Coastguard Whakatane History

Marine radio communications were started in Whakatane in 1950 by a private family, Herb and Joyce Brabant, from their residence on Hillcrest - a hillside suburb of Whakatane using an ex Army ZC1 set operating on frequencies of around 2Mhz as ZLRE. They operated their station for 21 years, running four skeds a day for 365 day a year, until advancing age forced them to relinquish this role in 1972.

The Whakatane Small Craft Marine Radio Association was then operated from a small shed on the end of the Wharf. A Sea Rescue Association was also established in Whakatane about this time and in 1975 this amalgamated with the Marine Radio Association to become the Whakatane Coastguard Association. The Coastguard continued using the 10' x 8' building for a time, then in 1976 moved to the site of the present headquarters overlooking the Whakatane River entrance and bar.

The change to SSB and VHF for marine communications also came into force around this time. In 1978 aerials were erected on Kohi Point, some 100 metres above the Headquarters site giving excellent coverage to the Eastern Bay of Plenty. In 1979, the Whakatane Coastguard was the first in New Zealand to run Safe Boating courses and it also helped set up the National Coastguard Federation, now The Royal Coastguard Federation Inc. and remains affiliated to the Federation.

The Headquarters building was erected in 1981 and the IRB shed was built along side in 1985, to house the first Inflatable Rescue Boat for which the Coastguard organised by fundraising and presented to the Surf Life Saving Club for use in rescues at the Heads. This IRB was given to the Ohope Surf Life Saving Club and housed there, when the new Dedicated Rescue Vessel was purchased. The Coastguard and Surf Life Saving Club maintain a close liaison for any activities close inshore affecting craft at sea.

The Communications and Control Centre was built in 1991, with voluntary labour and financial assistance from the Federation and the Headquarters building was converted to be more suitable for use as a lecture / training room and an Administration office added. You are invited to come and inspect out facilities any time the Coastguard Centre is manned.

Membership of the Whakatane Coastguard has grown over the years and in 2006 exceeds 1000 members, many of whom are from outside of the Whakatane district and bring their boats to fish from Whakatane periodically. In 2002, after local fundraising and support from the Federation, the Coastguard purchased and launched the Dedicated Rescue vessel 'Whakatane Rescue' which is presently housed in a purpose built shed at the far end of the boat ramp carpark. This is a purpose built rescue vessel; an 8.5m Niad fitted with twin 200hp 2 stoke Yamaha engines and a full compliment of electronics and rescue gear. A roster system of 4 fully trained crews take week about duty on pager driven standby system. Guided tours of the building and DRV can be organised by contacting the Headquarters.

An elected committee of 16 people administers the Coastguard. There are subcommittees dealing with Communications, Education, Training, Membership, Finance, DRV / Cutter group, Whale Island tours and House and Sponsorship. The major continuing activities are the operation of radio schedules, the running of educational courses and the operation of the Dedicated Rescue Vessel 'Whakatane Rescue'.

Three paid Operators are employed for weekday manning working alternative weeks, while weekend and holiday manning is carried out by rostered volunteer operators. The Communications Centre is open each day, 08:00 to 18:00 hours, 7 day a week, 365 day a year. Radios are operated on SSB for long distance coverage and on VHF and CB for the general Eastern Bay of Plenty area. During a typical year, the Operators log some 30,000 calls.

Outside manning hours, VHF channels 60 and 80 are monitored privately for emergency calls from the homes of certain members. The Coastguard also has a separate repeater association within its organisation, which owns and operates a boat to boat repeater, channel 60, for those members who wish to use this facility. Recently a second repeater channel, channel 80, was set up and is now used for Boat to Coastguard communications. The Coastguard has five Marine Search and Rescue Controllers who take control of any marine Search and Rescue (SAR) operations in the area. In major emergencies they work in conjunction with the local Police and the Rescue Co-ordinating Centre in Wellington, handling local communications and activities. When necessary, we also work closely with the Tauranga and Opotiki Coastguard groups.

Educational programmes to improve boating safety and awareness are regularly run for members and the general public and include Boatmasters, Day Skippers and Radio Operators courses. We also provide intensive training on the water and in the classroom for all of our DRV crews.

The aims of the Association are to promote boating safety and awareness through education and the use of proper procedures, to provide radio communications for members and to arrange and co-ordinate rescue services at sea when required. The area covered by Coastguard Whakatane extends out beyond White Island and covers a large part of the Eastern Bay of Plenty which includes three sea access areas, Whakatane River entrance, Ohiwa Harbour and the Rangitaiki river entrance at Thornton.