PRESS RELEASE: Where is our Blue Water Review?

In the two years since retired Royal Australian Navy Commodore Campbell Darby was commissioned to conduct a review into Queensland’s Blue Water Rescue services, much has been said about the risks and down side of not acting and allowing the status quo to continue. The review was deliberately and correctly focused on the requirements of coastal and island communities along Queensland’s 13000 plus kilometre coastline, as well as the volunteers that selflessly serve these communities.
The grassroots volunteers and community representatives that came together to form the Blue Water Working Group quickly recognised and recommended the formation of a completely new single entity that would take the hopes and aspirations of communities and their volunteers into the future, free of the past. Now as the QLD state election looms, the silence is deafening.
Obvious improvements for volunteers are easy to identify,
• A single organisation, a single recognisable brand and single identity.
• Common operating platform with uniform training delivering transferrable skills and qualifications.
• Appropriate equipment based on risk to resources assessment. The right resources in the right place.
• Improved morale through increased professionalism
Queensland’s taxpayers have every right to expect some return on investment for every dollar that is spent on their behalf, this project is no different.
Good for Jobs
• The Marine Rescue fleet comprises 100 vessels of various size around the state. These vessels are worth on average $750 000.00 each and are replaced every 10 years. That means $7.5 million going into Queensland boat yards employing Queensland tradesmen.
• There are 6000 marine rescue volunteers needing high quality, industry specific training. A single RTO employing Queensland trainers, efficiently training dedicated Queensland emergency workers.
Good for Boating Public
• Continuous and consistent communication and support State wide.
• Greater transparency and less confusion based on a consistent state-wide approach
• Better community education from well supported expert volunteers
Good for the Bottom Line
• A single easily recognisable brand to attract corporate sponsors, leverage of taxpayer dollars.
• A single point of supply of expendable equipment, fuel and electronics. Efficiency of scale.
Good for Queensland
An organisation built around matching the provision of resources to the risks faced by the Queensland Community