Governance: Corporate management

GOVERNANCE

CORPORATE MANAGEMENT

Marine Rescue NSW celebrates its tenth anniversary in a strong position underpinned by its responsible corporate governance and management.

In the decade since its formation on July 1, 2009, Marine Rescue NSW has developed into the recognised leader in the national volunteer marine rescue sector. Its professional performance is the result of the skill and service of its 3,136 volunteers, operational capability and innovation and the strength of its corporate management, led by the Board of Directors and staff.

Unlike the majority of the state’s emergency services, Marine Rescue NSW is not a government body but rather, an independent, community-based service established by and for its volunteer membership.

LEGISLATION As a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, Marine Rescue NSW is a registered charity and complies with the requirements of the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission Act 2012, the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 and the Corporations Act 2001. Our non-profit status underlines the importance of fundraising activities, grants, donations and sponsorship in supplementing our base revenue stream. In 2019-20, NSW Government funding accounted for 51 per cent of our revenue, with another 31 per cent from a levy on recreational boating licences and registrations. The remainder was raised through grants, donations and various fundraising activities.

Marine Rescue NSW has operated under the legislative auspices of the State Emergency Management Act 1989 since its inception in 2009, with an amendment to provide it specific recognition as a legislated emergency service organisation passed by the State Parliament in November 2018. Although Marine Rescue NSW sits outside the NSW Government, it reports It’s our tenth birthday ... NSW Governor Margaret Beazley does the honours at our 2019 MRNSW Leadership Conference with Deputy Commissioner Dean Storey, Police and Emergency Services Minister David Elliott, Chair of the Board of Directors Jim Glissan and Commissioner Stacey Tannos.

to the Minister for Emergency Services, along with Resilience NSW in the Department of Communities and Justice. MRNSW also is required to comply with State rescue policies and its units are accredited by the Minister for Emergency Services on the recommendation of the State Rescue Board, of which Commissioner Stacey Tannos is the Chair.

The organisation’s training, fleet and operational standards meet the requirements of the Commonwealth’s Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act 2012, specifically Exemption 24, which took effect for the volunteer marine rescue sector on July 1, 2016.

BOARD The strategic leadership of the company is vested in the democraticallyelected Board of Directors. The Board comprises nine Directors: three General Directors and six Regional Directors. General Directors are elected for threeyear terms and Regional Directors for two. Regular and Life Members are eligible to vote in Board elections but not Provisional or Honorary Members. The Chair is elected by the Board following each Annual General Meeting, usually held on the last Saturday in November.

The Board met at Headquarters in August, October, November (the Annual

The MRNSW State Headquarters and MR Botany Port Hacking sit on the Hungry Point Reserve at Cronulla, on the shores of Port Hacking.

General Meeting) and February. COVID-19 social isolation and distancing requirements and limitations on travel resulted in the April and June meetings taking place via Zoom. Similarly, some of the Board’s informal gatherings with members in different regions were curtailed. The Board is advised by the Commissioner and staff, with detailed management papers and recommendations presented to assist its decision-making processes.

DIRECTORS 2019-20 Marine Rescue NSW Directors during all or part of 2019-20: James Glissan AM, ESM, QC (Board Chair and General Director); Patricia Fayers ESM (General Director); Robert Wilson (General Director); Darcy Henriksen (Northern Rivers Regional Director); John Lynch ESM (Mid North Coast Regional Director); James Wright (Hunter/Central Coast Regional Director); Ken Edwards (Greater Sydney Regional Director); Keven Marshall ESM (Illawarra Regional Director); and Glenn Felkin ESM (Monaro Regional Director).

MANAGEMENT Marine Rescue NSW operates under the leadership of the Commisioner and Chief Executive Officer Stacey Tannos. Deputy Commissioner Dean Storey left the organisation in April. A new Deputy Commissioner will be appointed in 2020-21. Five new staff positions were established during the year to facilitate greater service delivery and support to units. Twenty-three of the 33 staff, including the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Chief Financial Officer, are based at the State Headquarters in a range of professional specialties, such as finance, grants, IT, fleet and emergency systems management, operational communications, training development and service delivery, volunteer support services and media and marketing. The MRNSW staff:volunteer ratio is 1:95, underlining the centrality of the volunteer workforce in the organisation’s endeavours.

Each of the six operational regions is overseen by a Regional Operations Manager. These personnel coordinate operational tasking, response and coordination, resource management, unit executive support and Headquarters/unit liaison.

The North, Central and South Regional Training Managers guide training development, service delivery and assessment in two regions each. The State Stores will be relocated from leased premises at Chatswood to a re-purposed building on the Headquarters site at Cronulla in early 2020-21. The Stores Manager coordinates the dispatch of uniform items, medals and other resources and manages the scheduled servicing of crew lifejackets.

ACCOUNTABILITY Marine Rescue NSW is committed to the responsible and transparent management of the organisation and its finances. The organisation’s consolidated accounts - those of Headquarters and units - are subject to annual independent audit. The financial statements and audit report are printed in the Annual Report, published online at mrnsw.com.au

State Government and boating community funding is managed under a four-year Operational Funding Agreement and grants are expended and acquitted in accordance with each funding body’s specific requirements.

COMPANY SECRETARY Chief Financial Officer Todd Andrews

REGISTERED CHARITY STREET ADDRESS & PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS Marine Rescue NSW State Headquarters, Building 1, 202 Nicholson Parade, Cronulla, NSW 2230. PO Box 579, Cronulla, NSW 2230.

AUDITOR Grant Thornton

BANK Westpac