Coastguard New Zealand provides New Zealand's primary maritime Search and Rescue service from a network of 4 regions and 65 Units strategically located around the coastline and major lakes of New Zealand. These Units have often been established by a concerned community after a local boating tragedy.

Coastguard Central Region's thirteen Units are volunteer organisations with charitable status, are self funded and operate on contributions from sponsorship, fundraising and funding obtained from community and gaming trusts.

The Units comprise of twelve Units which operate rescue vessels, three which operate aircraft in the form of Coastguard Air Patrols (two in conjunction with rescue vessel Units) and one Unit which provides a marine radio network to the Wairapapa Coast.

Coastguard Central Region Unit membership comprises of more than 250 very dedicated active volunteer members who tirelessly provide this vital service in their community.

The majority of Coastguard Central Region's fleet of vessels are 6.8m Naiad Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RIB's). There are also two Waveney Class and one Brede Class Lifeboats which have previously seen service in the Royal National Lifeboat Institute in Britain and continue to provide good service in Central Region.

The equipment on board the dedicated rescue vessels includes a marine electronics suite which includes radar/plotter, GPS and VHF radio. Medical and specialist safety and survival equipment is also carried to assist in responding to a variety of incidents.

Coastguard Central Region Units also provides other services which include safety boats at marine events and a national radio network. The VHF radio network provides marine weather information, local marine communications services such as receiving Trip Reports for those putting to sea in their area.

Every year this network of radio operators answers thousands of calls for help and in conjunction with the teams who operate the vessels and aircraft, provides assistance resulting in many lives saved and millions of dollars worth of boats and equipment recovered to safety.

In addition Coastguard provides a Boating Education Service which delivers a variety of boating safety courses to the New Zealand public as it is only through better education that people will learn to respect the water and know what to do when an emergency occurs.