VMR: The Future At State

By Rachael Smith

While Whitsunday Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) are excited about the upcoming upgrades, they are also concerned by the changing political landscape that they believe is creating an uncertain future for VMR’s right across the state.

President of the Whitsunday VMR, Paul Martin, explained that the state government is introducing a new funding model that he believes could hinder the operation of our local VMR.

There are plans for VMRs across Queensland to become state funded and all revenue streams are set to come through the government which means any localised fundraising avenues could become redundant.

Mr Martin said that to date, the Whitsunday VMR has been given very little detail on the funding changes and this uncertainty is causing the organisation to feel vulnerable.

Whitsunday VMR needs $500,000 per year to operate.

This sum comes from sponsorships, memberships and call out fees.

They have 1,500 members, each paying $100 per year.

Mr Martin says that without this money the VMR would cease to operate in the way it currently does.

“We’ve got it organised and it’s working – why change it?” he said.

“We own our two vessels, and we look after the maintenance and insurance – with this new funding model will the state government purchase the vessels or are we expected to donate them to the state government?”

With lots of unanswered questions, Mr Martin says he is looking forward to a meeting with other Queensland VMR Presidents on August 19, where he hopes they will get some answers.

“The NSW model is run by the state, and it took 18 months to implement – here in Queensland we’ve been talking about it for five years!”

Whitsunday VMR was the first VMR in the state and will be celebrating 60 years next year.

As one of the larger and more established facilities it is operating successfully, fully supported by its independent funding streams, 1,500 members and over 150 dedicated volunteers.

Mr Martin says that there are undoubtedly other smaller VMRs in the state that are struggling and would definitely benefit from state funding, but that the larger sites that are functioning well should be left alone.

“I am worried that when people find out that we are becoming state funded, our costs will go up because people will think we are getting paid by the government,” he said.

“We could lose our sponsors overnight, but we might not see any of the funding for five years!”

“We may also see membership loss and cuts on little things like hosting open days.”

When asked how he would like to see a state government funding model work, Mr Martin explained that he would prefer to see a lease agreement in place.

“A leasing agreement for our vessels that would take care of the maintenance, fuel and projected replacement costs could work,” he said.

“But all this would take away our flexibility and result in the rise of overall costs that we can’t forecast.”

With the Whitsundays boasting the highest number of boat registrations in Queensland, this issue is at the heart of the community and it is clear that more information is desperately needed to ensure the future and stability of one of our most valued local institutions.

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President of Whitsunday VMR, Paul Martin with volunteer Dick Filewood. Photo credit: Rachael Smith

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