About Us

TSAR Mission is in conjunction with LandSAR New Zealand's mission

"Providing search and rescue support for the lost, missing and injured"

Where we are

Tauranga LandSAR has an excellent record of success in searches for the lost and injured and has a close association with other SAR groups in the area such as Hamilton, Waihi, Rotorua and Whakatane often supplying vital support in these areas when searches expand into multi day operations.

Tauranga LandSAR is part of the Midland Region that encompasses the Waikato and Bay of Plenty provinces of New Zealand and two NZ Police Districts of the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

Who we are

We comprise of between 50 to 60 volunteer members with operational roles either as operational field members, the incident management team or the communications group. Operational field members work inside the search area and can be deployed as tracking teams, hasty teams, containment teams, general search teams or support teams.

The incident management team works from the Tauranga police station or can deploy to a mobile command trailer as required. Working under a NZ Police incident controller they handle the planning, logistics, research, investigation and communications in conjunction with the Amateur Radio and Emergency Communications group (AREC). AREC deploy with a mobile communications van and will set up stationary UHF signal repeaters so that the field teams are able to have a comms link back to the incident management team.

What we do

Apart from maintaining a reasonable level of personal fitness and owning appropriate quality outdoor equipment and clothing, our LandSAR members are committed to train regularly and attend to SAR operations, often at short notice.

Comprehensive training is given to each volunteer on search methods and tracking techniques, bushcraft and outdoor skills, map and compass navigation, survival skills, river crossing and water travel, first aid, communications and technology, incident management, helicopter operations and safety issues, ropes and weather patterns and effects.

Our SAR operations are provided free of charge to the victim and the government.

Consequently, we require outside funding to help us keep our protective gear and equipment up to date and operating at a safe standard.