Inquiry Into Marine Rescue Services in Victoria
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Economic Development, Infrastructure and Outer Suburban/Interface Services Committee Inquiry into Marine Rescue Services in Victoria September 2014 ORDERED TO BE PRINTED Victorian Government Printer Parliamentary Paper No 351, Session 2010-14 Inquiry into Marine Rescue Services in Victoria The Committee records its appreciation to everyone who has contributed to the Inquiry through the submission process and at the Committee’s public hearings; they are listed in the Appendices. The report was prepared by the Committee’s Research Officer, Mr Matt Newington under the direction of the Committee’s Executive Officer, Mr Nathan Bunt. Administrative support was provided by Ms Natalie-Mai Holmes and Ms Michelle Summerhill. Economic Development, Infrastructure and Outer Suburban/Interface Services Committee (2014) Inquiry into Marine Rescue Services in Victoria ISBN: 978-0-9808053-7-6 Cover Design: Mono Design Printer: On-Demand Economic Development, Infrastructure and Outer Suburban/Interface Services Committee Parliament House, Spring Street East Melbourne Victoria 3002 Phone: +613 8682 2826 Fax: +613 8682 2858 Email: [email protected] Website: <http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/ediosisc> ii Table of contents TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................................................III COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP ........................................................................................................................... VII FUNCTIONS OF THE COMMITTEE ................................................................................................................. VIII TERMS OF REFERENCE ................................................................................................................................... IX EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................... XI CHAIR’S FOREWORD ................................................................................................................................... XVII LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................................................. XX LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................................... XXI ACRONYMS & GLOSSARY ........................................................................................................................... XXIII TABLE OF FINDINGS .................................................................................................................................. XXVII TABLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................. XXIX CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 37 1.1 PURPOSE AND CONTEXT OF THE INQUIRY ...................................................................................................... 37 1.2 TERMS OF REFERENCE ............................................................................................................................... 39 1.3 CONDUCT OF THE INQUIRY ......................................................................................................................... 39 1.3.1 Call for Submissions ........................................................................................................................ 39 1.3.2 Public hearings and briefings .......................................................................................................... 40 CHAPTER 2: CONTEXT AND CONCEPTS ........................................................................................................... 41 2.1 DEFINING VICTORIA’S MARINE SEARCH AND RESCUE WATERS ............................................................................ 41 2.2 VICTORIA’S MARINE SEARCH AND RESCUE ORGANISATIONS AND KEY AGENCIES ..................................................... 42 2.2.1 The Water Police ............................................................................................................................. 42 2.2.2 Victoria’s volunteer marine search and rescue organisations ........................................................ 43 2.2.3 Life Saving Victoria and the Victoria State Emergency Service ....................................................... 44 2.2.4 Transport Safety Victoria ................................................................................................................ 45 2.2.5 The Australian Maritime Safety Authority ...................................................................................... 46 2.3 MARINE SEARCH AND RESCUE GOVERNING AND ENABLING PROVISIONS ............................................................... 46 2.3.1 Federal provisions ........................................................................................................................... 46 2.3.2 The Emergency Management Manual Victoria .............................................................................. 46 2.3.3 The State Marine Search and Rescue Committee ........................................................................... 47 2.3.4 Victoria’s draft Marine Search and Rescue Arrangements ............................................................. 49 2.3.5 Victoria’s new Emergency Management Act and Arrangements ................................................... 51 2.4 DEFINING MARINE INCIDENTS IN VICTORIA .................................................................................................... 56 2.5 OVERVIEW OF VICTORIA’S MSAR RESOURCES ............................................................................................... 58 CHAPTER 3: THE CHALLENGES FACING THE VOLUNTEER MARINE SEARCH AND RESCUE SECTOR ................... 61 3.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 61 3.2 OVERVIEW OF VICTORIA’S RECREATIONAL MARINE SECTOR ............................................................................... 62 3.3 KEY CHALLENGES FACING THE VOLUNTEER MARINE SEARCH AND RESCUE SECTOR ................................................... 66 3.3.1 Duplication and gaps in marine search and rescue coverage ......................................................... 66 3.3.2 Funding challenges ......................................................................................................................... 68 3.3.3 Accreditation and governance ........................................................................................................ 68 3.3.4 Federal certification requirements .................................................................................................. 68 iii Inquiry into Marine Rescue Services in Victoria 3.3.5 Monitoring and communications .................................................................................................... 69 3.4 MARINE RESCUE SERVICES IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS ........................................................................................ 69 3.4.1 Queensland ..................................................................................................................................... 69 3.4.2 Western Australia ........................................................................................................................... 71 CHAPTER 4: THE MANAGEMENT OF VICTORIA’S MSAR RESOURCES .............................................................. 75 4.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 75 4.2 ACCREDITATION AND CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................... 77 4.2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 77 4.2.2 Victoria’s draft accreditation and capability assessment scheme .................................................. 82 4.2.3 Annual audits and random spot-checks of marine search and rescue units ................................... 86 4.2.4 The need for a state-wide audit of Victoria’s marine search and rescue organisations ................. 88 4.2.5 Accreditation and marine search and rescue operating environments .......................................... 90 4.2.6 Notification of change in accreditation status ................................................................................ 92 4.3 THE MANAGEMENT OF VICTORIA’S VOLUNTEER MARINE SEARCH AND RESCUE SECTOR ........................................... 93 4.3.1 A representative governing body for Victoria’s MSAR volunteers .................................................. 96 4.3.2 Reform of the internal governance arrangements of SMSARC ....................................................... 99 4.3.3 Legislative recognition of volunteer MSAR services under Victoria’s emergency management legislation ................................................................................................................................................... 104 CHAPTER 5: A SINGLE VOLUNTEER MARINE SEARCH AND RESCUE ORGANISATION