Marine Rescue Queensland Act 2024

This Act may be cited as the Marine Rescue Queensland Act 2024.

This Act commences on a day to be fixed by proclamation.

The main purpose of this Act is to establish Marine Rescue Queensland to provide—

a marine rescue service in the State; and

other maritime services to government entities and the community.

This Act binds all persons, including the State and, to the extent the legislative power of the Parliament permits, the Commonwealth and the other States.

However, the Commonwealth or a State can not be prosecuted for an offence against this Act.

The dictionary in schedule 1 defines particular words used in this Act.

Marine Rescue Queensland (MRQ) is established.

MRQ has the following functions—

to perform marine search and rescue operations;

to provide marine assistance to persons or vessels in difficulty;

to provide other marine assistance to any entity in the performance of its functions and to the community if the assistance is reasonably requested and another entity is not reasonably able to assist;

to support other entities providing emergency services to help communities respond to and recover from an event or a disaster;

to perform activities to raise the profile of MRQ, promote marine safety or raise funds to be used to support MRQ in the performance of its functions;

to provide services or assistance by a member of MRQ if required under any Act or law or the reasonable expectations of the community;

to perform any other function given to MRQ under this or another Act.

MRQ has power to do anything necessary or convenient to be done for the performance of MRQ’s functions.

MRQ consists of the following persons—

the MRQ chief officer;

MRQ employees;

MRQ volunteers.

A person mentioned in subsection (1)(a), (b) or (c) is an MRQ member.

The commissioner’s functions relating to MRQ are—

the establishment of MRQ units and the designation of areas for MRQ units; and

the appointment of persons as MRQ chief officer, MRQ unit commanders, MRQ coordinators and other MRQ members; and

the giving of directions and guidance to the MRQ chief officer, MRQ unit commanders, MRQ coordinators and other MRQ members; and

the performance of any other function relating to MRQ that is given to the commissioner under this or another Act.

There is to be an MRQ chief officer for MRQ.

The commissioner may appoint a person to be the MRQ chief officer only if the commissioner is satisfied the person is appropriately qualified to perform the functions and exercise the powers of the MRQ chief officer effectively and efficiently.

The MRQ chief officer is to be employed under the Public Sector Act 2022.

The MRQ chief officer has the following functions—

to manage MRQ in a way that ensures MRQ operates effectively and efficiently;

to comply with any direction given by the commissioner that is relevant to—

the functions of the MRQ chief officer or MRQ; or

MRQ members;

to perform any other function relating to MRQ given to the MRQ chief officer under this or another Act.

The MRQ chief officer has power to do anything necessary or convenient to be done for the performance of the MRQ chief officer’s functions.

The commissioner may appoint a person to act as the MRQ chief officer—

during a vacancy in the office; or

during any period, or during all periods, when the MRQ chief officer is absent from duty or is, for another reason, unable to perform the duties of the office.

A person can not be appointed to act as the MRQ chief officer unless the commissioner could have appointed the person as the MRQ chief officer under section 10(2).