Whenuapai Air Force Base - Whenuapai Community Support

 Community Centre

Community Support

The Defence Community Facilitator (DCF) is often one of the first people a family will contact for community information when they are newly posted to a base or camp.

The DCF will coordinate and run community activities as well as connect defence families with each other and the base Auckland community. They will welcome newly posted members and their families, and provide support to families during deployments.

The DCF is able to offer practical support solutions, emotional support or a listening ear, visit at home, or welcomes visits at the on-base office. It may be that a meeting at a mutually convenient place will work best, so please get in touch to arrange this. They offer an impartial and confidential service and would like to meet with service personnel and their families early if there is something they can help with. 

Base Bulletin - The DCF will provide updates of their community activity in the Base Bulletin. To receive your copy please email the DCF.

Family & child support

Whenuapai Before and After School Care (WASC)

The Whenuapai Before and After School Care is a service provided primarily to support Air Force personnel and - if vacancies permit - for other personnel employed by NZDF. WASC is a member of the Out of School Care Network. The facility has a range of indoor activities from television and X-Box through to arts and crafts activities, board games and books, and playgrounds and trampolines outside. Children attending Whenuapai School will be escorted by staff to the WASC. Children attending Hobsonville School will have to be taken by their caregivers.

After school care

School holiday programs

A holiday programme runs every school holidays. Enrolments are advertised in the Base Bulletin prior to each holiday. To ensure fairness for all, enrolments can be submitted no sooner than one month before each holiday period. The programme is run with first priority for RNZAF personnel, on a ‘first in, first served’ basis. 

HobbyCare Childcare

HobbyCare is an after school care programme for Hobsonville School pupils, which operates from the school grounds every day. All staff are trained first aiders and the programme is a member of the Out of School Care Network

Plunket

Plunket Nurse clinic Whenuapai

Plunket Nurse clinic Henderson

Hairdresser

A hairdresser is located on base to provide both male and female haircuts.

Postal services

Private, stamped mail may be posted in the mailboxes at the front entrance of the Fern Leaf café.   The collection time for postboxes is 5pm weekdays and 9am Sundays. Large parcels can be sent from the Whenuapai Superette (outside the main gate) or the Hobsonville Superette.

Base welfare fund

The Base Welfare Fund is a non-public fund which exists to provide welfare and recreational services for Base personnel. It also provides banking and accounting facilities for Base organisations and clubs.

The fund is administered by a committee, which meets monthly under the chairmanship of the Base Executive Officer to discuss how funds are to be spent. Units and rank groups are represented on the committee.

Loans: Welfare and Hardship loans may be provided from the Base Welfare Fund. Applications are to be made to the Base Executive Officer, through your command chain.

Base Welfare Powerboats: The Base Welfare Fund has boats which are suitable for fishing, diving, water skiing and family boating.

Prior to being eligible to hire the boats, personnel are to have completed a Coastguard Day Skipper or superior Coastguard course, as well as familiarisation training. A distance learning Day Skipper training package is available (fee to be paid by skipper). The BWF-approved instructors will conduct familiarisation training during work hours. The cost of this training will be covered by the student and it takes around 2-3 hrs. Skippers are also encouraged to join Coastguard. All contact information is available on DXIS.

Base Welfare House (BWH): There are two Base Welfare houses. The off-base house has three bedrooms and sleeps six people, while the on-base house has two bedrooms and sleeps four people.

Both houses are fully furnished, with TV, stereo, baby equipment and other necessary domestic appliances as well as linen. A priority booking system is managed by the NPF to ensure fair and equable access to housing. More information on eligibility, availability, rates and bookings contact the NPF (details on DXIS).

Hireage of Equipment: General conditions - Hire period is from 8am on the day of hire to 8am the following day. All equipment is to be cleaned (no exceptions) prior to being returned to the Hire Shed. All and any damage must be reported. If any handover does happen then the person who is the original hirer is 100% responsible for any cost accrued through damage or loss. Handovers are only to be done in consultation with the hireage team.

Base Holiday Homes

Holidays homes are available for hire by RNZAF personnel and their families.

The holiday units are provided at very low tariffs and bookings can be made by accessing the RNZAF Auckland home page and selecting “Holiday Homes” under the heading “welfare”. Ballots will be held for all school holiday periods. A maximum of seven days during the school holidays will be allocated per successful applicant.

Further details about the ballot process can be obtained from Non Public Funds. Base Welfare Fund contributors are permitted to book two units concurrently if extra space is required.