This is despite our volunteers building communications systems to enable recreational boaties to adhere to Transport Safety Maritime's own regulations imposed on boaties in 2005.
Coast Guard volunteers have provided recreational and small commercial vessels with a means of keeping in contact with coast radio stations for nearly 50 years. Logging On to a Coast Guard Coast Radio Station when heading out to sea, and logging off on return, is a good way of keeping track of a vessel's well being. As well as tracking local recreational vessels our station monitor vessels that transit across Bass Strait.
We've put many proposals to Government seeking funding to put permanent paid staff in place to enhance this service, each time these proposals are rejected. Transport Safety Victoria (Maritime) now have plans to award a contract to a foreign overseas company based in Canberra to provide this monitoring service.
With no local knowledge boaties might as well ring a help line in Manila! At a cost estimated at $1.8 million with recurrent operational and maintenance costs in excess of $400,000, funded by registration and licensing fees, boaties will get a very poor service. And to add salt to the wound, when a vessel is in distress, Canberra calls the Melbourne Water Police whom then tasks the Volunteers to go to their aid. Our Coast Communication Centers are the lifeline to our Skippers & crews and form a reliable conduit to the Water Police.
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[In response] the Victorian contingent of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association (AVCGA) is planning strike action after rejecting a recommendation from the Marine Rescue Services Inquiry to direct all funding to Transport Safety Victoria (TSV).
The Victorian Government Inquiry, frustratingly two years in the making, recommends that the minimal funding that Coast Guard receives should be absorbed and managed by TSV. AVCGA members do not want to be governed by TSV and feel this is not in the best interests of its members or the boating community.
AVCGA is a national marine rescue organisation run entirely by volunteers. Funds raised for marine rescue and education services across Victoria are provided entirely by the 700 member’s tireless fundraising efforts. Partial funding is provided for vessels, vehicles and equipment, however there is no funding available to cover operational and compliance costs. The level of governance and duties required to comply with relevant laws and regulations have far exceeded the role and expectations of a normal volunteer member. To then combine this with the finances required for insurance and running costs again pushes the role of a volunteer service into full time jobs for its members.
The Inquiry [recommends that] the Victorian Government provides TSV with the necessary increase in its annual budget to enable the creation of a team within the Marine Branch for the purposes of administering a volunteer Maring Search And Rescue accreditation and capability assessment scheme, [funded by]a sufficient portion of the annual revenue from vessel registration and licensing to Transport Safety Victoria for these purposes; or [by] establishing a levy on vessel registration and / or licensing to provide the additional funding.
AVCGA [feels] we have the right to make a stand and be recognised by the State Government and Emergency Management Victoria as an official emergency service with appropriate funding... The recent inquiry statistics show that annually Coast Guard Victoria respond to approx. 40% of marine incidents in the state, with the Water Police at 42 % and smaller independent organisations responding to the remaining 18%. As volunteers, to be doing a similar amount of work as the Water Police shows that we simply cannot sustain ourselves with can rattles and BBQ’s.
The initial strike action will affect calls out requests from boaters who need assistance or want to be towed into shore. The core work that Coast Guard performs is on public holidays and weekends. As a first step in this strike action, Coast Guard will revert back to this charter. This action will not impact responses to Mayday calls, CFA fire calls, requests from supporter members or attending events agreed to prior to the action.
It’s about time this government took the AVCGA seriously. If the general public are stuck out at sea or a life is lost, they sit up and respect what we do as volunteers... Whether it’s a simple tow back to shore or a fatality, our experienced volunteers are always there to help and deal with the situation. Coast Guard volunteers have been looking after recreational fishermen and waterway users for over 50 years and want to continue to do so. We have achieved this with limited government funding and from the generosity of the community via hundreds of can rattles, raffles, BBQs and small business donations.
Richard Burgess
Australian Volunteer Coastguard Association
State Council
Phone: 0400798832
Email: Richard.burgess@coastguard.com.au
