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“We had been hopeful of funding in the 2022-23 state budget and work had been done for that funding, but it didn’t get approved, very disappointed.”<\/p>\n
CGQ has been loaned a smaller 8.5 metre boat known as 304 as it continues to lobby for the $1.2 million needed for a 11.4 metre Steber Craft, and a second smaller craft, but even if the funds turned up tomorrow the wait time on new boats is up to\u00a0two years.<\/p>\n
“304 will do 80 per cent of the jobs we need it to do, but a recent example where the boat wouldn’t be fit for purpose was a rescue in May of an ocean going yacht disabled off Cape Schank with a snapped mast, and lines wrapped around prop.<\/p>\n
“The now-retired CG09 took two hours to drag boat back to safety in harbour, through the heads.<\/p>\n
“It’s not unusual for us to get a callout like this, probably half a dozen of these jobs come up a year.”<\/p>\n
The fallback is a water police vessel having to come from Williamstown, an hour journey to the heads, whereas CGQ is as little as 10 minutes’ away.<\/p>\n
“If the vessel is not available then we can’t respond. The minister (Jaclyn Symes) has written to me and said she’s committed to keep the MSAR sector safe and operational,” Mr Donohue said.<\/p>\n
“I responded that the lack of capital funding shows she’s not meeting her commitment to keeping the MSAR sector safe and operational.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BY TIM LAMACRAFTCOAST Guard Queenscliff (CGQ) ha […]<\/p>\n