Yeppoon Coast Guard flotilla joins Marine Rescue Queensland

The Yeppoon Flotilla of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association (AVCGA) has joined Marine Rescue Queensland (MRQ), more than 55 years after volunteers first set up a marine rescue presence at Rosslyn Bay. The unit will now be known as MRQ Yeppoon.

Seventy-five members are moving across to the new service, which is described as Queensland's first statewide marine rescue service. For local boaters, the message is that nothing changes on the water: a new brand, but the same people and the same service.

The flotilla began with a small group of volunteers working from a donga beside a boat ramp at Rosslyn Bay. It became the 11th Coast Guard flotilla in Queensland when it was formally chartered as QF11 Yeppoon in 1973. Its operational area stretches from Emu Park to Townsend Island, including the Keppel Islands and offshore waters as far as Bell Cay in the Swain Reefs.

MRQ Yeppoon Deputy Unit Commander Rex Kirk said volunteers provide more than 130 assists each year. "While our name is changing, our commitment to the community remains exactly the same," Mr Kirk said.

MRQ Acting Chief Officer Mark Anderson said the volunteers' local knowledge and operational capability would continue to play an important role. AVCGA National Commodore Matthew Semmens thanked members for their contribution to Coast Guard.

MRQ is part of the Queensland Police Service but is a separate service with its own identity, structure and uniforms. All MRQ units provide free rescue services to the boating community. The transition from the AVCGA and Volunteer Marine Rescue Queensland is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

To find a local marine rescue unit, visit the MRQ website or call 131 MRQ (131 677). In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000) or radio VHF 16.