THE helipad at Portland hospital, built after a long fundraising campaign, is closed after falling foul of government regulations.

Emergency flights to and from the helipad have been suspended since early December, with Portland airport being used instead.

It followed a review of the helipad that found improvements were required in line with Civil Aviation Safety Authority regulations.

A PDH source said it was part of a national CASA review, with the issue not being specific to Portland.

Ambulance Victoria said that to ensure the safety of patients, staff and the broader community it stopped air ambulance flights using the helipad.

The airport was currently being used as the alternative as Ambulance Victoria and Portland District Health worked out what to do in future.

Ambulance Victoria acting air operations manager Rupert Freeman said it was “committed to providing the highest level of medical care and transport for all Victorians”.

 “We have multiple contingency options for all landing sites that we attend for situations where an aircraft cannot land,” he said.

PDH chief executive Sam Sharp said there were an average of two flights a week.

“PDH is continuing to work with Ambulance Victoria and Glenelg Shire Council about future options,” she said.

There has been community speculation that the decision was sparked following a specific traffic incident but Ms Sharp said the review was not connected to any vehicle failing to follow traffic signals.

The helipad was opened in 2014 after many years of community campaigning and fundraising.

In conjunction with the Blue Ribbon Foundation, it was dedicated as a permanent police memorial in memory of Senior Constable Mark Bateman who died with his partner Senior Constable Fiona Robinson in 2000 when their divisional van was involved in a crash in Northcote in Melbourne.