10 years; nsw health will structure helicopter contracts around two regions within nsw so that each region has one operator, including options for consortia arrangements. in december 2014, it was announced that the partnership of the northern region slsa and the hunter region slsa had been successful in the nsw aeromedical retrieval network tender. as a result, the service will re-equip with agustawestland aw139 helicopters from early 2017 to be operated from bases the existing base in tamworth as well as upgraded bases in lismore and newcastle the first of four agustawestland aw139 arrived at the newcastle westpac rescue base on 10 june 2016.