Coast Guard membership

[GAFYM]

Spoke to a Coastguard/Air Sea Rescue member at the Boat Show who informed me that if u r a member u dont have to pay for rescue.
However, he then informed me that if i was a member of, say, Redcliffe (for want of a better location), then i would not be covered if i was a member of, say, Tweed Hds. (These are just two known locations....nothing more)
He did say that some of the Coastguards had reciprocal rights but not many???
For someone who fishes from Yamba to Maryborough does this mean i have to join each??:-/ :-/

[tunaticer]

I would not be surprised if there is a % fee if you are being towed in by a sister VMR to the one you have your membership with. However I would be surprised if that offer would span from Maryborough to Yamba.

I would imagine that within a 3 zone area there would be some arrangement in place i.e Bribie VMR, Redcliffe VMR and Shorncliffe VMR as all these boats share basically similar waters.

Jack.

[russ81]

Hows it going guys

I don't know if i have got this right but i recently looked into becoming an active member and the info i received said that the coastguard don't charge for rescues/recoveries but rely on membership and fund raising
Unfortunately I have lost the document and cant back it up .

Cheers
Russ

[Far side]

I joined Raby Bay coast guard and brisbane coast guard for my location. Raby bay seems to attend calls to the south passage bar and brisbane seems to have the northern bay covered. the $110 spent joining both I reckon is better money spent than the $800 boat insurance. Works for me because this is where I fish. I was talking to the Caloundra coast guard at the boat show and they did mention that they dont charge for an assist.

[Hamish73]

to my knoledge they dont charge for a rescue, but a donation is requested.

IMO if you arent prepared to make a donation, dont put in the call and start rowing/swimming. The fuel bill along to tow a boat from Moreton back to Manly would be well into the hundreds

[Jeremy]

IMO if you arent prepared to make a donation, dont put in the call and start rowing/swimming. The fuel bill along to tow a boat from Moreton back to Manly would be well into the hundreds

Well said.

I am an associate member of Caloundra and I believe that gives me reciprocal rights with Mooloolaba. Being an associate member IMHO means that I am covered for a breakdown and tow if required with either. I pay the fee each year regardless, and if I happen to need a tow one year, the years I didn't need their help covers me.

I would be prepared to pay a larger fee for much larger coverage.

Jeremy

[AutoPilot]

Hi all,

Firstly can i say that" Volunteer Marine Resque" & "Coast Gaurd" are not the same.
They are two seperate Organisations...
Sorry i had to get that of my chest,so to speak,as we do get this happening all the time.....with Questions.to VMR'S
Both organisations do not charge for the preservation of life...which means a distress, a Resque when life is in Danger.
However it does cost us lots & lots of money to keep this Resque Service going.
So we have a Associate Member Service for the public..$80.00 p/a
This is for people who break down on the water..with no life threatening causes..
For VMR Associate members...this means FREE - Tows of sand banks,tows back to your boat ramp.
Oh and by the way if you are not an Associate member, it will cost $120.00 per hour...for assistance..
Our V
I hope this clears a lot of confusion between both organisation's..and what they do.
Our VMR is Jacob's Well & is in the "Southern Zone"
This includes...VMR Point Danger,Currumbin & Southport.
We have a new Extended Service between the four.
Which basicly means..providing improved service.
It is a new service that assist's outside their Squadrons established area"Home Area".
This new service is Optional to members...& will cost a little more than the normal
Fee...It is designed to help & benifit "you" the member....in overall lower costs.

Cheers
Scott

[samson]

I'm a member at tweed, southport and mooloolabah but at moolababah they say that its a free tow for members to 25nm offshore the only problem i have is that most of my fishing is done beyond this, does that mean i have to get a tow from a private vessel into that range to avoid getting charged.

[SgBFish]

The" Volunteer Marine Rescue" & "Coast Guard" are two separate Organisations, which is crazy, it’s like having 2 ambulance services side by side and your only a member of one!

As an associate member of the Redcliffe Coast Guard if I require assistance from the Bribie Island VMR I am not covered and would be obliged to offer a donation.

The benefits of membership are that these organisations have your details on a database such as mobile phone number, vehicle details and next of kin contacts in the event of an emergency. It also allows for easier logging on and off through the use of member mobile numbers.

