Land Search and Rescue New Zealand

What Land Search and Rescue New Zealand does

Land Search and Rescue New Zealand (LandSAR, legal entity: New Zealand Land Search and Rescue Incorporated) is a registered charity and Incorporated Society founded in 1934 and headquartered in Wellington. It coordinates 3,000+ trained volunteers across 68 local groups to deliver free, 24/7 land-based search and rescue services across all New Zealand environments, including suburban, urban, wilderness, rural, alpine, cave, canyon, and swift water settings. Operations are activated through the NZ Police 111 system and the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand, with specialist units in search dogs (16 operational teams), alpine cliff rescue, cave rescue (CaveSAR), canyon rescue (CanyonSAR), and communications and IT support. In the 2024/25 financial year it completed 526 operations, assisted 598 people, saved 40 lives, and logged 186,827 unpaid volunteer hours.

The organisation's revenue model is diversified across four streams: public donations (including the $20/month Rescue Champions subscription program), grants from NZSAR Council, NZ Police, Lottery Grants Board, Lotto, ANZ Staff Foundation, and other charitable trusts; corporate training delivered through its wholly-owned NZQA Category 1 accredited subsidiary Land Search and Rescue Training Ltd (CIMS, leadership, and backcountry skills courses); and corporate sponsorship from partners including PGG Wrightson (primary strategic partner), Fjällräven, and BlackHawk Pet Care. Services to the public are provided free of charge; fee-free volunteer training is funded through the Tertiary Education Commission via NZSAR. In 2025, LandSAR launched WanderWell, a centralised service for individuals at risk of going missing (dementia, neurodivergence, brain injury, disabilities), consolidating the WanderSearch device programme and Safer Walking Initiative under a single point of access. The organisation is owned by its grassroots volunteer membership following a 2009 ownership transfer, governed by a Board of Directors that was progressively strengthened in 2023-2025 with elected and Independent Directors.

Name

Land Search and Rescue New Zealand

Legal name

New Zealand Land Search and Rescue Incorporated

Website

https://landsar.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Land Search and Rescue New Zealand is a registered charity operating 3,000+ trained volunteers across 68 local groups to deliver free, 24/7 land-based search and rescue services nationwide, activated through NZ Police and the Rescue Coordination Centre, and funded via donations, grants, corporate training, and sponsorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Search and Rescue Services

NAICS

Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

akta.pro primary industry

Search & Rescue (Urban/Water/Wilderness) Coordination (HLAJAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Search & Rescue (SAR) & Technical Rescue Training (EDAOAMAI), Humanitarian Coordination & Disaster Risk Reduction IGOs (BPADAAAE)

Keywords

• Volunteer search rescue
• Land search rescue
• Emergency response services
• Incident management training
• Missing person tracking

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public Donations: Charitable donations from the public, individual supporters, and community fundraisers. Includes one-time gifts and regular monthly donations through Rescue Champions program ($20/month).
2. Corporate Training: Professional training courses for organisations including Coordinated Incident Management (CIMS), Leadership Training, and Backcountry Skills. Proceeds support volunteer operations.
3. Grants and Funding: Strategic funding from NZSAR Council, NZ Police, Lottery Grants Board, and various charitable trusts including Lotto, ANZ Staff Foundation, Grassroots Trust, and others.
4. Rescue Champions Program: Monthly donation program ($20/month minimum) providing Rescue Rewards discounts to supporters, creating recurring revenue stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Land Search and Rescue New Zealand provides free 24/7 volunteer-led land search and rescue operations across all New Zealand environments, coordinated through NZ Police and the Rescue Coordination Centre. The organisation also operates a NZQA Category 1 accredited training establishment delivering CIMS, leadership, and backcountry skills courses, plus the WanderWell programme offering WanderSearch tracking devices for at-risk individuals and prevention education through the Land Safety Code.

Product overview

Land Search and Rescue New Zealand operates as a unified volunteer organization providing land-based search and rescue services across Aotearoa. The organization consists of approximately 3,000 trained volunteers across 68 local groups, offering 24/7 search and rescue operations coordinated through NZ Police and the Rescue Coordination Centre. The core service includes field search and rescue operations, supported by specialist capabilities including search dogs, alpine cliff rescue, cave rescue, canyon rescue, and swift water rescue teams. Prevention-focused offerings include the Land Safety Code and the Plan My Walk app for outdoor safety. The WanderWell programme (launched 2025) provides specialized support for vulnerable individuals at risk of going missing, delivering the WanderSearch device programme, Safer Walking Initiative, and Safer Walking Profile. Training services are provided through Land Search and Rescue Training Ltd, a NZQA Category 1 accredited Private Training Establishment, offering courses including Coordinated Incident Management System (CIMS), Action-Oriented Team Leadership, and Backcountry Skills to both volunteers and external organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WanderWell: A program launched in 2025 providing services for individuals at risk of going missing, including WanderSearch devices, safety information, and community support for people with dementia, neurodivergence, brain injury or disabilities.
• Seek
• The Land Safety Code
• WanderSearch
• Plan My Walk

Products and services

• Search and Rescue Volunteer Operations

Quantifiable outcome

• 526 search and rescue operations completed in 2024/25
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered primary, core, major and minor.

