Minister for Police and Minister for Corrective Services, the Honourable Mark Ryan MP and District Officer for Sunshine Coast District, Superintendent Darryl Johnson have attended a demonstration of a new water police vessel on the Sunshine Coast.
Minister Ryan said he was impressed with the features and capabilities of the new Water Police vessel, which will operate out of the Mooloolaba base.
“This vessel will provide a significant water-based asset to assist officers in enhancing the safety of the Sunshine Coast marine community,” Minister Ryan said.
“It was wonderful to see the capabilities and features of the vessel myself.
“I am sure that this boat complete with modern technologies and navigation methods will best enable the Sunshine Coast Water Police to continue their high standard of service to ensure the safety of their community,” the Minister said.
This new vessel replaces the Sunshine Coast Water Police vessel ‘George Doyle’ which had been in service since 2002.
The vessel has not yet been officially named with a commissioning ceremony due to be held later this year.
The vessel was constructed using modern technology and uses the latest innovation available for navigation, safety and search and rescue operations.
It is powered by two Scania 16.4 Litre, eight-cylinder twin turbo charged diesel main engines and is surveyed to 200 nautical miles with a range of 440 nautical miles.
This 17 metre hard collared monohull patrol vessel was built by Australian builder, Hart Marine and cost approximately $3.2 million.
The vessel has accommodation facilities to allow for overnight and extended deployments and has the additional capacity to act as a Police Forward Command Post for any north coast disaster events or major marine incidents.
The vessel has already been put to good use and was the lead first response vessel utilised in the recent search and rescue of two men and a young boy off the coast of Caloundra. It also travelled more than 100 nautical miles to come to the rescue of a vessel in distress over the Easter holiday period.
Superintendent Johnson said the vessel had already had a positive impact on the Sunshine Coast community.
“This vessel’s presence will be and has already been felt right along the Sunshine Coast by police and both Sunshine Coast and marine community members,” Superintendent Johnson said.
“The patrol vessel will assist water police in continuing to meet the demands of the Sunshine Coast community well into the future.”
