Noosa Coast Guard is expecting big changes this year in its governance but expects its operations will remain much the same with the Queensland Government set to implement a single integrated statewide marine rescue service called Marine Rescue Queensland which will commence services in 2024.
Currently Queensland’s coastline is serviced by two volunteer marine rescue organisations, Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association (AVCGA) and Volunteer Marine Rescue Association (VMRAQ) which statewide are made up of 3000 volunteers who undertake about 4000 activations each year operating across 47 units.
The change to a single rescue service was the result of recommendations of the Blue Water Review released in January 2019 following stakeholder and sector consultation.
“It’s an attempt to amalgamate emergency services. The Coast Guard and VMR are going to come under the auspices of Queensland Police,” Noosa Coast Guard Flotilla Commander Ian Hutchings said.
Commander Hutchings said the process of amalgamation had proved trickier than initially expected, but “it’s coming and moving forward”.
He hopes the changes don’t disrupt current practices because, “what we’ve got works”.
“Nobody’s drowned or sunk or stood there waiting to be rescued. The two organisations work together as we are,” he said.
The final 2022 report for Noosa Coast Guard, covering December showed it to be a busy month for the volunteer service with a marked increase in vessels using the Noosa River, particularly jet skis, though weather conditions reduced traffic crossing the Noosa Bar.
During the month the coast guard took more than 2600 radio calls, 250 phone calls, more than 430 trips, undertook 68 activations and provided 24 incidents of assistance.
In one instance the volunteer service was called to assist a drifting 35-foot catamaran which had drifted up the river impacting an occupied houseboat next to Goat Island. The catamaran owner was on Fraser Island at the time.
“The vessel was rafted to another location in the river and secured with the operation proving quite challenging in the low water available to us at the time,” the report stated.
The Coast Guard also provided assistance to a number of breakdowns in the river, mainly small tinnies, several operated solely by youngsters.
But there was less action on the Noosa Bar due to weather conditions, strong wave action as well as the channel across the Noosa Bar requiring vessels to travel close to the beach on the Noosa North Shore. “This crossing is not for the faint hearted or inexperienced boatie,” the report states.
Noosa Coast Guard also played a prominent role in Christmas activities over December including the Christmas Convoy and Santa Lolly run which were both well received, its participation in the Noosa Waters Christmas Parade as well as keeping watch over the safe proceedings of fireworks display on Noosa River.
For more Information phone 5474 3695.
