Rescue experts assemble at Headquarters

Board maintains distance as Commissioner chairs first meeting of year.

Marine Rescue NSW welcomed the State Rescue Board to its Headquarters in February.

Board members assembled at the Cronulla complex for their first, socially distanced, meeting of 2021.

The Rescue Board comprises the heads or senior representatives of the rescue agencies that operate across the State, along with the State Emergency Operations Controller.

MRNSW Commissioner Stacey Tannos has been the Chair of the Board since November 2015.

The Board’s role is to ensure the efficient and effective maintenance of rescue services - on both land and water - throughout NSW.

RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers, SLS Chief Executive Officer Steven Pearce, SES Commissioner Carlene York, VRA Commissioner Mark Gibson, Commissioner Stacey Tannos, NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan, NSW Police Inspector Aimee Templeman, representing the State Emergency Operations Controller and Fire + Rescue NSW Commissioner Paul Baxter at MRNSW Headquarters, with Police A/Superintendent Robert Corry on Zoom. Photo: Brad Whittaker.

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Volunteers saving lives on the water

Grants help upgrade three units’ facilities

Three MRNSW units have been granted more than $90,000 in funding for projects to upgrade their facilities.

MR Lake Macquarie was awarded $44,000 and MR Port Stephens $44,360 under the State Government’s Crown Reserve Improvement Fund Program.

Grants and Sponsorship Manager Mat Smith said the program supported Crown Reserve Managers to maintain and protect the State Government properties they occupied.

“While many of our units sit on Crown Lands, only a handful are Crown Reserves and eligible to apply for funding under this program,” he said.

“This funding helps our units to preserve their sites on behalf of their owners - the people of NSW.”

The Lake Macquarie unit will put its funding to essential underpinning work on its boat base on the Pelican waterfront and Port Stephens will repair and upgrade footpaths and driveways on its grounds surrounding the former Nelson Bay Inner Light. This heritage site, which includes Tea Rooms and a gift shop, is popular with visitors and for weddings.

The 150th anniversary of the initial opening of the Light Room will be celebrated in April 2022.

Further south, MR Kioloa has received $5,000 from the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal and $1,000 from the Shoalhaven Council Mayor to replace the carpets in the unit’s beachfront base, which were damaged during last summer’s bushfire emergency.

The Inner Light Tea Rooms on the Nelson Bay Reserve.