New police boats take to the waves

VICTORIA Police has floated the newest members of its marine fleet.

The Water Police Squad has gradually replaced its older boats since 2017 as part of a $7.2 million overhaul designed to standardise the fleet and allow for more efficiency in training.

The replacement program has seen 12 new boats delivered in total, with three classes of vessels already in use, including one 16.7m catamaran, known as VP01; one 11.9m monohull vessel, known as VP02; and five 7.5-metre Naiad rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs).

To celebrate the arrival of the final five RHIBs following their voyage from Western Australia, Victoria Police brought two of them on Friday last week to Geelong’s Limeburners Point, where Minister for Police and Emergency Services Lisa Neville inspected them and was taken for a short trip across Corio Bay.

Water Police Inspector Greg Barras said the new boats would continue to support the work of both the Water Police and Search and Rescue teams.

“Our boats are our most important assets when it comes to responding to marine incidents, whether it be searches for missing people or assisting with emergency management responses.

“The latest boats have a similar configuration and handling to the smaller vessels we’ve already acquired, which will be a great stepping stone from a training point of view.

“We know these models are proven when it comes to marine search and rescue and have been used in other states across Australia.”

While they will be used mostly around Victoria’s bays, including Port Phillip Bay, the RHIBs can be easily transported for offshore response, including in and around inland waterways.

Insp. Barras said people could expect to see the boats patrolling bays and waterways to ensure those taking to the water are on their best behaviour in the lead up to summer.

“We’ll be making sure everyone on the water is doing the right thing, carrying appropriate safety equipment, and not putting others at risk.

“As restrictions ease, we want everyone to return to the waterways in a safe and enjoyable way.”

Ms Neville said Water Police were “absolutely critical” on the state’s coastal areas and waterways.

“Like the rest of the fleet, these two boats are state of the art.

“This is perfect timing leading into summer.”