Removing Taupo's rescue helicopter service is not an option, and the Government must weigh-in on the issue to make things right, says the Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board.
The board is calling for action after learning that a request for proposal from the National Ambulance Sector Office does not include a rescue helicopter base in Taupo. Rotorua is also not included.
Echoing concerns shared by the Taupo District mayor earlier this week, board chief executive Topia Rameka said removing the Taupo base would dramatically affect the risk to people who needed the service.
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"This is a major concern for us... We understand that under the new system Taupo would still be serviced by other areas, but they are a further hour away – which could be the difference between life and death for the hundreds of rescues made in our rohe [region] every year."