A new era for marine rescue in the Torres Strait as Marine Rescue Queensland (MRQ) welcomes three Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) units to the fold, as well as launches its first newly established MRQ unit.
MRQ Kubin – located on Moa Island – was established in response to community need and joins the newly launched MRQ units on Thursday Island, Masig and St Pauls.
Activity on the water is an essential lifeline to communities in the Torres Strait, where some of the highest search and rescue activity in Queensland occurs. Marine rescue volunteers cover more than 250 nautical miles across the Torres Strait, and the remoteness of rescues and limited VHF radio coverage can be challenging at times for the 25-strong volunteer team.
Each unit carries out around a dozen activations each year and jobs can become lengthy due to the sheer distance they service.
Communities across the Torres Strait have relied on marine rescue units for the past 24 years on Thursday Island, 17 years on St Pauls on Moa Island and seven years on Masig on Yorke Island.
Thursday Island originally was an Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association unit up until 1999, then in 2001 it became VMR.
A citation celebration was held on Saturday, 24 May to recognise the volunteers as inaugural MRQ volunteer members. It also payed homage to the legacy of volunteers and their many years of service to keeping people safe at sea in the Torres Strait.
MRQ is Queensland’s first state-wide, State Government-funded volunteer marine rescue service dedicated to saving lives at sea and supporting those on or near the water.
In June 2024 MRQ became part of the Queensland Police Service, bringing together the expertise and diverse geographic knowledge of our marine rescue volunteers with QPS’ disaster and emergency service response.
MRQ Chief Officer Tony Wulff said the newly launched Torres Strait units represent an important step for MRQ’s capability to continue delivering for Queensland’s regions.
“These units are our most northern units across the state and boast some of the most diverse and challenging areas for our volunteers to carry out rescues,” Mr Wulff said.
“Volunteers are dedicated to helping keep the Torres Strait’s on-water community safe and we couldn’t be prouder to launch our first MRQ-established unit MRQ Kubin on Moa Island, and welcome volunteers from St Pauls, Thursday Island and Masig to the service.
“We know this community relies on the support of their experienced volunteers to help them in their times of need and this support will continue from the same, friendly faces they know.
“MRQ now has marine rescue units as far north as the Torres Strait and south to Currumbin on the Gold Coast and we look forward to welcoming more units to the MRQ family.”
MRQ Thursday Island, MRQ Masig, MRQ St Pauls and MRQ Kubin follow the transitions of MRQ Bundaberg on 22 April, MRQ North Stradbroke on 8 April, MRQ Port Douglas on 11 December 2024, MRQ Jacobs Well on 9 December 2024, MRQ Hervey Bay on 3 December 2024, MRQ Victoria Point on 19 November 2024, MRQ Currumbin on 14 November 2024 and MRQ Gladstone and Mackay units in July 2024.
