Commissioner’s report

Commissioner

Stacey Tannos ESM

From the Commissioner Visionary project sustains our hope beyond pandemic.

It is always darkest before the dawn - and so it is proving for Marine Rescue NSW as we take great heart in looking beyond the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic to the next exciting landmark in our professional development, our new $12 million Training Academy.

Bushfires of terrible ferocity. Floods and storms. A global pandemic claiming lives and social connections. We have been tested this year like never before.

We have needed to draw on the same responsiveness, agility and ability to adjust to changing conditions required for safe operations at sea in order to weather this latest risk not only to our capability but indeed to our lives.

A swift response to the need to implement appropriate, escalating risk management procedures and the cooperation and forbearance of our people has enabled our organisation to stand strong in the face of the coronavirus threat.

I would like to thank each of our volunteers and staff for their contribution to our mutual safety and for maintaining our operational strength as boaters took to the water in numbers more commonly seen at the height of the boating season.

As we saw during the bushfire

Commissioner Stacey Tannos at the announcement of the $12m MRNSW Training Academy. crisis, the camaraderie among our volunteers is a great strength. As always, our members looked out for each other throughout the pandemic. Units found ways to keep in contact with their volunteers and maintain their engagement, including through newsletters, unit meetings on Zoom, online training and welfare support over the phone. While social isolation was a necessary health precaution, it was also a lonely time for many. I was proud our people took care to reach out to those who might have been struggling. Thank you all.

As the public health restrictions that ruled our lives for three months eased, we were able to announce a visionary new project that will provide unparalleled support to our volunteers and boating safety on NSW waterways in coming years.

The Marine Rescue NSW Training Academy, to be developed on the site of the State Headquarters, will be the first dedicated marine rescue training facility in Australia. This is great news for our volunteers and our units. The Academy will make an enormous contribution to streamlining our skills development, enabling members to gain their qualifications and start duty much more quickly. This will help units to more equitably share their operational workload among more members. Just as importantly, it will help relieve their heavy burden of managing a range of training activities simultaneously for members at different stages of their various courses, easing the demand on the unit’s finite resources and time.

The expedited training we will be able to deliver also will support our volunteer engagement and retention, helping us to keep more of our members for longer as they participate more fully in unit life.

Thank you to Police and Emergency Services Minister David Elliott and the Attorney General, Cronulla MP Mark Speakman, for their strong support for this facility to ensure that our volunteers receive world class training. Thanks also go to the Hungry Point Reserve Crown Land Management Committee for embracing our vision to restore and protect the historic waterfront site.

MRNSW prides itself on being a responsible corporate citizen and we will now embark on detailed planning, discussions with a range of agencies and consultation with the community to assure them of our determination to preserve and enhance this valuable public asset.

Of course, none of this progress, nor our mission to save lives, would be achievable without each of our 3,000 volunteers and staff. The service of three of our people has

The Academy is great news for our volunteers, helping to streamline our skills development.

been particularly recognised with the award of the Emergency Services Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Congratulations to Ron Calman, Ross Constable and Glenn Sullivan (see story Page 7).

I would like to thank former Deputy Commissioner Dean Storey for his contribution to the organisation. I’m sure you will all join me in wishing him well in his future career endeavours following his recent departure from our ranks.

As we continue to navigate the uncharted waters of the COVID-19 pandemic, please ensure you maintain your rigorous hygiene and distancing procedures to help ensure your own and your fellow volunteers’ health. Do all you can to stay safe in these uncertain times.

Stacey Tannos ESM

Commissioner