Cromwell’s long-awaited helipad has officially opened, marking the culmination of a determined community effort to improve emergency response capacity in the town.

The new helipad, located at the Cromwell Racecourse Aerodrome, was formally opened on Friday afternoon (July 25) by Central Otago mayor Tamah Alley, who praised the collaborative effort behind the project.

“(It has been) community spirit that has made this happen,” the mayor told those gathered at the event, before cutting a ribbon.

The helipad has been years in the making, gaining momentum when the Cromwell Lions Club committed to fundraising for the project. 

A major boost came late last year, when philanthropist and aerospace entrepreneur Sir Peter Beck - dubbed the ‘rocket man’ for his aerospace ventures and a special guest at the opening - came onboard, donating an unspecified amount of funding to the cause.

Emergency service representatives, project donors, and community supporters who helped bring the vision to life were all also guests at the opening.

Donors, suppliers and contractors attend the opening of the emergency helipad in recognition of their support for the project. Photo: The Central App

Project manager Pete Moen, of the Lions Club, didn’t mince his words when he described the old landing area at the northern end of the aerodrome as “crappy”, saying trying to manoeuvre a gurney could be “hopeless”. 

By contrast, the new helipad features a smooth concrete path linking directly to where the St John ambulance would pull up, making patient transfers faster and safer.

The site is fully equipped with perimeter lighting, a functioning windsock topped with a beacon, and clear signage. 

Pete said the project had initially been budgeted at $83,000, but support snowballed as word spread. 

“Contractors and suppliers just came out of the woodwork to support the project.”

In a fitting anecdote, Pete recalled going into a Cromwell shop to buy ribbon for the opening ceremony. 

When the shopkeeper asked what it was for, a woman in the queue beside him said, “I want to pay for that.” 

It was a small gesture, he said, that summed up the way the community had embraced the helipad vision.

Pilot Justin Gloag (left) and paramedics Dave Anderson and Pablo Callejus open their emergency chopper for viewing at the opening of Cromwell’s new emergency helipad. Photo: The Central App 

Helicopter paramedic Dave Anderson, who works with the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter Trust, said access to the old landing zone was dusty and uneven, riddled with rabbit holes.

He said having a proper helipad, with smooth, safe access, made a real difference for patients and for the teams working under pressure to assist them - and said the new facility was much needed.

“Our helicopter does provide a critical lifeline to a tertiary hospital.”

The helipad is now operational.

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