The remote areas of Hawke’s Bay’s Kaweka Forest Park and Mohaka River now have a direct communication link to the outside world, thanks to a local initiative which has seen the establishment of an emergency radio capability for the area.

The three-year project has seen four repeaters installed at various locations, which will support the use of radios across the entire Kaweka Forest Park and Mohaka River areas. The radios are being made available for anyone to use when venturing into these areas.

This initiative is the first of its kind in Hawke’s Bay, and one that carries significant value in an age where people are so reliant on instant and well-connected communication.

Owner and operator of Mohaka Rafting, Norm Brown, understands the importance of robust communication systems in areas with no cell phone coverage, and he’s the driving force behind the Mohaka and Kaweka Emergency Radio Trust, which was set up to fund this initiative.

“We are seeing more growth each year in the number of groups using these areas, and with that naturally comes an increase in incidents.”

He says the aim of the radio network is not to replace Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) but could provide a means of avoiding a major rescue effort, and can also be of value during a rescue effort where local operators, such as himself, may be assisting authorities in a rescue effort.

“It is very important to carry a PLB when venturing into remote areas. The addition of a radio could, for example, serve as a means of informing base of slow progress, or the need for further equipment, without having to activate the PLB.”

“I appreciate a lot of people visit areas like this purely for their remoteness, and the fact they are disconnected from everyday life.

He says carrying an emergency radio doesn’t spoil this experience, it just adds another important layer of safety by providing a robust source of communication with civilisation, should it be required.

As of this week the radios are up and running and available to rent at just $15/day, $30/weekend or $50/week.

“A lot of work has gone into establishing this capability and we are really urging groups going into these areas to make use of the radios,” says Norm.

He says the initiative wouldn’t have come to fruition without the generous support of organisations such as Pamu Farms, who provided the capital investment required to install a repeater on their land.

“Fundraising has been vital to this project,” says Norm.

“In addition to Pamu Farms, we have had support, via a give a little page, from various schools and organisaions who use the area as well.”

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