The Wanaka builder replaces former chairman John Taylor, of Lake Hawea, who has completed his three-year term.
Mr Taylor continues as southern region chairman of LandSAR New Zealand and as a marine adviser for Lake Hawea.
Mr Bailey (43) has led Wanaka's six-member swift-water assistance team (Swat) for three years and enjoys whitewater kayaking, hunting, tramping and rock climbing.
He helped found Swat in January 2007 as a direct result of the death by drowning of an Australian tourist, Stephen Damien Colombo (46), in the Matukituki River.
Mr Colombo was swept away trying to rescue his 9-year-old son, Carlo, who had lost his footing in the river.
Carlo clung to a rock and was eventually saved by his brother Stefano (17).
Mr Bailey recalls well the day he was asked to search the grade 3 rapids for Mr Colombo.
"I was just walking out the door when I got a call from [Department of Conservation worker] Dave Grieve ... He just caught me. But they had actually recovered the body before we got there.
"But from that, I thought we should have a more formal arrangement to set up a swift-water team, to make sure they were using the right people and make sure they [searchers] were prepared."
Sergeant Aaron Nicholson, the police search and rescue co-ordinator, was very receptive.
"They invited me to a [Land SAR] committee meeting to introduce myself and I have been on the committee ever since," Mr Bailey said.
Wanaka LandSar now has five specialty teams: alpine cliff rescue, sub-alpine, swift water, marine and a search-dog team.
"But since setting up the swift-water group, we haven't had much use, which is good. We went over and helped at Haast for a missing hunter, and we did a search for a missing person in the Kawarau.
"And we helped in the Irina Yun search [in the Dart River] doing general river searching. We've been pretty lucky, but then it has been a quiet season," Mr Bailey said.
Mr Bailey says it is good the team has not been in high demand and hopes the water-safety messages are getting through.
But New Zealand is well regarded for its water-based tourism activities so needs trained, experienced rescue volunteers, he said.
The highlight of last season was training in and exploring the Bledisloe Gorge in the East Matukituki valley, he said.
"New Zealand is definitely a white-water destination. People come here and hang out here in the summer, and they do a lot of paddling on the West Coast then come here later in the summer.
"But last year was a bit interesting. I don't know if it was the recession. But usually there are lots of people who come from all over to go kayaking ... For the swift-water group, it is definitely a factor that these people are coming here," he said.
Other teams also had a quiet, low-drama season and concentrated on training. That forced a South Pacific Pictures documentary team to put its project on hold, but it had an agreement to return this summer to complete it, Mr Bailey said.
One emerging trend for Wanaka LandSAR is the increase in work for the national Rescue Co-ordination Centre, after beacon activations.
More people had them and were using them and that type of work was likely to increase, Mr Bailey said.
Another issue is the high number of Wanaka volunteers, presenting a challenge to find jobs for everyone.
Last year, the group conducted a review of the 120-plus volunteer list to make sure it could be maintained at a realistic number.
"We are not taking on new volunteers at the moment, unless they have a specific skill. So we have set up a waiting list, offering basic training, before you go on to a call-up list," Mr Bailey said.
Mr Bailey's appointment means Hawea Flat kayaker Glenn Murdoch is now the Swat team leader.
Mr Bailey has also stepped down as chairman of Central Otago White Water Inc, with Phil Murray of Alexandra now chairing the sports club.
