A decade of life-saving service

Marine Rescue NSW this year proudly marked the milestone of the tenth anniversary of our foundation on July 1, 2009.

In 2019-20, we reflected on the immense progress we had made over our service’s first decade and charted the course for a bright future of continuing development and innovation.

Now recognised as the leader in the national volunteer marine rescue sector, MRNSW is a professional emergency service built on the contributions of volunteers from the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association, Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol and Volunteer Rescue Association marine fleet, who took the far-reaching decision to amalgamate as a single rescue service that began operations on the water and airwaves on New Year’s Day 2010.

In the first decade under the new MRNSW banner, crews launched more than 25,000 rescue missions, returning more than 50,000 boaters safely to shore. Records since 2011-12 show that to mid-2019, our radio operators had handled 2.38 million radio calls and Logged On 583,113 boats, including more than 51,000 via our groundbreaking MarineRescue App. This is an unrivalled operational record to be applauded. Our Patron-in-Chief, His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Governor-General of Australia Peter Cosgrove, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, NSW Governor Margaret Beazley, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Police and Emergency Services Minister David Elliott extended their congratulations and thanks on the occasion of our anniversary and our members were issued with commemorative pins.

Our anniversary year began with the first tranche of the State Government’s four-year $37.6 million investment to support our volunteers’ life-saving work and boating safety, funding the delivery of 10 rescue vessels, the establishment of our first offshore rescue unit on Lord Howe Island and work to upgrade a range of volunteer facilities and marine radio infrastructure. We surpassed 100 new and refurbished rescue vessels delivered under the Fleet Modernisation Program, delivering on our commitment to volunteer safety as our highest priority.

The 2019 Leadership Conference, opened by Governor Beazley, was a celebration of our decade of achievement and an opportunity to set out our

Members and supporters of Marine Rescue Shoalhaven mark our tenth anniversary. Photo: Danielle Carter.

plans for future growth in our capability and volunteer support.

Our volunteers’ courage, skill and determination was recognised on the world stage, with members of Marine Rescue Port Macquarie winning a prestigious International Maritime Rescue Federation Award (see Page 9).

The year, however, was marked by peril, with bushfires of unprecedented ferocity raging from July 2019 to February 2020, followed by storms and floods and the onset of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that changed the way we, like the rest of the community, lived and operated. The versatility and adaptability of our people came to the fore in these crises.

The bookend to the year was the announcement by Emergency Services Minister David Elliott and Attorney General Mark Speakman of the Marine Rescue NSW Training Academy, to be developed at the State Headquarters.

Our organisation is built on the skill and commitment of our volunteers, supported by the Board of Directors and management team. This year we recorded a 4.35 per cent increase in our volunteer cohort. The sustainability of our service relies on harnessing the experience of our existing membership and building a new generation of volunteers.

The maturity of the organisation made our tenth year an ideal time to freshen our public image, with a refinement of our corporate logo and branding. Reflecting our organisational attitude, the renewed roundel embraces our history, while turning a vibrant face to the future.