Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) Queensland is calling on the State Government to make an urgent decision on the organisation's future, with local groups struggling to fundraise for vital rescue equipment.
The Queensland Fire and Emergency Service began a review into VMR and the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard in 2018, with a list of recommendations provided to the State Government in January this year.
VMR Queensland president Graham Kingston said the Blue Water Review had been a drawn-out process.
"What we want is for the Minister to give us some certainty that the outcomes of this review are going to be progressed," he said.
Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford said, despite having the recommendations since January, the decision on Marine Rescue Services' future had been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"The Government has made its priority addressing the issues arising from COVID-19 … that is keeping the people of Queensland safe," he said.
The Minister said the federal and state budgets have been postponed and there had not been an opportunity to provide a response to the Blue Water Review.
Mr Kingston said government funding covered about 15 per cent of operational costs and if something was not done soon to make them viable volunteers' lives would be put at risk.
"Across the state, the average age of our vessels is just under 10 years," he said.
"Frankly, just selling sausages doesn't buy a $600,000 vessel."
"It means some of those vessels won't be state of the art, and we're sending crews out to sea to save lives and we don't want to see our vessels breaking down and having non-functional equipment."
A single volunteer marine rescue service
Mr Kingston said merging VMR and the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard could make both organisations sustainable.
"By having a single volunteer marine rescue service … there's a much greater opportunity for corporate sponsorship, which then again would reduce the pressure on government funding."
Hervey Bay VMR Commodore Jill Barclay said the volunteer organisation was expected to operate as an essential emergency rescue service, but without the government's help.
"We get a little bit frustrated that we're treated differently to the Rural Fire Service and the State Emergency Service, which have all their assets provided to them," Commodore Barclay said.
Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett said the Government's slow response was not good enough considering the Minister has had the recommendations for five months.
"The question is, why do we still have the Volunteer Marine Rescue calling out for support at the point where they nearly have to close their doors?" Mr Bennett said.
