Coast guards in Australia

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Responsibilities for traditional coast guard duties in Australia are distributed across various federal, state and community agencies. The de facto coast guard of Australia is the Maritime Border Command, a joint command of the Australian Defence Force and the Australian Border Force which works alongside the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. Each state and territory government have specific maritime safety agencies and police marine units. In addition, there are several private volunteer coast guard organisations which act as auxiliary search and rescue services and maritime safety educators with the largest organisations being the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol established in 1937, the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard established in 1961, and Marine Rescue New South Wales established in 2009.

Contents

Federal agencies

Maritime Border Command

The Maritime Border Command is the de facto coast guard of Australia. The Maritime Border Command is a joint unit of the Australian Defence Force (the Royal Australian Navy Patrol Force and the Royal Australian Air Force Surveillance and Response Group) and the Australian Border Force (Marine Unit and Coastwatch aircraft). [1] It is responsible for border protection in the exclusive economic zone of Australia and its 19,650 kilometres of coastline and issues such as illegal fishing and exploitation of natural resources, maritime terrorism and piracy, biosecurity threats, and marine pollution. The Australian Federal Police supports the Maritime Border Command and particularly the Australian Border Force with criminal investigations, law enforcement and national security matters. [2] From August to December 2021, the Maritime Border Command participated in the Royal Australian Navy and OCIUS Bluebottle trial of unmanned surface vehicle (USV). The purpose of the trial was to assess the use of the Bluebottle as a maritime surveillance system to support maritime security. They tested its ability to detect small boats that pose a threat within its area of operation. [3]

Australian Maritime Safety Authority

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is responsible for maritime safety and seaworthiness of Australian and foreign vessels in Australian waters including compulsory pilotage, aids to navigation, the Australian Rescue Coordination Centre and coordination of search and rescue operations, and management of Australia's international maritime obligations. [4]

Australian Fisheries Management Authority

The Australian Fisheries Management Authority is responsible for the management and sustainable use of fisheries resources and for combating illegal fishing activities in the Australian Fishing Zone. There are three main branches: Fisheries Operations, Fisheries Management, and Corporate Services. Fisheries Operations is primarily responsible for combating illegal activities, data management, and international communication. Fisheries Management is responsible for economics and policy. [5]

Office of Transport Security

The Office of Transport Security has various responsibilities for maritime security.

State agencies

Each State Government also has agencies with coast guard responsibilities.

Queensland

Marine Rescue Queensland, a branch of the Queensland Police Service, is responsible for maritime safety and rescue.

Western Australia

Neither the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol nor the Australian Volunteer Coastguard are active in Western Australia, which is the largest state with the longest coastline. Inshore close to towns the West Australian Police co-ordinate local search and rescue between various state agencies (such as DOT, Fisheries and Water Police). Marine Rescue WA Groups form the core of the system with three main areas of emergency response / search and rescue (SAR), education, and radio monitoring. MR WA groups (37) are part of DFES (Department of Fire and Emergency Services) The 3 largest MR groups are part of DFES including Mandurah the oldest VMR group in WA.

Whitford Volunteer Sea Rescue's two main lifeboats "Stacy Hall" (Left) and "city of Joondalup" (Right) WVSRG.jpg
Whitford Volunteer Sea Rescue's two main lifeboats "Stacy Hall" (Left) and "city of Joondalup" (Right)

Community organisations

In addition, there are several private volunteer coast guard organizations, the two largest organizations being the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol (established in 1937) and the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard (established in 1961). These volunteer organizations have no law enforcement powers, and are essentially auxiliary Search and Rescue services. In NSW these two organisations have joined to become Marine Rescue in 2009.

Marine Rescue NSW

In November 2008, the NSW Government announced the establishment of a new volunteer marine rescue organisation to be called Marine Rescue NSW, (MRNSW) which was incorporated in July 2009. Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol, Australian Volunteer Coast Guard (NSW units) and Volunteer Rescue Association (marine units) united under the new organisation which began operation on 1 January 2010.

Marine Rescue NSW is a charitable organisation similar to the RNLI in Britain. It provides radio and rescue services over New South Wales with 44 units along the coast including two inland units and has over 3000 volunteers. It is also a registered training organisation ensuring that its members are trained and maintain competencies.

