Marine Rescue Central Coast has received a $38,000 grant from the State Government for the replacement of two outboard motors on one of their four rescue craft covering Brisbane Water and Broken Bay.
The money was handed over to the unit by Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch who was given a tour of the Point Clare base.
While the 60-year-old building is soon to be demolished and replaced by a $3M state-of-the-art headquarters, work is currently underway on the replacement of several pylons on the jetty which is shared by the adjoining Sea Cadets complex, and the complete replacement of the $100,000 boat lifts, used to secure safe mooring of the Marine Rescue vessels.
MRCC Unit Commander Ian Morrow, welcomed the financial good news, saying savings in maintenance are also expected to be made with the acquisition of the new engines.
“The objective is to improve the reliability of the vessel to respond appropriately in emergency situations,” Morrow said.
Tesch said her government recognised the important job undertaken by volunteer emergency services on the Central Coast, including Marine Rescue at Point Clare.
“Services like these would not be possible without the dedication of the volunteer men and women involved, and it’s important the State Government continues to financially support Marine Rescue where we can, through initiatives like the Community Building Partnerships 2023 grant funding,” she said.
The $38,000 grant from the State Government complements a $20,000 grant from five local branches of the Bendigo Bank to pay for the installation of the new Suzuki outboards.