Old communications systems have been hampering rescuers in emergencies, but getting this fixed requires more police resources.<\/p>\n
Police, the Rescue Coordination Centre and other search-and-rescue (SAR) agencies have trying to launch a telecommunications review to repair “longstanding” gaps and keep up with evolving technology.<\/p>\n
Volunteers who have helped track vessels in trouble for national agencies for years were now retiring, said the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC).<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, satellite-linked comms and other advances were adding to the channels which people in distress might use.<\/p>\n
“There is increasing pressure on national organisations,” said Coastguard NZ.<\/p>\n
“New Zealand’s coastline and terrain can create coverage challenges, and local operators have historically played an important role in helping bridge communication gaps in some areas,” but it said that was changing.<\/p>\n
Police said some of the technology was old, and not as good for quality or coverage as newer tech.<\/p>\n
“Police understands that these limitations are more significant in the maritime environment,” they told RNZ.<\/p>\n
‘Long-standing gaps’<\/p>\n
The problems date back some time, according to a report last year released under the Official Information Act.<\/p>\n
It said these “legacy issues” were “increasingly impacting the coordinating agencies”.<\/p>\n
Those agencies were primarily police and the RCC that comes under Maritime NZ.<\/p>\n
“Maritime NZ and Coastguard are keen to address long-standing telecommunication gaps, with NZ Police having no capacity to contribute to the review at present,” the report said.<\/p>\n
Old systems relied on phone, satellite and radio-based distress alerting, and those still supported most search-and-rescues.<\/p>\n
But RCC general manager Justin Allan said they were seeing an increasing range of technologies that allow people to call for help, including<\/p>\n
internet-enabled devices, Starlink, secure messaging platforms and satellite-linked mobile phones.<\/p>\n
Mariners sometimes used local channels not visible to the Maritime Operations Centre, or devices not well integrated into the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System.<\/p>\n
New Zealand’s mountains, coasts and dense bush also complicated communications, a “common challenge” in countries with complex topography.<\/p>\n
Coastguard NZ added that local radio operators had historically bridged communications gaps in some areas, but now there was “increasing pressure” for the national agencies to step in.<\/p>\n
Coastguard NZ and Maritime NZ upgraded their radios last year in a significant step, but they had to do more, said Allan.<\/p>\n