Northland Regional Council says funding vital emergency services is "not a regional council function" and it's time for central government to dig into its pocket.
The council is consulting on a proposal to stop its funding of emergency services as part of its Long Term Plan 2024-2034, which would divert the money to soften general rates increases.
"Council rates are essentially being used as a collection mechanism to fund emergency services which, in turn, is putting pressure on our capacity to fund core council services," said Northland Regional Council's deputy chair Tui Shortland.
She said providing funding to support emergency services is not a regional council function and the council's proposal to stop annual funding contributions to emergency services would free up $1.1 million a year to deliver core work while keeping rates down.
The council argues central government should be filling the funding gap for critical emergency services such as Northland's rescue choppers rather than the region's ratepayers.
"We have already heard from the Northland Emergency Services Trust during this consultation period that the provision of helicopter services enables specialist medical services to be concentrated in central locations, saving the government millions in costs annually.
"This further supports council's view that the government should be wholly funding helicopter rescue services".
She said the council supported the Northland Emergency Services Trust and other emergency services to advocate to government for a more sustainable long term funding model that provided better certainty for these services.
Regional council plan to scrap a $11 per household levy to pay for rescue helicopter and other essential services. (Source: Breakfast)
Public urged to speak up
Earlier this week, Northland Rescue Helicopters chief executive Ian McPherson urged the public to give feedback on the plan to scrap funding the life-saving resources.
"I think this is just a sign of pressure coming on, but we think there's still time for people to vote and put their hand up to say, we're happy with this fund," he told Breakfast.
Shortland said the council "100% agrees that the services are critical".
"For us, the real question is why things like critical health services are having to be topped up by council rates? Why aren’t these critical lifesaving services being funded properly by the government in the first place?"
"This is putting very real pressure on council's ability to raise rates to deliver on its core roles and functions — such as flood management, biosecurity, climate resilience, water and catchment management."
Shortland said councils were being asked to deliver more while ratepayers were reaching their limit on what they could afford to pay.
McPherson said the community was "strongly supportive" of Northland Rescue Helicopters and happy to pay.
"People don't mind contributing to the cost of this organisation. It's only $11 per household for the year so it's not a great deal of money," he said.
Feedback on the council's proposed Long Term Plan has a submission deadline of April 19 and could be emailed via submissions@nrc.govt.nz or visit www.nrc.govt.nz/futureplan
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