TROY BELL MP
Member for Mount Gambier
Your Independent voice
in State Parliament
Minister rejects rescue fund call
Thursday November 10, 2022Published by: The SE Voice
'Red tape' blamed for marine concept decision Story by J.L. 'Fred' Smith he State Government has blocked a proposal from Independent Mount Gambier T MP Troy Bell for a marine rescue fund where there is no dedicated marine rescue facility such as at Port MacDonnell.
Emergency Services Minister Joe Szakacs was quizzed about this matter by Mr Bell in the House of Assembly last week.
The Minister suggested "red tape" as one of the reasons for rejecting the suggestion.
Minister Szakacs acknowledged that a life had been saved when a private vessel was tasked to a marine emergency in the waters off Port MacDonnell earlier this year.
The Minister said he was aware the private vessel had been damaged in the course of the rescue but the private insurance company had yet to pay out.
"It would be easy for me to stand here and have a go at insurance companies," Minister Szakacs said.
"They certainly have done plenty to deserve that, but if I can temper my remarks and say the very least we can expect from private insurers is they meet their obligations.
"We are seeing now, as the market is squeezed and underwriting becomes more expensive, insurers starting to cut corners.
"The truth is that I would expect, and I am sure the community would expect, that if a fishing vessel responds to the aid of another vessel in an emergency and there is damage that occurs, that insurance company to whom the private owner has paid a significant premium will pay up." According to the Minister, Mr Bell was looking to create a fund which would compensate fishers or other vessels who do respond in times of emergency.
"The truth is that I cannot say or promise and nor can I support a fund particularly funded out of the Community Emergency Services Fund, into which the collections of the emergency services levy are paid to create this fund," Minister Szakacs said.
"There are a number of reasons, one of which is the legal constraints around disbursement from the Community Emergency Services Fund is limited.
"However, I can give the Member for Mount Gambier my assurance - as I can speak on behalf of other ministers who have an interest in this matter - that we will continue to work across agencies and across sectors to ensure the South East has the best emergency response and the best community safety."