A new HAZMAT boat for Fire and Rescue Shellharbour will help keep the region’s waterways clean. Photo: Anna Watson.
Shellharbour Fire and Rescue will be one of the first stations in the state to receive a new hazardous materials (HAZMAT) vessel, courtesy of the NSW Government.
The vessel, which will help to limit oil, diesel and other pollutant spills in Shellharbour, is one of 19 being rolled out to Fire and Rescue NSW units across the state.
Each vessel can tow, as well as deploy absorbent and containment booms to limit hazardous spills. They also carry specialised equipment designed to contain and recover contaminants, reducing environmental harm during an incident.
In Shellharbour, the new vessel replaces a 15-year-old boat and offers larger and more stable platforms for crews to operate from, and will be operational from 9 December.
Shellharbour is one of the first three locations to receive a vessel, along with Bathurst and Newcastle.
Additional units will be delivered to locations including Batemans Bay, Berkely Vale, Broken Hill, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, Eden, Goonellabah, Leeton, Lithgow, Port Macquarie, Tamworth, Tweed Heads and Wagga Wagga over the coming months.
The investment is a timely one. In October, Shellharbour Fire and Rescue crews were part of a wider response to a grain spill at Bomaderry.
A silo collapse at Manildra spilt tonnes of grain into the Shoalhaven River. Crews from Fire and Rescue and the Environment Protection Authority worked for days to contain it.
Member for Shellharbour Anna Watson said the vessel would be instrumental in keeping local waterways clean.
“This new vessel is an important addition to communities in Shellharbour,” she said.
“We are surrounded by pristine waterways and this new modern vessel will help ensure we keep them clean, while also minimising the impact of the vessels on the environment through emissions controls.”
The $1.58 million fleet is part of the NSW Government’s $18.6 million investment in FRNSW’s Fleet Replacement Program 2024-25.
The new vessels are strategically located and can be deployed at any time, with response times of under two hours.
They are also fitted with advanced emissions technology using the most efficient controls available to help limit their environmental impact.
Operators of the HAZMAT vessels undergo rigorous training, ensuring crews are prepared for complex incidents. Training is planned for teams in Berkeley Vale by the end of the year.
Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said the vessels were fitted with advanced emissions control technologies to help reduce their impact on the environment.
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