Marine search and rescue in Victoria in dire straits

The Boating Industry Association of Victoria (BIAV) has written an open letter to the Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, expressing its concern over the lack of funding for volunteer marine search and rescue services in the State.

The inaction regarding funding of search and rescue services in Victoria flies in the face of marine safety campaigns addressing lifejacket servicing, kayaking on open waters, and refuelling, for example.

The BIAV says Victorian boaters who find themselves in distress and in need of emergency services may be out of luck, because the State Government has been dragging its feet on delivering funding for Volunteer Marine Search and Rescue services.

“The summer boating season is upon us and tens of thousands of boaters are launching onto coastal waters,” said Boating Industry Association of Victoria President, Mark Crockford.

Mr Crockford said there will be lives put at risk the Andrews Labor Government doesn’t get the funding situation sorted out this summer boating season.

“Recreational boaters pay for this service out of the $27 million collected in marine licence and registration fees each year, so we have an expectation that sufficient funding will be provided.”

The Open Letter to the Premier — co-signed by local search and rescue bases — reads as follows:

“7 December 2017
Dear Premier Andrews,
We write to request that the Victorian Government immediately provide sustainable funding for the Volunteer Marine Search and Rescue services in Victoria.

It is now the summer boating season and most of Victoria’s 193,000 registered recreational vessels (and an unknown but much higher number of human powered and sailing vessels) are launching onto State waters with the belief that should they find themselves in distress a volunteer marine rescue service will be available to assist them in a timely manner.

We as an emergency response sector protecting over half a million Victorians are concerned that due to the Victorian State Government dragging its feet on the funding promised this is no longer the case and subsequently Victorian lives are at risk.

Since July 1st 2011 the Victorian State Government has collected over $131 Million dollars in marine licence and vessel registration fees but has only returned $29.5 million through the Boating Safety and Facilities program, and only a small fraction of that to the Volunteer Marine Search and Rescue service.

The Marine Safety Act 2010 establishes that fees collected are for the purpose of sustainably funding the Volunteer Marine Search and Rescue services and Victorians paying those fees expect it to be so.

The situation is so dire that the sector has been informed there is not enough funding for this year’s fuel subsidy program and until recently, reimbursements from last year’s operations to the tune of $45,000.00.

Our sector groups are advising that in the absence of clear defined and funded budgets, their ability to absorb ongoing operational costs out of their own fund raising or personal financial contribution is no longer sustainable nor reasonable.

It has been nearly two years from the Government Response to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Marine Rescue Services in Victoria whereby “The government notes the Inquiry Report’s finding that it is vital that Victoria’s MSAR sector receive adequate and predictable funding for capital and operational expenses”.

It has now been more than a year since the EMV Marine Search and Rescue Project Working Group Meeting conferred, analysed and decided that “a sustainable funding model coupled with a robust insurance scheme is a priority”.

The sector has been working extremely hard to do our part in forming the best Volunteer Marine Search and Rescue service in the country to protect the lives of the community.
Mr Premier, we now call on you and your government to do yours.

Yours Sincerely
BIAV, Torquay Marine Rescue Service, VMR Mornington, Marine Rescue Port Fairy, Southern Peninsula Rescue, Australian Volunteer Coast Guard and Coast Watch, et al.

The Boating Industry Association of Victoria was formed in 1961 and is the peak body for the industry. The marine industry in Victoria contributes $4.5 billion to the state economy and employs over 17,700 FTE.

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