The Wairarapa Rescue Trust

The Trust was formed in 1990 and initiated by the local branch of the NZ Contractors Federation after personal experience of some of the difficulties facing back country rescue services.

Agricultural work, roading, logging and fishing industries and other rural activities carry relatively high risks of accident and injury. In many cases work sites are not only remote from medical and rescue centres but frequently on site with difficult access and even communications problems.

Similar access problems abound in the Wairarapa’s major outdoor recreation area – the eastern coastline and the western mountains, and their popularity leads to a relatively high rate of search & rescue operations.

Assistance and rescue help has always been given willingly by the Ambulance Service, the Police, Search & Rescue organisations and local helicopter operators. While there is much generous voluntary effort there is always a financial cost which cannot be met from ACC funds or reduced DHB or Police allocations. The rescue Trust has been set up to help with these costs and its aims are simple. To provide financial assistance for :-

( a ) Aircraft hire costs for emergency search, rescue and ambulance services where such costs cannot be recovered elsewhere.

( b ) The provision of air search, rescue and ambulance equipment to serve particularly persons within a radius of 100 km of Masterton.

However, over the years since the Trust was formed, there have been significant changes for the better covering the above two clauses.

Ambulance, Police and Rescue Helicopters services are now more co-ordinated and more available to respond to emergency events as they arise.

Over many years, the Trust has funded the purchase of a variety of essential equipment for our local Search & Rescue volunteers, our local helicopter service, and the Riversdale Beach Surf Life Saving Club. These equipment purchases were made possible by financial assistance from Trust House.

The Wairarapa Rescue Trust will continue to support the above organisations now and well into the future as the need arises. The local community has benefited from Trust House’s ongoing financial support, ensuring that our local Helicopter service and Wairarapa Search & Rescue volunteers have the best of equipment available for use during SAR operations both Land and Marine.