Qld volunteer marine rescue services under review

A review into Queensland’s volunteer marine rescue services is due to begin next week.

The review, conducted by retired Royal Australian Navy Commodore Campbell Darby, will include a comprehensive assessment of existing marine rescue arrangements in Queensland and around Australia.

“The first stage of Campbell Darby’s review will identify key policies impacting service delivery and volunteer based maritime search and rescue capability,” said Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford.

“Importantly, his review will involve regional stakeholder visits to help Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) better understand what is happening at a local, tactical level.

In July, Crawford and QFES Commissioner Katarina Carroll announced the review into services provided by the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association (AVCGA) and Volunteer Marine Rescue Association Queensland (VMRAQ).

There are 21 Coastguard and 26 VMR locations across Queensland and QFES supports the marine rescue organisations through service level agreements, which are due to expire on 30 June 2019.

Under these agreements, QFES annually provides AVCGA with $1.5 million and VMRAQ with $1.7 million.

Crawford asked for the review after “visiting marine rescue bases up and down the coast where volunteers raised some complex issues affecting service delivery in these locations”.

“The initial stages of the review will be completed prior to negotiations for the new service agreements (June next year),” he said.

“This review will mean we can make sure our valuable volunteers have the greatest capacity to respond to emergency events and protect those on the water when they need it most,” said Carroll.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Romolo Tavani

Please follow us and share on Twitter and Facebook. You can also subscribe for FREE to our weekly newsletter and bimonthly magazine.