Smaller slices of funding pie

Paramedic Mark Going

Four emergency service groups have been served a slice of Northland Regional Council's newly-baked funding pie but the portions are smaller than hoped for.

The region's medical and rescue helicopter service administered by Northland Emergency Services Trust (Nest) gets the biggest slice of the new $900,000 contestable Emergency Services Fund, at $525,000 annually for three years - $75,000 less than Nest got last year under the old funding regime.

The annual fund will cost ratepayers roughly $12 per household a year.

Successful were Nest, for operations ($525,000); Surf Life Saving Northern Region, for professional guards ($120,000); St John Northern Region, toward ambulance replacements ($90,000); Coastguard Northern Region, for operating and training costs ($84,000). Two search and rescue organisations did not make the final cut, and six other groups didn't get past the first of the two-stage assessment for the new allocations which replace funding dished out variously by Northland's four councils.

The applicants collectively sought $4,811,420 over the three years, or roughly twice the available fund, NRC chairman Bill Shepherd said. In the end, including a 9 per cent deduction to cover any rates not collected, the amount the four groups share over three years will be $2.457 million.

The fund itself is a good one - it's Northlanders helping Northlanders

Mark Going - St John

The funding re-jig was in response to NRC and community concerns that several life saving groups deserved more consistent, region-wide support than the ad hoc, individual council allocations of the past.

Earlier this year, Nest chairman Paul Ahlers voiced concerns that any reduction in funding would put the service at risk.

At that point the NRC's $600,000 contribution, topped up by community fundraising and donations, covered the shortfall left after central government's funding.

Yesterday Mr Ahlers said Nest was happy. "We appreciate the fact the council had a difficult job and we're pleased they were able to include the other three organisations in the carve-up of funding," Mr Ahlers said.

St John Northland acting district operations manager Mark Going said the three-year promise meant St John could go ahead with replacing old ambulances.

The $90,000 a year amounted to about half the cost of three replacements over the funding period, Mr Going said. The balance will be met by fundraising, donations and bequests.

"This is a good contribution and the fund itself is a good one - it's Northlanders helping Northlanders."

Mr Shepherd said the increase in funding represents a 2.3 per cent overall rates increase, but would give vital services budget certainty for three years, he said.

"This is a significant increase which was not made lightly in these challenging economic times," Mr Shepherd said.