Marine Rescue Port Macquarie unit commander Greg Davies says the community is set to benefit with the arrival of a new rescue vessel.
The Marine Rescue 22 vessel is one of three multi-purpose vessels which have been delivered to locations on the North Coast.
The vessels come after Marine Rescue NSW's response to recommendations from the 2022 NSW Flood Inquiry.
The service received $3.748 million from the NSW Government to build capability and capacity to support agencies during significant emergencies.
Mr Davies said the vessel was deployed to the North Shore for its first job on October 10.
It was on standby in case of an emergency, as ferries to the location were not operational for a period of time.
The new addition brings the unit's total number of vessels up to five.
Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said when the vessels are not tasked for flood response; they will be part of the Marine Rescue NSW fleet assisting boaters in need.
"The important thing about these vessels is that they can be used year-round," he said.
Mr Davies said the vessel can also be used in other emergency situations, such as bushfires to evacuate people if needed.
"We will use it to support the combat agencies whenever we're required," he said.
Mr Davies said the vessel is also capable of travelling in shallow water levels within the river, and has towing capability.
"It's a great little piece of kit and everyone is really excited about it," he said.
Marine Rescue NSW is a volunteer based not-for-profit professional organisation dedicated to keeping boaters safe on the water and supporting local communities.
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