Airport fire safety rescue building to house LandSAR
A new rescue and fire safety (RFS) building at Whangārei Airport is shaping up to be a big win for our District’s Land Search and Rescue volunteers (LandSAR), thanks to quick thinking by members of the community.
When the number of flights by commuter planes increased at the airport, it triggered a Civil Aviation Authority requirement to increase fire rescue services.
Around the same time, Council staff heard about the plight of the LandSAR volunteer group, which carries out search and rescue operations about 13 times a year.
Because of Northland’s terrain and communication dead zones, rescuers drive to locations when needed and use a mobile base, which includes a caravan, trailer and ute. They also have quite a lot of search and rescue equipment (cliff-rescue ropes etc.), which they need to store, and facilities for training. Without a permanent base, they have been shifting through a series of empty buildings across our District over the years.
Following discussions, the decision was made to provide space for them to store their equipment at the new RFS building, and to use the building’s facilities for training and to hold meetings.
We applied for $150,000 to expand the building and include space for the LandSAR base, from the 'Better Off' funding associated with Three Waters reforms. The balance of funding is from central government through the Ministry of Transport.
The new operational building and hangar will accommodate two fire trucks, airport administration offices and the LandSAR equipment, including their vehicle and mobile command unit (caravan).
The build will be completed by Hill Construction by May 2025. Follow our project page to track its progress:
Rescue Fire Service Operational Building
Riddle Alert! Who’s Up for Some Brain-Busting Fun?
4-letter word, always done tomorrow,
We’re out of tea, the ultimate sorrow!
Without the eye, you owe me some money,
No sugar no nectar no sweetness no honey,
4-letter word, if by chance you choose,
You can never win, you can only lose!
What is the 4-letter word?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
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Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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82.4% Yes
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14.9% No
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2.7% Other - I'll share below
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️