Airport a solution

I am writing to put yet another perspective on the NEST helicopter base and another point of view. The rescue service has been successfully operated from the Kensington Base for 32 years and the work load has grown to be four or five times that of the first year of operation. The St John road ambulance service has grown too, probably not far from the same percentage as the helicopter.

So, I see two scenarios, firstly, people move close to the “base” knowing that both services are 24-hour, and then there are protests over noise and regular lifesaving missions. Amazing!!!

The second is that NEST is outgrowing the current base and will need to look after the service, both maintenance and operationally, purely on the need for a bigger facility to remain safe and able to respond in an acceptable time frame. Three hangars and an engineering bay at the very least.

Then we have a problem of response times to the Base Hospital and the satellite hospitals dotted around Northland.

If the “move” for the base is far away then cost of operation is a factor. Who pays for the extra time the helicopter must then fly, there is no free lunch on this issue.

If we look for a solution then the Whanga¯ rei airport is the obvious answer, it is designated just that, an airport, it has room for a modern facility to be built and has a purpose-built flight path in all directions. The second crew would be able to respond in an acceptable time for any tasking that was needed.

The cherry on the cake for the Onerahi, Pataua Whanga¯ rei Heads population would be a probable St John Ambulance substation which could be built in as well, giving an emergency response time at least 20 minutes quicker than now.

The positives, fuel is already available at the airport 24/7.

The area near Onerahi is in the growth area for the city, ambulance could be a fixture there.

No night engine maintenance needed with a full fleet.

Close to Base Hospital as the crow flies, no increased time being charged unnecessarily.

No rehousing the pilots or crews. And so on and so on. Northland can do it, build something to proud of for the 30 to 50 years.

John Bain Whanga¯rei