Port Police Not Enough
Illawarra Mercury
Tuesday October 23, 2001
Over 5500 registered members of 60 South Coast fishing clubs are up in arms over losing the long-range all-weather police launch Ken Price and its three full-time officers from the Port Kembla Harbour base.
Wollongong boat angler Bob Edwards has spearheaded a campaign by boat anglers to have the Port Kembla Water Police Service returned to its pre-Olympic Games strength.
Prior to the Olympic Games, the Illawarra region had an efficient and highly regarded water police service, but during the Olympics two of the water police officers were deployed to Sydney Harbour for Olympic duties.
The other officer, who was on light duties at the time, remained to man the Port Kembla Harbour base, but was not permitted to respond to any emergency.
After the Olympic Games, the water police service at Port Kembla was expected to return to normal, but that was not to be.
Instead, the 13.7m long-range police launch Ken Price and the three police officers were replaced in March of this year with a 7.6m shark cat with a range of 16 nautical miles, crewed by one full-time officer.
Illawarra boaters claim this service has been proven to be incapable of providing the region's water police needs.
The South Coast Labour Council and the NSW Police Association are working in close association with the Illawarra boating fraternity to achieve what is rightfully ours - a viable all-weather marine rescue and policing agency.
Ever since the restoration of the Port Kembla Water Police search and rescue service, there have been many incidents when the water police have been asked to respond. Some of these incidents are as follows:
Saturday, March 31 - Jet skiers in trouble off Corrimal in a large swell, water police asked to respond and carries out rescue of skiers and craft.
The water police shark cat was already out on the water on patrol, crewed by the full-time officer and a Waterways officer, presumably carrying out a safety equipment check on recreational craft.
Saturday, April 13 - Fisherman washed off the rocks at Bombo, water police asked to respond to search for lost fisherman but no trained crew available to assist full-time officer.
A police vessel was dispatched from Sans Souci, three hours away, in the large swell prevailing at the time.
However, the police launch had to return to its base once night fell. The search was resumed the following morning and the fisherman's body recovered.
Tuesday, May 15 - Three people in a disabled boat off Coalcliff radioed for assistance. The full-time police officer at Port Kembla was unavailable and both volunteer rescue agencies were unable to respond.
Port Botany water police sent a crew down by car to man the local shark cat which reached the disabled craft some three hours after the initial call for help was made.
Sunday, June 17 - A boat was overturned by a big wave and three fishermen spent over an hour in the water off Bellambi before being plucked out of the sea by a local helicopter service.
The Port Kembla Water Police boat responded but the fishermen had already been rescued by the time it reached the scene.
The situation then became a bunfight as to whose responsibility it was to recover the upturned craft, water police or volunteer groups. The craft was eventually recovered by Coastal Patrol.
Bob Edwards - who spearheaded the campaign to have the water police returned to its pre-Olympic strength in Port Kembla Harbour - will well be remembered as the man most responsible, along with Harry Neilson, for having a launching ramp built in the Port Kembla Harbour.
If it wasn't for Mr Edwards and Mr Neilson, Illawarra boaters would not have a launching ramp in the Port Kembla Harbour to launch from.
© 2001 Illawarra Mercury