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The new Westpac Rescue Helicopter paid a visit to Batemans Bay and Broulee on Saturday, and it left lifesavers and rugby fans in awe.

“There was a sense of awe and inspiration amongst the volunteer members,” Far South Coast Branch Surf Life Saving Assistant Director Andrew Edmunds said.

“It’s something we’ve never seen before on the Far South Coast, and it’s going to help us so much.”

The helicopter will be based at Moruya and will patrol the coast from the Shoalhaven to the Victorian border, assisting in medical evacuations and rescues on remote beaches.

The helicopter will begin its patrol duties on December 1 and, at this stage, will be based at Moruya for the next three summers.

The helicopter is a Kawasaki BK117 twin-engined machine with a three-person crew.

Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service general manager Stephen Leahy said that Moruya was an ideal place to base the helicopter.

“We looked at a number of locations because we wanted to extend our range, keeping in mind that we have helicopters in Wollongong and Canberra,” he said.

"This location will allow us to cover the area between Shoalhaven Heads and the Victorian border.”

Westpac Batemans Bay branch manager Lorna Chalmers said that the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service was looking for a Eurobodalla-based crew for the helicopter.

“They are currently going through the medical and physical parts of the applications, and they will be looking for a house to rent for the crew,” she said.

The news comes as a boost to Eurobodalla surf life saving clubs, who are still reeling from the Eurobodalla Shire Council’s decision to withdraw funding for paid lifesavers.

“It is all positive, especially in view of what the shire is planning to do,” Moruya Surf Life Saving Club publicity officer Mike Hallahan said.