Communication gets a boost with the donation of radio equipment!

The Brook Waimarama Sanctuary is a safer place to be, thanks to local company Nelspecs, the Rotary Club of Nelson and a bunch of hard- working volunteers. 

A search and rescue exercise last year revealed that our old radio communication system was no match for the area’s deep valleys with some spots being out-of range, which made running a search and rescue exercise particularly awkward.

As a result, the sanctuary approached Nelspecs to investigate the possibility of installing a repeater in the area to boost radio coverage. Fortunately for the sanctuary, Nelspecs was about to install a state-of- the-art digital two-way radio repeater at another location.
The company decided that if the repeater could be placed in a suitable location in the sanctuary then we could have free use of the repeater. We then applied to the Rotary Club of Nelson for funding for radios with which to make the most of Nelspecs’ offer.
The club, which built the visitor centre’s deck, came up with $6600 to buy four handheld radios, a base radio and a laptop computer loaded with GPS software that makes it possible to track radios within the sanctuary.
A huge thank you to the ten volunteers who spent a Saturday installing the solar powered, camouflage painted repeater worth about $20,000 on a ridge overlooking the valley to ensure adequate coverage. Rotary Club of Nelson president Gary Chalmers said the club was happy to help.
‘‘We enjoy the hands-on aspect of the Brook but we realise it’s a project that also needs capital,’’ he said. The new radio system not only makes the sanctuary safer for visitors but also for our volunteers. We are planning a Search and Rescue exercise later in the year to test the new technology, please let us know if you would like to be involved.