Funding to go into rescue upgrade

Hedland’s Volunteer Marine Rescue Service has bolstered its funding for a major overhaul of its rescue boat later this year.

Marine rescue was nominated for the $5000 grant by the Pilbara Ports Authority this month, ahead of an expected $200,000 of the service’s main response vessel later this year.

Commander Zac Slaughter said upgrades and maintenance could include new radios, chart plotters and replacement of the primary electronics if funding was achieved in December.

“We have just been working on getting everything together for our primary vessel which is due for an overhaul this year,” he said.

“All the marine electronics, trailer overhaul, new paint and spray, it’s about $200,000 worth of maintenance and upgrades that need to be done to it.

“It’s a pretty big cost keeping these boats on the water — if we don’t achieve that target this year, then it would delay it until after this year but we are hoping to have the money together by November or December this year.”