peer in high-acuity, crewed aeromedical missions.
• AirMed International: AirMed International provides international fixed-wing air-ambulance and medical-evacuation services with clinical crews. It is a direct peer in medically equipped aircraft transport, but differs from SouthCare by emphasizing international fixed-wing missions rather than regional helicopter rescue.

Broad incumbents

• Global Medical Response: Global Medical Response is a broad medical-transport operator whose network includes air-ambulance and emergency medical services. It is a broad incumbent and relevant comparator for SouthCare's contracted, clinically integrated aviation model, though it is substantially larger and more diversified.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/tollambulance
• Facebookfacebook.com/tollambulancerescue
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/toll-ambulance-rescue

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Snowy Hydro SouthCare