Boaters on the South Coast’s waterways will be even safer thanks to four brand new vessels to be provided to local Marine Rescue units under the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government’s pledge of an extra $37.6 million in funding for Marine Rescue NSW over the next four years.
Member for South Coast Shelley Hancock welcomed the announcement which would deliver 38 new vessels across the state including to rescue units at Jervis Bay, Sussex Inlet and Kioloa.
“Marine Rescue has a long history on the South Coast of keeping everybody who gets out on our amazing waterways safe,” Mrs Hancock said.
“The extra funding announced this week means we can provide local volunteers with better boats much sooner and an extra layer of security and reassurance for anglers, divers and boaters.”
The new vessels include:
- A 7.5m boat for the Marine Rescue Sussex Inlet Unit;
- A 5.45m boat for the Marine Rescue Sussex Inlet Unit;
- A 6.8m boat for the Marine Rescue Kioloa Unit;
- An 11.5m boat for the Marine Rescue Jervis Bay Unit.
“This major funding boost will help save lives on the water by not only delivering four new purpose-built rescue vessels but also world-class frontline services and improvements to the marine radio network,” Mrs Hancock said.
“Marine Rescue NSW maintains and operates the marine radio network. This new investment will allow for upgrades to that radio network, including the elimination black spots along the south coast, making it much safer for boaters and the dedicated volunteers dispatched to support them in times of trouble,” she said.
The funding will more than double Marine Rescue NSW’s annual budget and make a major difference to the support it can provide to boaters across the state and on the South Coast.
This new investment of $37.6 million over the next four years will boost the annual Marine Rescue NSW budget to more than $17 million.
“This funding is only possible thanks to the strong economic management of the NSW Liberals & Nationals Government,” Mrs Hancock said.
Marine Rescue NSW operates a network of five rescue units along the South Coast’s coastline.
In 2017-18 local Marine Rescue units responded to 154 emergencies, 162 other vessel assists and recorded a total of 12,432 ‘logs ons’ in the region.