Currently Coastguard membership is $55 per year, which is cheap insurance compared to what people spend on their boats.

I know this will stir things up but prior to the ambulance levy there are free loaders who expect the service to help them when in need but won’t join. The same is the case with membership of the Rescue organisations. I would add $20 (that’s the price of bait for one trip) to everyone’s boat rego and fully fund the service. Of course there are issue of equity for those who fish impoundments but currently there is a greater inequity of a minority funding the majority.

This would allow the closest base to assist irrespective of the boat owner’s allegiance. The State Government needs to stop freeloading off the good nature of the volunteers and members of these organisations.

Scott

[cormorant]

Add $20 to our rego - no way!!!!!!!!!! on earth. I know what you mean but we shouldn't have to.

We are all paying through the nose for fuel levies for roads when we by petrol and last time I looked My boat doesn't use the road!!!

We all pay enough it is up to the Govt to offer decent funding to one group and some how get all these factions to consolidate and not put in place soem sort of management that absorbs all the cash. i don't care if they do it by supplying boats at $1 each a year lease which may be better than giving cash but the the service they provide is important and wish they could do more education so maybe some courtesy came back to the water.

It is absolutely amazing the job VMR and coastguard do and especially when you consider the budget they do it on.

Our safety shouldn't have to rely on an underfunded organisation run by volunteers - they deserve better and so do we.

[kind_cir]

I am a acc member of Caloundra Coast Guard and fish from Goldie to Harvey bay.
I am covered at Noosa, Mooloolaba, and Caloundra under my membership.
If however I needed a tow outside these areas, I would ask some leanency toward paying a donation seeing I'm a Acc member of another orginisation. However I would be happy to pay a donation in a few instalments or something along that line, as I can't afford a lump sum of $120 an hour.

[Foxy4]

I am a full Active member of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard at QF3 Redcliffe.
I can also tell you that we/they can not charge anyone for being rescued or towed back to safety. However if it is a Tow or flat battery then we can ask for a donation of some sort.

Fundraising plays a huge roll in each flotilla but more so in some then others.

This reciprocal deal as far as on the water service is a joke in itself as well. Each one has there own little world in which they want too play and share with very few if any at all. So it does make it tough on the average person who does travel for fishing and boating.

I do ask you all though to offer your support to any of them as far as raffle tickets and that goes. I know from experience just how hard it is and can be for them to make a dollar and every cent helps to keep them on the water, trained and hopefully ready to rescue anyone at anytime and in any sort of weather conditions.

[SgBFish]

Foxy the VMR and CG do a great job and the Government and public (most of them) take you for granted.
Thanks.
Scott

[gawby]

Scott,
I thought you were on a good idea with the $20- as it would be going towards safety which i am a big supporter of.:)

The only negitave i can see is with regards to the ambulance fees, where have they gone to, by the looks of the state of the ambulance system not back to them. :(

I might just do a bit of research into it and find out how much money each year is being squandered somewhere else. That's how it seems to me.:o

I still support your idea.;D

Graeme;)

[GAFYM]

I do not argue that both do a great job, and are a lifesaving organisation. However, i was told.....no more donations....for fuel etc for towing. There is a rate and u pay. From what i read, i may have been misinformed.
I do not begrudge paying a membership fee for VMR/CG whatever but 2 or 3 is getting a bit rich. I will not buy raffle tickets from either because then the phone calls start.....(usually from India/Paki). Will always donate to them same as i do to the Lifesavers

[Foxy4]

I know the we at QF3 Redcliffe are not allowed to use anyones phone numbers and details for any purpose that they are not intended for. If you purchase a raffle ticket, your name is not taken from that and used unless you win something. The same goes for you membership details. It is all for our records and not to be given out too anyone outside the flotilla.

[keen_angler]

I think that the VMR and CG do a great job.

I am under the impression as an associate member of VMR Raby Bay that they offer the following: Queensland-wide cover: refund cost incurred from assitance by other resuce organisations (other VMR squadrons or Coastguard) for up to 2 hours of towing.

Which I personally think is great.

