Whangārei residents dismayed Northland Rescue Helicopter base to stay in Kensington

Northland's emergency rescue helicopter base will stay in Kensington - for now. Photo / Tania Whyte

A former councillor has told Whangārei District Council that Kensington residents have had enough of the rescue helicopter nightmare in their suburb.

On Wednesday Cherry Hermon said the community was disappointed to discover the rescue helicopter would stay put on Western Hills Drive after its 10-year lease expired on July 31.

Hermon said she and her husband Joe had lived near the helicopter base for 35 years, the number of helicopters and daily flights increasing hugely during that time.

“It’s become a nightmare,” Hermon said.

Kensington resident and former WDC councillor Cherry Hermon at the emergency helicopter base lease extension meeting. Photo / Michael Cunningham

She was among a small number of attendees at the first of three Whangārei District Council (WDC) drop-in sessions in Kensington stadium over the next three weeks, held in the wake of the council extending the lease for Northland Emergency Services Trust (NEST) so it can continue from where it is for up to another three years.

“The Kensington community has been very quiet because it assumed the shift was happening,” Hermon told WDC district development manager Tony Collins at the meeting.

“I hope you do know that it’s completely inappropriate here in 2023.”

She said the community had put up with the helicopter base, knowing it was an essential emergency service and health contributor, and that it was going to be leaving this year.

Collins said the lease was being continued, probably on an annual basis.

He said if the objecting Onerahi residents’ case in the High Court against WDC and NEST was successful, it would be up to NEST to decide what to do next.

Onerahi airport helicopter shift opponents have filed judicial review proceedings against the two organisations. The hearing is set for August.

Collins said if the council successfully defended its High Court case and all went according to plan, NEST would then need about another year to build a hangar at the airport and shift.

“We expect wherever the helicopter goes in the community there will be a level of resistance from the community,” Collins said.

The second WDC Kensington stadium drop-in session is on May 4 from 1.30pm to about 3.30pm, and the third is on May 9 from noon to about 2pm. Both will be in an upstairs meeting room alongside Replete cafe.

NEST was not at Wednesday’s first community meeting.

Collins said he would ask for the trust’s attendance at the next two meetings.

WDC district development manager Tony Collins speaks at Wednesday's meeting. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Hermon asked why WDC hadn’t refused to renew the Kensington lease.

“If you cancel the lease, would that mean they would be operating out of Auckland,” Hermon asked.

Deputy Mayor and Council airport noise management committee chair Phil Halse attended the meeting.

He was also on the Kensington Management Plan committee which drew up how the sports park would be used.

Halse said the emergency rescue helicopter operation was allowed under that plan.

However, resident Joe Hermon said that allowance had been for when there was only a single helicopter operating out of the base with one flight a day or less.

Halse said it had to be remembered that the population had increased by 35,000 people over that time.

Halse said the helicopter base and where it was located was a sensitive issue.

Cherry Hermon said NEST should be getting itself organised for an alternative site, should Onerahi fail as a shift option.

Onerahi resident John Nicole said NEST needed a Whangārei base, with a second in Kaitāia.

The need for the latter had been clearly demonstrated during the Enchanter boat tragedy in the Far North where lives were lost.

Nicole said that helicopter rescue had been held up due to the “ridiculous” situation of there being no helicopter fuel base close at hand in the Far North.

Cr Marie Olsen said NEST would have to spend “tens of millions” to build a new helicopter base.

This figure was much reduced for Onerahi airport where much of the necessary infrastructure was in place.

Olsen asked what would happen if the Onerahi base did not come to pass.

NEST would have to move out of Whangārei to Auckland.

“We’d be absolutely jiggered,” Olsen said.

■ Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air