The National Party has promised to revive the Rotorua rescue helicopter service if elected to government pledging $1.6 million a year for four years to keep the service running.

McClay and National Party health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti made the policy announcement at the Volcanic Air site at Rotorua Airport yesterday, along with Rotorua Rescue Helicopter Trust chairman Mark Mortimer and a small group of supporters.

McClay says Rotorua's rescue helicopter service should never have been sold during a restructure of national rescue helicopter services two years ago.

He says demand for a local service continues to be high and "...a cost can't be put on saving lives".

"It is the only rescue chopper in the country that was cancelled.

"There have been incidents where a rescue helicopter was too far away and ground support was used instead. In other cases, a helicopter had been sent from Hamilton or Auckland or Tauranga or Taranaki.

"This just doesn't make sense."

McClay says the service would be owned and operated locally by the trust "...to ensure it cannot be sold off again".

"We need to bring back this vital emergency service for Rotorua," he says.

Rotorua Rescue Helicopter Trust chairman Mark Mortimer says he's delighted with the announcement and the support shown by McClay and his party.

Mortimer says the Rotorua community invested a lot of money into the previous rescue helicopter service, including the purchase of equipment such as night-vision goggles and investment into the hanger at Rotorua Hospital.

"In 2018, it was the Labour Government that made the call to cull various services around New Zealand which included Te Anau, Taupo and Rotorua," he says.

"The other two services were reinstated after public protest but not the Rotorua rescue helicopter.

"The Rotorua public also protested, signed petitions and agitated for the service to remain, however, the Philips Search and Rescue Trust, which operated the Rotorua base, said its principal support was only for the reinstatement of the Taupo base and that meant the Rotorua service had to be withdrawn.

"If National gets into government then we will be holding Todd and Shane to their promise," Mortimer says.