Community
29 January, 2025
Mining company donates defibrillator to Gregory
The installation of an AED will improve community safety in the tiny Gulf township.
The Gregory community is better equipped to respond to sudden cardiac arrests and other critical medical situations following the installation of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in the town centre.
The initiative was spearheaded by Anglo American, which has base metal exploration under way in the Burke Shire.
Anglo American discovery manager Ira Friedman said the British mining giant decided to work with the council to provide the medical installation because Gregory had no ambulance.
The AED has been installed outside the entrance to the Gregory public bathroom.
“Every second counts when someone has a heart attack, so the installation of this AED is a vital step in safeguarding the health and wellbeing of this community,” Mr Friedman said.
“Gregory has no ambulance and relies on the Royal Flying Doctor Service to provide medical assistance from Mount Isa, which is about 90 minutes away by air.
“Having access to lifesaving equipment like an AED can make all the difference in a critical medical situation.
“Gregory is a small community, but the population can double during the winter months when the grey nomads come through town so it’s important to have access to an AED until emergency assistance arrives.”
Anglo American’s Planet Downs Project, which covers more than 6000km2, included airborne surveying in 2024 but will this year progress to seismic surveying and drilling in search of base metals, primarily copper.
Anglo American has five steelmaking coal mines in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, along with additional joint venture interests in steelmaking coal and manganese, and base metals exploration projects in Queensland.
Burke Shire Council deputy mayor John Clarke said improving health outcomes was important no matter where people lived and thanked Anglo American for its contribution.
“This AED gives us peace of mind knowing we’re better prepared to respond to a medical emergency,” he said.
“It’s a small addition but it could save a life – and that means everything to a tight-knit community like ours.”
An AED is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart when it detects an abnormal rhythm and changes the rhythm back to normal.