No Application for Amenities Board Funding for 2015/16

The Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust says it has accepted the advice of Auckland Len Mayor Len Brown and followed his recommendation not to make an application for funding to the Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Board for 2015/16.

Instead, the helicopter trust has accepted an offer from the mayor to work with him, his staff and officials, and Auckland councillors for direct capital funding from the council for 2015/16.

Special arrangements need to be made for 2015/16 because the mayor has advised it will not be possible to complete the essential reform of Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Act 2008 in time for the 2015/16 financial year.

For the 2014/15 year, the rescue helicopter service received a total of $1.35 million from ratepayers and the same amount is needed for a sustainable organisation in 2015/16.

“We are taking the mayor at his word and will work with him and his colleagues in good faith to achieve a sensible funding outcome for the rescue helicopter service in 2015/16 without the public dispute that occurred for the 2014/15 financial year,” Murray Bolton, chairman of the helicopter trust, said today.

“Already, there has been one meeting with the mayor, the funding board and all ten amenities to launch the process to reform the Act. We have commissioned economists Covec to study various new options for funding regional amenities and have made all that information available to the mayor and his office and officials.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the mayor to resolve both the short-term and long-term issues.”

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