Our units

Marine Rescue NSW has a network of 46 strategically-located units on the NSW coastline, Lord Howe Island and inland on the Alpine Lakes in the Snowy Mountains and the Murray River at Moama.

Units are located to provide the optimal response to emergencies in popular boating locations and in areas of identified risk, such as hazardous coastal bars, prevailing unfavourable local conditions, the isolated Lord Howe Island, the Alpine Lakes with their heightened risk of hypothermia and the Murray River, a narrow and winding waterway that attracts a high volume of boating traffic and other water users.

The network of coastal units supports an escalating response to major emergencies, particularly offshore, enabling the deployment of increasing numbers of rescue assets with varying capabilities in our mission to save lives on the water.

Our units are based in three Zones and six operational regions: the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast (Northern Zone), Hunter/Central Coast and Greater Sydney (Central Zone), Illawarra and Monaro (Southern Zone). Units in each region regularly work and train together to provide and enhance their operational capabilities.  

A landmark $37.6 million funding boost from the NSW Government over four years from July 1, 2019, includes $13 million to upgrade our unit facilities

“For the first time, we can now embark on a building program to upgrade facilities to meet the needs of a modern emergency service and enhance the safety, security and amenity of our volunteers’ operating environments.”

Commissioner Stacey Tannos, June 2019.

Recent upgrades to facilities have included a new unit headquarters for Marine Rescue Lake Macquarie and the refurbishment of the Marine Rescue Batemans Bay base. New headquarters are under construction for Marine Rescue Broken Bay and Marine Rescue Newcastle, with work in the planning stage for several other units.