QUEENSLAND emergency services that respond to natural disasters and crises have faced significant changes following the launch of Marine Rescue Queensland (MRQ).
The new arm of emergency services was announced alongside new legislation, the Marine Rescue Queensland Act 2024, and has since been commemorated with a logo and uniform unveiling.
MRQ chief officer Tony Wulff said the service was built on the strong legacy of Volunteer Marine Rescue Queensland and the Australian Volunteer Coastguard Association and he was honoured to be the first chief officer.
“Volunteers are the lifeblood of marine rescue in Queensland, and they will be the backbone of Marine Rescue Queensland too,” he said.
“I am committed to working with all marine rescue volunteers to build a service which supports, celebrates and champions the lifesaving work they do every day.
“I encourage all Queenslanders to look out for the new blue and yellow MRQ uniform as they start to hit waterways in the coming months.”
In addition to the MRQ, the State Emergency Services (SES) was transitioned from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services to the Queensland Police Service under the Disaster and Emergency Management portfolio.
The new legislation provided in the Marine Rescue Queensland Act 2024 and the State Emergency Services Act 2024 will provide record support for local community disaster and emergency response volunteers, including more resources, vehicles, critical safety equipment and protection.
Volunteer Marine Rescue Association Queensland (VMRAQ) president Graham Kingston said this journey had been a process for many years and the announcement marks a huge milestone.
The reforms would result in people being safer on our waterways, with more resources and more consistency in service delivery across the state, he said.
“There is still more work to be done on the journey, but we look forward to seeing the first units transition to the MRQ next month.”