The NSW Government imposes an annual levy of $7 both on boat registration and on boat driver licences to provide funds for MRNSW to refurbish and replace old boats and equipment. As at 1 January 2016, MRNSW has refurbished a number of boats and purchased many new purpose-built boats. MRNSW members are volunteer and in addition to their duties as radio operators, boat crew and many other tasks spend large amounts of time raising funds needed in addition to those provided by the government.

Australian Volunteer Coast Guard

Australian Volunteer Coastguard vessel Australian volunteer coastguard light boat.jpg
Australian Volunteer Coastguard vessel

The Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association was established in 1961, and modelled on the US Coast Guard Auxiliary, the association is an organisation composed entirely of volunteers. It guards the coast in the most effective way – initially by education, example, examination and finally by search and rescue. The Australian Volunteer Coast Guard has no law enforcement powers. Flotillas and radio bases are located from the Skardon River in the Gulf of Carpentaria, down the eastern seaboard to Ceduna in South Australia, including Tasmania and major inland lakes and weirs. Coast Guard currently has more than 2,500 Regular members and 9,000 Associate members. Expansion is continuing in areas of need.

Australian Volunteer Coast Guard resources across Australia include:

Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol

In 1936 Commander Rupert Long, OBE, RAN, Director of Naval Intelligence raised with retired Captain Maurice Blackwood, DSO, RN the possibility of raising a group of trained yachtsmen as a Naval Auxiliary Service. Discussions were held with HWG Nobbs and W Giles, both Sydney yachtsmen and a proposal sent to the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board that a Volunteer Coastal Patrol be established under the command of Captain Blackwood. The Naval Board supported this and on 27 March 1937 the Volunteer Coastal Patrol was established under the command of Captain Blackwood, DSO, RN (rtd) with H.W.G. Nobbs as Staff Officer Operations and W Giles as Staff Officer Administration.

During World War II Coastal Patrol members became special constables and guarded commercial wharves, oil installations and bridges. By the war's end, patrol vessels had patrolled 128,000 miles of harbour and coastal waters and donated 393,000-man-hours of unpaid war service. They were granted the right to fly the Police Nemesis pennant as recognition of this service and the right to fly the New South Wales State Flag as their ensign.

Post war development saw the Patrol undertake civilian search and rescue operations as their primary role but maintain their original Royal Australian Navy inspired organisation structure, ranks and uniform. 1955 saw a democratically elected council formed which directed the development and administration of the Patrol and appointed the Officer Commanding. 1963 saw the Patrol become an incorporated company and the articles of association written. In 1974, Her Majesty the Queen granted the Patrol the privilege of adding the Royal prefix to its title when it became the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol (RVCP). In 2008 the NSW State Government after strong representations by RVCP agreed to the amalgamation of the three volunteer rescue organisations (RVCP, Volunteer Rescue Association (marine sections) and Australian Volunteer Coast Guard (NSW units) into one organisation which became Volunteer Marine Rescue NSW (VMRNSW) and commenced operation on 1 January 2010. Today VMRNSW works closely with all government agencies in search and rescue and education to the boating public. They maintain constant watch in Radio Bases for marine traffic, work with the Water Police in search and rescue as well as crowd control at major maritime events, run education classes in seamanship, navigation, first aid and meteorology for the public as well as providing constant information to Radio Stations and TV stations regarding sea conditions etc.

The NSW Government imposes an annual levy of $7 on boat registration and boat driver licences to fund the operation of VMRNSW which has enabled the replacement and refurbishment of many old boats and equipment. All members of the Patrol are volunteers with a large proportion of their time devoted to raising funds needed in addition to the government provision.

Proposals for an Australian Coast Guard

After the Tampa affair, and the declaration of the War on Terrorism, in 2001 Kim Beazley announced that the Australian Labor Party, if in government, would establish an Australian Coast Guard "responsible for conducting Australia's coastal surveillance and meeting Australia's maritime protection needs, including in relation to illegal immigration, drugs, fisheries, and quarantine-related issues". [6] This plan met with criticism. Peter Reith criticised Beazley for stating that an Australian Coast Guard both will and will not be an "answer to the question of people smuggling". [7] The plan was criticised by the Australian government, on the grounds that it would either be prohibitively expensive or inadequate to the task. Later, the motives for the establishment of an Australian Coast Guard were interpreted by some as "a plan to extend the capabilities of the Australian Federal Police." [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast guard</span> Maritime security organization

A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with search and rescue without law enforcement authority. In most countries, a typical coast guard's functions are distinct from those of the navy and the transit police, while in certain countries they have similarities to both.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Search and rescue</span> Search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger

Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search is conducted over. These include mountain rescue; ground search and rescue, including the use of search and rescue dogs ; urban search and rescue in cities; combat search and rescue on the battlefield and air-sea rescue over water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">His Majesty's Coastguard</span> National maritime rescue service covering the United Kingdom

His Majesty's Coastguard (HMCG) is the section of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency responsible, through the Secretary of State for Transport to Parliament, for the initiation and co-ordination of all maritime search and rescue (SAR) within the UK Maritime Search and Rescue Region. This includes the mobilisation, organisation and tasking of adequate resources to respond to persons either in distress at sea, or to persons at risk of injury or death on the cliffs or shoreline of the United Kingdom. Since 2015 it has also been responsible for land-based search and rescue helicopter operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Coast Guard</span> Government agency

The Canadian Coast Guard is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in Canadian waters, such as navigation aids and icebreaking, marine pollution response, and support for other Canadian government initiatives. The Coast Guard operates 119 vessels of varying sizes and 23 helicopters, along with a variety of smaller craft. The CCG is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, and is a special operating agency within Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water police</span> Marine Rajanavy Police officers who patrol in watercraft

Water police, also called bay constables, coastal police, harbor patrols, marine/maritime police/patrol, nautical patrols, port police, or river police are a specialty law enforcement portion of a larger police organization, who patrol in water craft. Their patrol areas may include coastal tidal waters, rivers, estuaries, harbors, lakes, canals or a combination of these.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coast Guard Administration (Taiwan)</span> Coast guard of Taiwan

The Coast Guard Administration of the Ocean Affairs Council (CGA), also operating as the ROC Coast Guard, is charged with maintaining law and order, protecting the resources of the territorial waters of the Republic of China (Taiwan), which surrounds Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu Islands, Green Island, Orchid Island, Pratas Island (Tungsha/Dongsha), and Nansha Islands as well as providing a first line of defense along coastal areas against smugglers and illegal immigrants. The CGA is considered a civilian law enforcement agency under the administration of the Ocean Affairs Council of the Executive Yuan, though during emergencies it may be incorporated as part of the Republic of China Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine Coast Guard</span> Coast guard of the Philippines

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is the third armed uniformed service of the country attached to the Philippines' Department of Transportation, tasked primarily with enforcing laws within Philippine waters, conducting maritime security operations, safeguarding life and property at sea, and protecting marine environment and resources; similar to coast guard units around the world. In case of a declaration of war, the Coast Guard shall also serve as an attached service of the Department of National Defense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistan Coast Guards</span> Maritime security, anti-narcotics, and law enforcement branch under the Pakistan Armed Forces

The Pakistan Coast Guards is a maritime law enforcement agency of the Civil Armed Forces of Pakistan. It is managed and controlled by the Pakistan Army, with a mission of riverine operations and coastal operations including conducting anti-narcotics missions, anti-human trafficking, illegal immigration through the coastal areas, and anti-smuggling initiatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irish Coast Guard</span> Government role in Ireland

The Irish Coast Guard is part of the Department of Transport in the Republic of Ireland. The primary roles of the Coast Guard include maritime safety and search and rescue. The Irish Marine Search and Rescue Region (IMSRR) is the area over which the Coast Guard has responsibility. This area is bordered by the UK Search and Rescue Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Border guard</span> Government service concerned with security of national borders

A border guard of a country is a national security agency that ensures border security. Some of the national border guard agencies also perform coast guard and rescue service duties.

The United States Coast Guard is the coastal defense, search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement branch of the United States Armed Forces and is one of the country's eight uniformed services. It carries out three basic roles, which are further subdivided into eleven statutory missions. The three roles are:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Police Coast Guard</span> Maritime police agency of Singapore

The Police Coast Guard (PCG) is a division of the Singapore Police Force that combines the functions of marine police and coast guard in Singapore. Its duties include the law enforcement and search and rescue operations in collaboration with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority. It is headquartered at Brani Regional Base on Pulau Brani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vietnam Coast Guard</span> Vietnamese Armed Forces maritime law enforcement component

Vietnam Coast Guard is the coast guard and a uniformed people's armed force of Vietnam. Being a paramilitary maritime law enforcement agency, Vietnam Coast Guard is purposed to protect the Vietnamese state's interests and sovereignty rights at sea while also responsible for search and rescue duties, along with their duties of combating and preventing smuggling, piracy, and trade fraud in Vietnamese waters.

