ON THE RADAR Have your say
Volunteers shape the service’s leadership Members encouraged to stand for election to the Board of Directors.
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olunteers have the opportunity to shape the strategic leadership of their organisation for the coming three years in the annual MRNSW Board elections in October. Elections will this year be held for the positions of Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast and Hunter/Central Coast Regional Directors and a General Director. The incumbent Regional Directors are Darcy Henriksen, John Lynch and Jim Wright and General Director Bob Wilson. The elections will be held in conjunction with the MRNSW Annual General Meeting, which will be held on November 20. The General Director is elected for a three-year term and the Regional Directors for two years. Nominations for the elections open on September 13 and close on October 8, with voting to take place from October 18 to November 12. Volunteers nominating for election
must have been an active member for at least two years, possess knowledge and experience of MRNSW and bring relevant skill sets such as professional qualifications or board, governance, fundraising or management experience to the role. Women are encouraged to step forward, with Pat Fayers remaining the only female Director. Regular and Life Members in all six regions are eligible to vote for the General Director and those in the three northern regions for their respective Regional Directors. Provisional members are ineligible to vote. These will be the fourth elections to be held online. The 2020 Annual General Meeting was the first held concurrently at State Headquarters and on Zoom and also the first to be live-streamed on YouTube, meeting COVID-19 requirements and enabling volunteers to follow proceedings.
The 2020 Annual General Meeting was the first to be held in person at MRNSW Headquarters and on Zoom, as well as being live streamed on YouTube.
Plans are in place to repeat this format for this year’s meeting to ensure compliance with any relevant Covid restrictions in place at the time. Board Chair Jim Glissan encouraged motivated volunteers to nominate for election. “This is a democratic opportunity for members who feel they could make a strong contribution to the
strategic leadership of our service,” he said. “Our Directors are elected to represent the interests of the entire membership and work with the Commissioner and staff to drive our progress and development. It is a challenging but rewarding role and I urge any interested member with the time and energy to put their name forward for election.”
Radio safety messages target coastal boaters New initiative includes announcements in four community languages
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new public safety initiative is directly targeting boaters along the NSW coastline ahead of the expected surge on to the water for the summer boating season. MRNSW has produced a series of Community Service Announcements for broadcast on local radio stations along the coastline, including a safety message in the key community languages of Mandarin, Cantonese, Arabic and Vietnamese. A total of 28 radio stations, including Arabic radio 2BACR, have so far agreed to air the messages to help improve boating safety. Commissioner Stacey Tannos appealed to all boaters to make safety their highest priority this summer. “Tragically, we’ve had 17
deaths on our waterways and our volunteers have rescued more than 10,000 boaters over the past 12 months,” he said. The three Community Service Announcements include how to Log On and Log Off with Marine Rescue, helpful tips on staying safe out on the water and how to help on the marine safety frontline by volunteering with your local Marine Rescue unit. Commissioner Tannos said boating and fishing were popular activities with people from a wide range of backgrounds, making it important to broadcast safety messaging in community languages. “We want everyone to have a great time on the water - and most importantly, to return home safely.
MRNSW boating safety messages are being broadcast by 28 community radio stations.
This initiative will play an important part in meeting that goal,” he said. “Undertaking the few simple actions we’re outlining in these messages can dramatically boost your safety on our waterways,” he said. “Have your engine serviced,
ensure plenty of fuel for your journey and check the weather and sea conditions before heading out. Most important of all, make sure everyone on board is wearing a lifejacket and Log On with us on VHF Channel 16 or the Marine Rescue NSW App.” SOUNDINGS | MARINE RESCUE NSW
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