PRESS RELEASE: Is this the end of Volunteer Marine Rescue in Queensland?

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Volunteer Marine Rescue Association Queensland Inc (VMRAQ) Is today issuing a warning to the Queensland boating public that unless significant funding is found soon, services provided will either finish or at the very least be severely restricted to just a small number of operational locations.
VMRAQ has pled for funding to create a sustainable service for many years. Of recent times, Emergency Services Minister Craig CRAWFORD has won funding increases which have allowed rescue bases to carry out the basics such as purchase fuel and insurance. VMRAQ acknowledges the efforts of the Minister to date and staff of Queensland Fire and Emergency Services to date. However, the Darby review conducted in 2018 which recommended sweeping reforms and funding increases has so far produced zero result.
As of 2020 the average age of a VMR vessel is now 9.8 years against a context of a useful life-span of 15 years. These vessels are aging rapidly and safety standards are becoming more challenging and expensive to maintain. With our recent and current levels of funding; it is impossible to budget for, and efficiently finance vessel replacement. Clearly depreciation remains unfunded; this exposes an unacceptable risk to our client base and is also an avoidable liability that seems certain to be carried forward into an uncertain future
Marine rescue services in remote areas such as Torres Strait and the Gulf region, where local fundraising efforts are impossible, are already severely degraded.
Unless a significant capital investment is made now, rescue bases will be forced to limit or even withdraw services as fundraising fails to keep pace with rising costs. To date VMR bases have raised up to 85% percent of their own operating capital. This has placed enormous time imposts and stress of operational volunteers. Unless the reforms recommended by retired naval Commodore Darby in 2018 are implemented now, VMRAQ does not expect to be able to continue past another 3 – 5 years.
We can no longer continue such a large impost on volunteers to raise funds. We can no longer purchase $600 000 rescue craft by selling sausages.

June 8, 2020/by Reland Pigte

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