• PGG WrightsonprimaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary strategic partner supporting Land Search and Rescue nationally. PGG Wrightson supports staff volunteers and aligns with LandSAR's mission for rural sector safety. One of their Technical Horticultural Representatives (Aaron Thompson) is a volunteer in Marlborough.
• New Zealand PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary coordinating authority for land searches in New Zealand. NZ Police works with volunteer groups including Land Search and Rescue for SAR operations. Police manages nearly 2,000 land and marine SAR incidents each year.
• Rescue Coordination Centre New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRCCNZ coordinates Category Two searches at national level including searches for missing aircraft, off-shore marine searches, and distress beacon activations. One of only two coordinating authorities for searches in NZ.
• NZSAR CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNZ Search and Rescue Council provides strategic leadership to the NZ SAR Sector and improves coordination, cohesion, capability, and leadership. Provides grant funding for training programmes.
• Department of ConservationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDOC is charged with conserving natural and historic heritage of NZ. Works with LandSAR on conservation area searches and provides associate membership support.
• Mountain Safety CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSC promotes safety in outdoor activity. Partnered with LandSAR to create Plan My Walk app for outdoor adventure planning. Associate member of LandSAR.
• Federated Mountain Clubs of New ZealandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFMC represents over 100 mountain clubs with approximately 12,000 individual members. Supports backcountry safety and training. Associate member of LandSAR.
• Amateur Radio Emergency CommunicationsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAREC provides communications support for sporting events, Search and Rescue, and Civil Defence. Essential communications capability for SAR operations. Associate member of LandSAR.
• New Zealand Speleological SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCave and caving organisation providing underground search and rescue capability to LandSAR through CaveSAR specialist team. Associate member of LandSAR.
• BlackHawk Pet CareminorOthersPet care company providing sponsorship support for NZ Land Search and Rescue Dogs programme.
• FjällrävenminorOthersOutdoor apparel company providing sponsorship support for NZ Land Search and Rescue Dogs programme.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• St John New Zealand: St John is a fellow emergency services and charity organisation that delivers ambulance services and emergency management training in NZ. Like LandSAR, it receives significant government and Lottery funding, operates as a registered charity, and is a customer of LandSAR's CIMS training.
• Surf Life Saving New Zealand: Surf Life Saving NZ is a volunteer-led coastal and surf rescue organisation that, like LandSAR, provides free public safety services, relies on donations and grants, and offers accredited training. The two organisations share donors, volunteer demographics, and the same government/grant funding ecosystem.
• Fire and Emergency New Zealand: Fire and Emergency NZ is a government-funded emergency response organisation that partners with LandSAR on CIMS training and inter-agency incident response. It shares the same coordinating authority framework and volunteer/paid hybrid model across rural NZ.
• Ambulance New Zealand: Ambulance New Zealand is the national body representing ambulance services in NZ and is a direct customer of LandSAR's CIMS training. Shares the charitable/public funding mix, volunteer-led operational model, and inter-agency coordination with Police and RCCNZ.
• Coastguard New Zealand: Coastguard New Zealand is the closest domestic peer to LandSAR - a volunteer-driven, charitable organisation providing search and rescue services in New Zealand, focused on the maritime domain. Both are coordinated through Police and RCCNZ, share the volunteer-first model, and operate as the publicly-facing volunteer SAR organisations for their respective environments.
• New Zealand Mountain Safety Council: Mountain Safety Council is LandSAR's strategic partner on the Plan My Walk app and shares the outdoor safety prevention mission. Both organisations promote outdoor safety education, target similar tramping and backcountry audiences, and receive overlapping government and Lottery Grants Board funding.

Emerging players

• British Cave Rescue Council: BCRC is a UK volunteer organisation coordinating cave rescue - a specialist discipline that CaveSAR (a LandSAR subsidiary) specialises in within NZ. Useful peer for specialist underground rescue capability and volunteer training models.

Broad incumbents

• Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI): RNLI is a much larger volunteer-led maritime search and rescue charity in the UK with a globally recognised brand. It is a useful commercial and operational analogue for LandSAR's fundraising model, governance structure, and scale economics for a volunteer-first SAR charity.

Regional players

• NSW State Emergency Service (SES): NSW SES is a volunteer-heavy emergency response agency in Australia analogous to LandSAR's role in NZ - focusing on land-based search and rescue, flood, and storm response. Compares on volunteer deployment models, government coordination, and training accreditation structures.
• Land Search and Rescue Australia: LandSAR Australia is a trans-Tasman peer - a volunteer-based search and rescue organisation in Australia operating with a similar mandate across rural and wilderness environments. Provides a direct trans-Tasman comparison for volunteer SAR models and training frameworks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCy0zslgDUPGIKB0diW6YpVQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/LandSARNewZealand
• Instagraminstagram.com/landsarnz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/land-search-and-rescue-new-zealand

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Land Search and Rescue New Zealand