The Port Welshpool Volunteer Coastguard is still relying on a 25-year-old vessel, a second-hand Noosa Cat once used by the Paynesville Water Police. It has become increasingly unreliable, according to Commander Robin Street, who said the boat has just recently returned from a round of repairs after 27 days off water.
“It was there (Paynesville Boatyard) for its service and to try and fix an ongoing electrical issue which means we can’t get it started sometimes,” Commander Street told the Prom Coast News.
The push to replace Port Welshpool’s ageing rescue boat has been raised in State Parliament, with Nationals MP for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien, urging the government to act before it’s too late.
Mr O’Brien, who first helped secure the Coastguard’s current vessel more than a decade ago, said the need for a new boat has become urgent.
“It came as a bit of a shock to hear that they were in need of a new one, and it reminded me how long I have been around,” Mr O’Brien told The Sentinel Times.
Speaking during the adjournment debate on September 10, Mr O’Brien called on Emergency Services Minister Vicki Ward to allocate around $2 million for a new ocean-going vessel, or at least identify if a second-hand option might be available.
Commander Street has stated the current vessel is, “just too old now, working under the conditions we work in down around the Prom and further out. It’s out in Bass Strait after all”.
The Coastguard says the model they need is similar to the 12-metre Rescue203 boat currently being delivered to Queenscliff, designed by Chris Tucker Marine Design and built locally in Inverloch by Alumarine. The estimated cost: between $2.1 and $2.2 million.
“We’re getting pretty desperate now,” Commander Street said.
With more than 40 emergency call-outs to stranded boaties, kayakers caught by sudden weather changes, or even injured hikers from Wilsons Promontory each year, the Port Welshpool Coastguard covers a vast area including Corner Inlet and the Prom, with the next nearest option being the water police at Paynesville.
The unit has 25 active volunteers and has already made a formal submission to the Minister earlier this year. They’ll also be raising the matter directly with Eastern Victoria MP Tom McIntosh when he visits Port Welshpool next week.
“Hopefully when he sees the situation first-hand, we’ll be able to convince him of the situation here,” Commander Street said.
Mr O’Brien said that the Coastguard had a strong case.
“They are a fantastic crew of volunteers who undertake quite a number of rescues every year. Their preference is for a new vessel, and I encourage the minister to give this urgent consideration.” David Barrett
