Rescue helicopter's $500,000 funding cut to go ahead

A drop in funding of nearly $500,000 to the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust is set to go ahead, a grant allocation board says.

Vern Walsh, chairman of the Auckland Regional Amenities Board, confirmed this afternoon the proposal to cut the trust's grant from $900,000 to $450,00 over the next financial year had been approved by the board.

The trust's grant had already been reduced from $1.2 million to $900,000 last year - and it was staunchly opposing further reductions.

"We make a recommendation which we've done today, that then goes off to Auckland Council and then the Auckland Council can either accept or not accept that recommendation,'' Mr Walsh said.