Emergency service providers in Northland are breathing a sigh of relief after councillors decided not to pursue plans to cut their funding. Northland Regional Council (NRC) had proposed dropping its emergency service rate that provides vital funds for the Northland Emergency Services Trust (NEST) helicopter rescue, Surf Life Saving NZ, Hato Hone St John, Coastguard, and several search and rescue services ( ). Service providers said cutting the rate would mean them running into the red at best and, at worst, lives being lost, and they urged opponents to contact NRC.
Almost 2300 people did just that, making it clear they wanted the rate support to continue, as well as a similar rate supporting regional sport. Council chair Geoff Crawford said the cost to individual ratepayers would be about $27.65 a year.
Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Surf Club chair Jess Costello said she was “absolutely stoked” that the funding was back. “There was a serious risk to beach and water safety, not only of beachgoers, but the lifeguards, too. The amount of extra volunteer hours and callouts that lifeguards would have had to respond to would have been huge,” she said.
Costello said she was also relieved to hear that the peak season Paid Lifeguard Service would be back, as was Waipu Cove SLSC captain Kath Manning, who said she couldn’t comprehend what summer would look like without them..
