MARINE BUSINESS NEWS
NEWS UPDATE
16 January 2026
Publishers note
I am continually impressed by the level of effort our volunteer rescue groups go to in order to look after people on the water. Their commitment, often unseen, underpins boating safety across the country and deserves all the recognition they get.
By my calculations, there are more than 9,300 volunteers nationwide who crew rescue vessels, manage radio communications, and oversee the day-to-day functions and operations of volunteer marine rescue services. A brief review of publicly available information suggests around 3,500 volunteers in New South Wales, 2,700 in Queensland, 1,700 in Western Australia, 900 in Victoria, 500 in South Australia and more than 60 in Tasmania.
It is reasonable to assume that volunteer numbers are influenced by the volume of boating activity, the nature and geography of local waterways, and the level of state government support. Regardless of those variables, the scale of the contribution remains significant.
In NSW alone during 2025, Marine Rescue NSW conducted 4,512 search and rescue missions across the state, safely returning almost 10,000 people to shore. Of those call-outs, more than 1,300 were classified as emergency responses.
Encouragingly, they credit improved boating education and greater attention to weather warnings for a six per cent reduction in incidents. At the same time, they report that 61 per cent of responses could have been avoided with better boat maintenance, with engine, battery and fuel issues again the leading causes of assistance requests.
These figures highlight both the value of our volunteers and the responsibility shared by all boaters to prepare properly before heading out.
We do hope you enjoy this week’s news.
Marine Business News is an Australian-owned marine industry news service publishing local and international news. If you have news stories you would like to share, please let us know by contacting our newsroom via our email at NewsRoom@MarineBusinessNews.com.au.
Stay safe on the water,
Domenic Genua - Publisher
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