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 Volunteer Coastguard Association Incorporated. 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 Coastguard New Zealand.
The Headquarters building was erected in 1981 and the IRB shed was built along side in 1985, to house the first Inflatable Rescue Boat which the Coastguard organised by fundraising. It was 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 Coastguard Rescue Vessel was purchased. The Coastguard and Surf Life Saving Club maintain a close liaison for any activities close inshore affecting life or craft at sea.
The Communications and Control Centre was built in 1991, with voluntary labour and financial assistance from Coastguard New Zealand. The Headquarters building was converted to be more suitable for use as a lecture/training room and an Administration office was 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 2013 exceeds 1000 members, many of whom are from outside of the Whakatane district and who periodically bring their boats to fish from Whakatane. In 2002, after local fundraising and support from Coastguard New Zealand, Coastguard Whakatane purchased and launched the Coastguard Rescue Vessel (CRV)'Whakatane Rescue' which was housed in a purpose built building at the south end of the boat ramp car park. In 2011 the CRV “Coastguard Whakatane” was replaced by a new vessel “Whakatane Rescue ll”. For detailed information of this vessel go to “About us” on our web site.
The purchase of the CRV “Whakatane Rescue ll” received major funding from: The Lion Foundation, Pub Charity, Southern Trust and Coastguard New Zealand.
CRV crew are on duty 24 hours per day on a pager driven standby system.
Guided tours of the building and CRV can be organised by contacting our Headquarters, phone (07) 3087110.
An elected Board of 10 members administers Coastguard Whakatane. A part time Office Administrator is employed to deal with the day to day administration of the organisation.
The major continuing activities are the operation of radio communications, the running of educational courses and the operation of the CRV'Whakatane Rescue ll'.
Three part time radio operators are employed for weekday manning of our radio communication center, while weekend and holiday manning is carried out by volunteer radio 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 channel 4417 KHZ for long distance coverage and on VHF channel 18 for the Eastern Bay of Plenty marine area. During a typical year, the Operators log some 30,000 calls.
In 2008 a major investment was made to improve our radio equipment and a new computerised system was installed based on VOIP technology. This new system established by Coastguard Whakatane made it possible to communicate with vessels from Coromandel to Hawkes Bay including Lake Taupo and the Rotorua lakes. Coastguard Whakatane developed this communications centre to cover the whole of Coastguard Eastern Region. This new technology has proved to be so successful that it is to be rolled out to cover the whole of New Zealand in the coming years.
Coastguard Whakatane has four 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 NZ Rescue Coordination Centre in Wellington, handling local communications and activities. When necessary, we also work closely with Coastguard Tauranga, Maketu, Opotiki, Whakatane Emergency Response Team and Whakatane Surf Life Saving.
Educational programmes to improve boating safety and awareness are regularly run for members and the general public and include Boat Masters, Day Skippers and Marine VHF Operator Certificate courses. We also provide intensive training on the water and in the classroom for all of our CRV crews.
The aims of Coastguard Whakatane is 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 immediate area covered by Coastguard Whakatane extends out beyond White Island and covers a large part of the Eastern Bay of Plenty which includes four sea access areas, Whakatane River entrance, Ohiwa Harbour, Tarawera river entrance at Matata and the Rangitaiki river entrance at Thornton.
Coastguard Whakatane also attend rescues in the wider Bay of Plenty marine area.
