Queensland’s marine rescue volunteers and the boating community remain in the dark on the future of the crucial water safety service with the Labor Government failing to outline a plan.
The state's boating community is calling for action and clarity after the long-awaited Blue Water Review into Queensland marine rescue operations was released without any public statement or fanfare from Labor and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford.
Liberal National Party Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Lachlan Millar called on the Palaszczuk Labor Government to come clean with a course of action for the state’s volunteer marine rescue services.
"Queensland's volunteer marine rescuers are doing their best to protect the communities they serve, and they deserve to know what lies beyond the Blue Water Review," Mr Millar said.
“The report is out but the boating community still has no bearing on what the government has planned for the future of marine rescue in Queensland.
“The Blue Water Review offered many useful insights into the inefficiencies our marine rescuers struggle with but failed to offer a clear pathway forward.
"We know that the Minister has been sitting on this report for months after he announced it in July 2018.
“To only now be considering reviewing the review is completely unacceptable.
“This report cannot be allowed to just gather dust. There are serious questions surrounding funding and the viability of some of our marine rescue operations right up and down the coast – they need answers immediately.
“The message from both Volunteer Marine Rescue and Australian Volunteer Coast Guard is that the status quo cannot continue and its’ time for the Minister to take action on reforming how Queensland does marine rescue.
"Queenslanders are sick and tired of review after review and bureaucratic double speak from this Labor Government that can’t make the tough decisions.
“Queensland’s emergency service volunteers have spoken in this report – it’s now time for government to act.”
