Radio group faces mounting costs

HIGH COSTS: The Channel 3 repeater station atop Mt Percy at Mataikona. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Dwindling membership in a marine radio group is threatening the upkeep of Wairarapa repeater stations vital to search and rescue in the region.

Rick Graham, Cape Palliser Marine Radio Association secretary, said two Wairarapa repeater stations due for maintenance were accessible only by helicopter, for which the association paid.

The group has about 190 members having lost about 50 in the past year. The decline meant repeater repair costs were spiralling out of reach.

"Basically, anybody who has a boat in Wairarapa - recreational and commercial - uses those coastal channels and needs to pay an association subscription of $30 a year.

"We're always looking for new members but we need to get our numbers back up another 50 or more at least," he said.

"The repeaters are used by police in marine search and rescue incidents and they're available to Wairarapa Civil Defence in emergencies.

"Wellington Harbour Radio uses channel 4 for shipping coming down the coast to Wellington and the four local fishing clubs use the channels for their competition days.

"There is no cellphone coverage in many parts of the coast, so the radio channels are really important for commercial and recreational fishermen."

Mr Graham said a crew had just completed the latest round of repairs to the Mt Percy repeater at Mataikona.

"The channel 3 repeater is only accessible by helicopter. This last maintenance trip was to install new larger solar panels to charge the battery.".

Mr Graham said the association was founded 22 years ago to own and operate marine radio channel 4 at Cape Palliser. The group later took responsibility for channel 3 covering northern Wairarapa.

"There was no marine radio coverage then for the entire Wairarapa coast and it was the original initiative of the commercial fishermen at Ngawi. Recreational fishermen got on board early with fundraising and installation of the repeater at Cape Palliser."

The association later acquired channel 61 at Mt Rewa to improve coverage in the middle of the coast, especially around the areas of Riversdale, Flat Point and Pahoa.

Channel 27 also was added to Cape Palliser as a second channel for that area.

"Those repeaters are 20 years old now and there's some heavy maintenance coming up," Mr Graham said. "We're looking to replace a mast soon and that's going to cost.

"But boat-owners who use those channels don't seem to understand we all have to pitch in to pay for it."

Mr Graham said the association AGM would be held today from 7pm at the South Wairarapa Workingmen's Club in Greytown.