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Marine Radio Victoria Goes Live

14 September 2017

The Andrews Labor Government is boosting safety for Victorian boaters by turning on Marine Radio Victoria – an emergency radio monitoring service that covers all of Victoria’s coastline for the first time.

Minister for Ports Luke Donnellan today welcomed the new service that operates all day, every day across Victorian waters, giving commercial and recreational boats a new lifeline in case of emergency.

The new service supports marine search and rescue operations by allowing emergency personnel to be dispatched with the assistance of Victoria Police.

Boaters in Victorian coastal waters will receive both local monitoring and recording of radio traffic on both VHF and HF emergency radio channels.

Coast Radio Melbourne had previously only covered Port Phillip Bay and Western Port, leaving distress call monitoring to volunteers along the rest of Victorian coastal waters.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Ports Luke Donnellan

“We take safety on our waters seriously, which is why we have set up Marine Radio Victoria.”

“The service will give Victorians outside of Port Phillip and Western a new lifeline if they’re in trouble on the water."

Quotes attributable to Director of Transport Safety Victoria David Hourigan

“The Marine Radio Victoria service is a major step towards safer boating in Victoria. It means boaters will hear warnings and be heard when they raise the alarm.”

Boaters need to remember that the key to being rescued is raising the alarm.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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