Jules Tapper, of the Lakes District Air Rescue Trust, said rescuers from Dunedin were not the only option for emergencies.
Local aircraft were available from Queenstown and Te Anau, he said.
Mr Tapper's comments come a week after Wanaka doctor Susie Meyer said air rescue was not always available when needed.
Mr Tapper said the trust, established in 1992, was on call to 111 emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
"By the sound of it, she didn't have the correct information," Mr Tapper said.
"All I would like to say is, the trust would like to correct Dr Meyer.
"We are 5 to 0 minutes away from Wanaka and we have been for over 20 years."
Mr Tapper said although the Otago Rescue Helicopter Trust, of Dunedin, did a fantastic job, the local trust was important because in some cases it meant getting to the scene earlier.
The time spent to reach the victim of an injury or accident and get them to hospital is referred to as "the golden hour".
Each operator served its purpose, but Mr Tapper said a trip to Wanaka from Dunedin would mean a difference of 45 minutes.
The Lakes District Air Rescue Trust covers the area from Mt Cook to Stewart Island.
Executive secretary of the Lakes District Air Rescue Trust, Tony Hill, said the major trauma unit would always come from Dunedin, but he believed the local district was adequately covered for the smaller and urgent emergencies.
"As a region, we are well covered," Mr Hill said.
Night operations had been undertaken by the trust for four years.
They were relatively new, but had been successful, Mr Hill said.
The trained crew and Frankton St John staff worked on a roster system, Mr Tapper said.
They were well prepared for emergency search and rescue operations.
The trust's eight commercial helicopters are sourced from four operators: Heliworks, the Helicopter Line, Glacier Southern Lakes and Te Anau's Southern Lakes Helicopters.
At present there were three operators in Queenstown working on a rostered basis.
However, the new standard set by the New Zealand Ambulance Association meant competency among pilots had to be up to the minute, and for this reason the trust was in the process of electing just one operator.
"If a pilot hasn't flown in six months, he is not current," Mr Tapper said.
"You couldn't use him legally."
The trust went on 250 to 300 callouts a year, for injuries ranging from broken legs to a search and rescue involving the K-Cee fishing boat in Doubtful Sound this year.
The trust was funded by the Lottery Grants Board, the Westpac Chopper Appeal and donations.
