Waikato District, Hamilton City and Waipa District councils are calling on Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) to urgently reengage with local brigades in Huntly and Ngaaruawaahia and reconsider the decision to stand down powered watercraft and swift water rescue capability on the Waikato River.
The attached joint letter from the three mayors sets out the councils’ concerns that this decision has been made without a workable alternative in place and without genuine collaboration with the two brigades that have operated safely and effectively for many years.
Mayor Aksel said the position taken by FENZ leaves communities exposed at the very time when risk is highest.
“Summer is here and school is out. A preventable drowning whilst local brigades are ordered by FENZ to stand down is a very real possibility. We are being clear that this risk now sits with FENZ, not with our local volunteers who have the training, the equipment and a proven track record of safe rescues.”
The councils remain concerned that FENZ has not provided clarity on who will respond to time-critical water emergencies on the river. Local knowledge is that Police are equipped for recovery rather than rapid rescue, and that other appropriate services like Coastguard, Surf Lifesaving and the Harbourmaster do not have the ability or jurisdiction to respond in this context.
Mayor Aksel said councils are advocating on behalf of their residents and in defence of their volunteer brigades, whose capabilities are well-established and community funded.
“Our communities have invested heavily in keeping people safe on the awa, including raising more than forty thousand dollars for rescue equipment. It is not acceptable for FENZ to withdraw capability without an alternative that can meet local conditions and response times.”
The councils are asking FENZ to return to the table, work with local brigades and iwi, and commit to a flexible national framework that allows safe, compliant and timely water rescue on the Waikato River. They are also calling for an interim arrangement that lets Huntly and Ngaaruawaahia brigades respond under agreed safety parameters while longer-term solutions are developed.
“We are ready to work with FENZ. Our expectation is simple: local risks require local capability. We need FENZ to reconsider its position before lives are put at risk unnecessarily,” concludes Mayor Aksel.