Below is the doc where I got this information from.

http://www.vmrrabybay.org.au/Docs/Assoc%20M%20Handout1.pdf

Anyway again I think you guys do a great job.:)

[AutoPilot]

I do not argue that both do a great job, and are a lifesaving organisation. However, i was told.....no more donations....for fuel etc for towing. There is a rate and u pay. From what i read, i may have been misinformed.
I do not begrudge paying a membership fee for VMR/CG whatever but 2 or 3 is getting a bit rich. I will not buy raffle tickets from either because then the phone calls start.....(usually from India/Paki). Will always donate to them same as i do to the Lifesavers

Hi all,

This has sparked a good debate...
As for No more donations...yes that is correct GAFYM.....We can not accept donations..( no invoice ) It is becoming a business more & more each day..
We bill per hour//// as mentioned in my other post above....

I find it a bit sad how you think if you buy a raffle ticket you will be hounded by calls......These raffles are all "in house".....or LOCAL FUND RAISING...VMR"s have
never in the history of Volunteer's.... given your phone #'s to any CALL CENTER...

Any way to give you an idear of what we get for RAFFLE MONEY...
Fuel costs for ONE Volunteer Marine Resque Squadron for the last financial year was $40,000......Fuel Only....

Anyway ..thats my 2 cents worth

Regards
Scott

[Fish Guts]

The" Volunteer Marine Rescue" & "Coast Guard" are two separate Organisations, which is crazy, it’s like having 2 ambulance services side by side and your only a member of one!

As an associate member of the Redcliffe Coast Guard if I require assistance from the Bribie Island VMR I am not covered and would be obliged to offer a donation.

The benefits of membership are that these organisations have your details on a database such as mobile phone number, vehicle details and next of kin contacts in the event of an emergency. It also allows for easier logging on and off through the use of member mobile numbers.

Currently Coastguard membership is $55 per year, which is cheap insurance compared to what people spend on their boats.

I know this will stir things up but prior to the ambulance levy there are free loaders who expect the service to help them when in need but won’t join. The same is the case with membership of the Rescue organisations. I would add $20 (that’s the price of bait for one trip) to everyone’s boat rego and fully fund the service. Of course there are issue of equity for those who fish impoundments but currently there is a greater inequity of a minority funding the majority.

This would allow the closest base to assist irrespective of the boat owner’s allegiance. The State Government needs to stop freeloading off the good nature of the volunteers and members of these organisations.

Scott


Scott,

Couldnt agree more with your comments. With the limited budget of the Qld water police, (new assets requiring big running costs, and in effect reducing Police activity) there is a MASSIVE reliance on VMR's. I would hate to see what would occur if all VMR's shut up shop and left all their 'assigned' Police & QAS taskings back to the water police. I think the Vmr's should have enough funding to allow for on the water training of crew on a regular basis, where as it is these days the only chance a Vmr crew can get experience is on a callout, with the boat packed with crew because the flotilla cant afford to run the boat's for training .Whats 20 dollars, its a couple of coffees and a few snacks at the servo. On the other hand, some might be willing to either
1- skimp on paying the volounteers after a resuce
2- pay the full cost of a resuce/salvage . qf3 used to go on 120 an hour, probably more now with fuel costs. e.g tow from wide caloundra to scarbough est $480.

cheers

fish guts

[SgBFish]

I picked $20 out of the air as a reasonable cost that most boaties could wear. The DOT numbers suggest that there are 180,000 registered boats in QLD that would give the VMR/CG around the state an extra $3.6M in funding.
I don’t see the point in getting people who have volunteered their time to help save life and property to sell sausages at Bunnings on the weekend to cover fuel costs!!!
The advantage with this is that it reves the cross jurisdiction pickup issues that have been identified. The nearest provider whether they be VRM of CG would do the service and the cost coming from their funding allocation.
There could also be funding set aside for training.
Just a thought.
Scott

[AutoPilot]

I here ya Scott,

That would solve a lot of pressure in trying to find monies to run the boats...
I personally find it de-grading asking people for money.
Its getting so hard...like trying to draw blood out of a stone
Anyway your idear is a good one but i dont think the gov looks at it the same..
We should ask that beaty scum for some of his $2,000000 for Volunteers

Cheers
Scott