The Hunter Westpac rescue helicopter service has signed off on a 10-year contract to run the medical retrieval service across northern NSW from 2017.

An amalgamation of the service’s Hunter and New England operations with the Lismore-based Westpac Lifesaver service will see new $16 million helicopters based in Newcastle, Tamworth and Lismore as well as a fourth machine used for back-up and training.

Hunter Westpac rescue helicopter general manager Richard Jones also announced on Friday a proposal to move the Hunter’s operations to the former Belmont airport at Pelican, with the administration and engineering remaining at the current Broadmeadow site.

The move to Pelican, which would allow even quicker response times, is still to be rubber-stamped and development proposals passed.

With the service now in its 40th year after beginning as a part-time voluntary summer beach patrol in 1975, management will now ready themselves for a $30million annual budget with more than $60 million worth of helicopters and more than 60 staff.

But Mr Jones said although the bigger operation was being funded by the state government and the service would remain as a community organisation for the community.

‘‘We are not saying fundraising needs to be increased, we are not sticking our hand out for the community to pay anymore - we just need them to continue supporting us like the way they have been for nearly 40 years,’’ Mr Jones said.

The tender process took more than three years and followed the government’s need to streamline the medical helicopter service’s into two regions.

Health Minister Jillian Skinner said the model would see better response times with a doctor would be on every patient retrieval flight.

‘‘Our aeromedical helicopters are more than just transportation aircraft - they are mobile emergency departments in the sky, providing high-level, quality care to very sick patients,’’ Mrs Skinner said.

‘‘This new helicopter retrieval network will deliver a world class modern, flexible and effective helicopter fleet to deliver the best care for babies, children and adults and it will give more local paramedics and doctors the ability to get to patients faster than every before.’’

The service’s chairman, Cliff Marsh, said the signing of the contract was a credit to staff.

‘‘As a community-based organisation, this is a wonderful win for the community,’’ Mr Marsh said.