The Maritime Border Command (MBC) is Australia's principal civil maritime security agency, a de facto coast guard, operating in the maritime domain to ensure compliance with Australia's maritime legislation by foreign and domestic non-state actors. It is responsible for border protection in the exclusive economic zone of Australia and its 59,700 kilometres of coastline and issues such as illegal fishing and exploitation of natural resources, maritime terrorism and piracy, biosecurity threats, and marine pollution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marine Unit (Australian Border Force)</span> Division of the Australian Border Force which acts as a Coast Guard

The Marine Unit, formerly the Australian Customs Service National Marine Unit, is a division of the Australian Border Force which acts as a Coast Guard in guarding Australia's coast. The Marine Unit focuses on surveillance and response activities within the Australian Economic Exclusion Zone, and the operation and training of ships and crews to do so.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China Coast Guard</span> Coast guard of China

The China Coast Guard (CCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the People's Armed Police of China. The Coast Guard is an armed gendarmerie force, and its cutters are armed. Although the majority of its activities are ordinary law enforcement, it has gained notoriety for its role in territorial disputes in the South China Sea and Senkaku islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Arctic Command</span> Military unit

The Joint Arctic Command is a direct Level II authority in the Danish Defence. Joint Arctic Command's primary mission in peacetime is to ensure Danish sovereignty by monitoring the area around the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The command also handles tasks such as fisheries inspection, search and rescue (SAR), patient transport and other tasks that support the civil society. In short, the Joint Arctic Command handles military tasks, coast guard duties and disaster response - all in one organisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Border Force</span> Australian federal law enforcement agency

The Australian Border Force (ABF) is a federal law enforcement agency, part of the Department of Home Affairs, responsible for offshore and onshore border enforcement, investigations, compliance, detention operations and customs services in Australia. Through the ABF's Marine Unit, the ABF performs Coast Guard and marine law enforcement duties and is a component of the Maritime Border Command. The ABF is also part of the National Intelligence Community and is an active member of the World Customs Organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maine Marine Patrol</span>

The Maine Marine Patrol is a maritime police service in the United States State of Maine. It claims to be the oldest law enforcement agency in Maine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indonesian Sea and Coast Guard Unit</span> Indonesian government agency

The Indonesian Sea and Coast Guard Unit is an agency of Government of Indonesia which main function is to ensure the safety of shipping inside the Indonesian Maritime Zone. KPLP has the task of formulating and execute policies, standards, norms, guidelines, criteria and procedures, as well as technical guidance, evaluation and reporting on patrol and security, safety monitoring and Civil Service Investigator (PPNS), order of shipping, water, facilities and infrastructure of coastal and marine guarding. KPLP is under the Directorate General of Sea Transportation of the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation. Therefore, KPLP reports directly to the Minister of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia. KPLP is not associated or part of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. KPLP, however often conduct joint-exercise and joint-operations with the Indonesian Navy.

References

  1. ↑ Mugg, J., Hawkins, Z., & Coyne, J. (2016). Australian border security and unmanned maritime vehicles (p. 6). Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
  2. ↑ Holmquist, S. (2017). Incorporating intelligence-led policing in integrated cross-border maritime law enforcement operations in British Columbia (Doctoral dissertation, University of the Fraser Valley).
  3. ↑ Newton, M. (2018). The Australian Border Force. United Service, 69(2), 21–24. https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.092853800596197
  4. ↑ Baird, D., Gilbert, T. D., & Authority, A. M. S. (1998). Review and Morphology of Maritime Pollution Emergencies.
  5. ↑ Rayns, Nick (1 April 2012). "The roles and responsibilities of the Australian Fisheries Management Authority". Australian Journal of Maritime & Ocean Affairs. 4 (3): 103–105. doi:10.1080/18366503.2012.10815716. ISSN   1836-6503.
  6. ↑ Margo Kingston (6 September 2001). "The Beazley vision". The Sydney Morning Herald. – Kim Beazley's address to the Asia-Australia Institute at the University of New South Wales
  7. ↑ "Transcript of the Hon Peter Reith M.P. address to the AAA National Party breakfast, Victoria Club, Melbourne" (Microsoft Word). 14 September 2001.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ↑ Stuart Rosewarne (12 October 2004). "Engaging with the politics of fear: the Australian labour movement's fandango with the conservative putsch on the war against". University of Sydney. Archived from the original on 28 September 2006. Retrieved 19 August 2006.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

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