Marine rescuers at risk
THE marine rescue sector is hoping to survive its own sinking ship as it waits for a government life ring to be thrown.
Nearly two years since a review into the state’s two marine rescue services, Volunteer Marine Rescue Queensland and Australian Volunteer Coast Guard, was announced, Burdekin-based Volunteer Marine Rescue Queensland state vice-president Vince Papale said the issues the sector was facing before have not gone away.
Former navy captain Campbell Darby led a review into the coast guard’s 21 flotillas and VMR’S 26 squadrons in 2018.
In his report of findings released early last year, he noted marine rescue services’ capability to deliver good outcomes for the public will “steadily degrade” if they remain on the same path.
Since those initial findings, a working group has also handed down 11 recommendations for the future of the sector, including a complete amalgamation and restructure of the two organisations as well as a concept of operations and an implementation plan. Mr Papale said since the submission went to State Cabinet earlier this year there had been radio silence.
“We were concerned about the timing, we had council elections, we had the disaster season to get over with, we have a state election later this year and we said ‘you’re running out of time’,” he said. “We are now in May, we’ve heard nothing.”
A renewed service agreement saw an extra $300,000 pledged to marine rescue for insurance costs and $400,000 given for maintenance, repairs and fuel for training.
While Mr Papale said it was appreciated, issues within the sector remain unresolved.
“We recognise that it’s been a disastrous year for QFES (Queensland Fire and Emergency Services) in terms of the bushfires, the royal commission into the bushfires and COVID-19,” he said.
“We recognise that puts pressure on the bottom line and puts stress on things … however, the issues with marine services in Queensland have not been resolved.”
Mr Papale said commitments by the State Government had not kept pace with the cost of supplying a marine rescue service in the state.
“It fails to recognise the diversity of communities and the marine rescue requirements of those different communities,” he said.
“We’re at a situation now where, if we are left in this situation for another five years, marine rescue services will not exist in a lot of areas.
“It’s about the sustainability of the units in the communities that the Government should be concerned about.
“We can no longer keep pretending that we can do this with sausage sizzles and shaking the tin at a pub.”
Mr Papale called for an announcement soon, with fears the sector could become grounds for a political football.
Townsville Coast Guard commander Tony Lee said the wait for an announcement was “business as usual” for the flotilla, which had recently conducted refurbishment works on coast guard boats.
He claimed questions still remained unanswered and there had been no clarity in the process.
A QFES spokesman said findings by the Blue Water Review working group had been presented to the Government for consideration, however no decision had been made on the future of the state’s marine rescue sector.