One of the country's best-known actors is gutted the rescue helicopter that saved his life will no longer be operating.
Boy star James Rolleston needed the help of the Rotorua air ambulance after a horrific car crash two years ago.
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He suffered critical injuries in an accident. The Tauranga helicopter wasn't available and Mr Rolleston was saved by the Rotorua service.
"The rescue helicopters they got there on time, I didn't have a lot of time left and they got there," he says.
But on Friday its service was scrapped by the Ministry of Health. The new central region service will start next month with the area covered by helicopters in Taupō, Tauranga and Hamilton.
The Government has invested an extra $82.9 million over four years into the new services. But there is unease within the Rotorua community about the change.
Local barrister Jonathan Temm says the community has fundraised for more than three decades to keep it running.
"To have it taken away from people out of Wellington is very very disappointing," he says.
For Mr Temm the loss of the helicopter is personal.
"My family and many families in Rotorua have had the benefit of the rescue helicopter," he says.
"Several years ago there was a very significant accident - a number of families were affected by it."
But Health Minister David Clark says covering Rotorua from Taupō, Tauranga and Hamilton will be more effective and efficient.
"The existing fleet is 29 years old on average," he says.
"We need to upgrade the fleet and we need to shift all of the helicopters to twin-engine so people can be treated in the back of them."
It's a fourteen-minute chopper flight from Rotorua to Taupō and local MP Todd McClay says every minute counts and Mr Clark is wrong.
"Get out from under your desk in Wellington and come and talk to local people," he emphasises.
Mr Rolleston agrees. He believes the dedicated Rotorua service gave him the best possible chance at a full recovery.
"It's sad that their help isn't going to be available to the people back home in the Bay of Plenty area, they need that," he says.
Mr Clark says the impact of the changes will be monitored by an oversight group. But he's confident in the changes being made.
Newshub.
