Three new or upgraded rescue helicopter landing pads at Te Araroa, Ruatōria and Te Puia Springs (pictured) were officially opened and blessed on Friday.
Three new or upgraded rescue helicopter landing pads at Te Araroa, Ruatōria and Te Puia Springs (pictured) were officially opened and blessed on Friday.
A Government-funded project to help shore up health equity and community resilience on the East Coast culminated on Friday with blessing and dedication ceremonies at three new or upgraded rescue helicopter landing sites.
The official opening of three strategically positioned chopper pads at Te Puia Springs, Te Araroa and Ruatōriamarked a significant enhancement to critical infrastructure serving East Cape communities, according to Ian Parker, chair of Eastland Helicopter Rescue Trust.
One is at Whakarua Park in Ruatōria, the second by the Matakaoa Health Centre in Te Araroa and the third at Te Puia Springs Hospital.
At the Ruatōria ceremony, the late Denis Hartley’s widow, Jaqueline, and son Wayne unveiled a plaque in honour of the founder of Eastland Helicopter Rescue Trust.
“The facilities directly address the unique geographical challenges faced by remote East Coast communities in accessing life-saving emergency medical services,” Parker said.
“They also improve comfort for patients being uplifted from East Coast locations after an accident or medical event and offer better access for the region’s rescue helicopter.”
Ngāti Porou Oranga cultural adviser Ned Wharehinga and EHRT founding member Syd Clarke during the Te Puia ceremony.
The facility developments were made possible through post-Cyclone Gabrielle resilience and recovery funding from Health New Zealand.
“The Government’s generous contribution has enabled not just these three helipads, but an enhancement of our emergency response capabilities across the East Cape region,” said Paul Baxter, chief executive of Search & Rescue Services, the emergency air ambulance helicopter service provider for central New Zealand.
“This includes facility upgrades to the Eastland Helicopter Rescue Trust base in Gisborne, where our Tairāwhiti crew are based, and increased and resilient fuel access facilities across the rōhe.”
The project had been more than 12 months in the making.
The Trust Tairāwhiti supported Eastland Rescue Helicopter first used the upgraded helipad at Te Puia Hospital in May last year and the second at Matakaoa Community Health Centre in Te Araora three months later.
The final site at Whakarua Park in Ruatōria has been operational since July.
Also at Ruatōria were Cushla Tangaere-Manuel (Ikaroa-Rawhiti MP), Sonya Smith (former director of health, Ngati Porou Oranga), community Stalwart Bill Hughes and Jon Gaupset (Te Whatu Ora Team Lead for Air Ambulance).
Na Raihania, chair of Ngāti Porou Oranga, said the project honours the deep partnership between the Crown, iwi, and community-led response.
The gathering at the Te Araroa chopper pad ceremony included students from Te Waha o Rerekohu Area School.
“These helicopter pads are not just concrete and steel – they are lifelines for our whānau.
“We acknowledge the generous contribution of the Crown, as well as the leadership of our hapū and community volunteers,” Raihania said.
“This collaboration reflects our region’s readiness to innovate and share responsibility for the health and wellbeing and resilience of all whānau.”
