Message
from the Mayor
For just
over 30 years the volunteers of the Innisfail Flotilla of the
Australian Volunteer Coast Guard have provided a mantle of safety
for those members of the Innisfail Community who have ventured
to sea in pursuit of their livelihood or to simply enjoy a days
fishing.
Just as the best laid plans go wrong, those who venture to sea
sometimes find that they are unable to come home when they are
ready. Often their plight is due to their own indifference and
neglect; at other times it is just bad luck and the result of
unseen circumstances.
Whatever the cause, there is invariably the one solution: call
the Coast Guard!
Whether it be day or night, foul weather, rain and gale, the
volunteers of the Coast Guard have always postponed their personal
pursuits, suffered what nature has thrown at them and applied
their training to the task of getting someone home.
These volunteers put in over 16,000 man hours each year in order
to provide the mantle of safety, the result of which is that
over the past five years they have brought home almost 230 vessels
of varying size in which there were approximately 700 souls.
Because of their outstanding service to the Innisfail community
this Council has, over the years, assisted our Coast Guard by
various means
The Flotilla now needs to replace its primary rescue vessel.
The cost of the replacement vessel is far beyond their fund
raising capacity. The Johnstone Shire Council has, in recognition
of their past services to the community and in acknowledging
the continuing need for their service, accepted a responsibility
to actively assist in the fund raising effort.
As you
move through these pages you will learn a little of what the
flotilla is, what it has done and what it is aiming to achieve.
You will also be made aware of the costs involved in the replacement
of the vessel and how the Flotilla is moving to achieve this
objective. One thing, however, is evident, the Flotilla is in
desperate need of assistance.
Please
continue to pass through these pages and give consideration
as to how you can assist in this vital project.
Barry
Moyle
Mayor
Johnstone Shire Council
