Bushfires grant helps Sea Rescue Tasmania rise from the ashes

Just months after horrific bushfires rocked the Tasman Peninsula, Dodges Ferry-based Sea
Rescue Tasmania (SRT) is continuing to help those in need on the water, today unveiling new
navigation equipment installed on its vessel Sea Rescue 2, thanks to funds received through
the RACT Community Fund program.

Sea Rescue Tasmania President Mark Donovan said the organisation had played an important
role in the emergency relief effort during the January bushfires and the new navigation
technology would ensure SRT was well-equipped to handle any emergency in the future.

“During the bushfire crisis, visibility was a real issue for us because of the volume and
thickness of the smoke coming from the Peninsula,” he said.

“The new equipment we’ve purchased through the RACT Community Fund program, which
includes a GPS chart-plotter, depth sounding unit and vessel tracker will increase our visibility
in similar situations and will allow us to navigate past the smoke and get to those people who
need our help faster.”

RACT spokesperson Trent Sayers said the Community Fund had helped a number of
organisations get back on their feet after being affected by the disaster, or prepare for the
future.

“We know how many residents’ homes were affected and destroyed by the bushfires, but we
can often forget the businesses and local organisations that also bore the brunt of the fires,”
Mr Sayers said.

“The RACT Community Fund opened a special Bushfire Recovery funding round in April 2013
to help fire-affected communities rebuild capacity and services, purchase appropriate
equipment or otherwise improve readiness for future fire events.

“Sea Rescue Tasmania’s vessels were instrumental in helping people evacuate the Tasman
and Forestier Peninsulas, and to see the Community Fund program assist the future of sea
rescue services in this way is very rewarding.”

Find out more about the RACT Community Fund here:
http://www.ract.com.au/Pages/Community-funding.aspx
RACT Insurance CEO Trent Sayers