Growing concerns about Ballina’s marine rescue capability have reached the NSW Government, almost five months after three men died in the Ballina Bar disaster.

Mayor Sharon Cadwallader raised the issue at Ballina Shire Council’s monthly meeting on Thursday before taking the concerns directly to Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib in a conference call that afternoon.

The specialised Ballina jet rescue boat remains without a crew and off the water, experienced volunteers have resigned and Cr Cadwallader says Ballina is still dependent on Marine Rescue units at Brunswick Heads and Evans Head in an emergency.

“I don’t think that’s good enough,” she told councillors.

Deputy Mayor Damian Loone also raised the status of the jet boat, saying he understood it remained decommissioned until appropriately qualified crews could operate it.

Council then agreed to withhold a $4250 contribution associated with the jet boat until it is recommissioned and appropriately qualified crews are available to operate it, underlining the wider concern about the service’s current status.

The situation comes despite assurances immediately after the May 4 disaster that Ballina would not be left without rescue coverage.

Speaking in Ballina two days after the tragedy, Mr Dib promised a replacement for the destroyed BA30 and an interim solution.

“In the meantime, there will be an interim solution so this community is not left without coverage,” he said at the time.

Ballina News Daily revealed in June that two of the town’s most experienced jet boat captains had resigned and new operational restrictions had been placed on the specialised vessel.

Marine Rescue NSW disputed concerns at the time about the future of the jet boat, saying it remained operational and rated crew were available when required.

Three months later, the jet boat is sitting in the shed without a crew.

‘We can’t let it go’

ASSURANCES: NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib fronts a press conference at the Ballina Marine Rescue tower on May 5, promising the community every support following the fatal Ballina Bar disaster.

The jet boat is no ordinary rescue vessel.

It is the latest of four generations of specialised jet rescue boats developed in Ballina over more than half a century specifically to tackle the Richmond River bar and surrounding surf.

The current boat, now known as Marine Rescue Ballina 21, entered service in 2011.

Unlike the former BA30, which used twin outboard engines, BA21 has an inboard turbo-diesel driving a waterjet, making its propulsion less vulnerable when the boat is overwhelmed by breaking waves.

Its shallow draft, manoeuvrability and specialised hull also make it particularly suited to white water and breaking surf.

Marine Rescue NSW itself has described BA21 as an “ideal rescue vessel for Ballina Bar and surf beaches along the coast”.

As recently as April, just weeks before the fatal disaster, Marine Rescue deployed the jet boat to rescue a foilboarder because of rough conditions on the bar.

Marine Rescue Inspector John Murray described it as “the ideal vessel for the mission”.

The community has already fought to save the service.

After Surf Life Saving NSW withdrew from jet boat rescue operations in 2022, Ballina Shire Council, volunteers and the wider community campaigned to retain it.

Above: the jet boat ‘Surf Arrester’ – one of the four generations of rescue boats specifically designed to handle the Ballina bar conditions. 

Main photo: Ballina jet boat coxswains Geoff Hutchinson, left, and Mark Puglisi pictured in September 2025. Hutchinson was captain of BA30 when it overturned in the fatal May 4 disaster and has not returned to operational duties, while Puglisi resigned from the jet boat operation in June along with fellow coxswain Dave Carter. 

Marine Rescue NSW took over the operation in 2023.

At the time, Deputy Commissioner Darren Schott said: “It would have been a tragedy for the service to have stopped for the Ballina community.”

Now it has effectively stopped again because there is no crew to operate it.

Cr Cadwallader told Ballina News Daily after speaking with Mr Dib that she would not accept the loss of the service.

“The jet boat rescue boat, which is of critical importance to the community, when we thought we were going to lose it, the community came out in force and wanted us to keep it,” she said.

Asked whether the fight needed to continue, she was emphatic.

“Absolutely, we can’t let it go.”

Where did the captains go?

Earlier this year, three experienced coxswain-rated captains were available to operate the jet boat: Geoff Hutchinson, Mark Puglisi and Dave Carter.

Mr Hutchinson was captain of BA30 when it overturned during the May 4 disaster and has not returned to operational duties.

Mr Puglisi and Mr Carter resigned from the jet boat operation in June and subsequently spoke to Ballina News Daily about their concerns over restrictions and management of the service.

Their departures left the specialised boat without its experienced coxswain-rated captains.

Cr Cadwallader wants to know why.

“There needs to be a thorough investigation as to why so many of the volunteers have resigned and left us without coverage,” she said.

“I’d like to think we could encourage them to come back, once we sort through the reasons why they’ve resigned.”

She also raised restrictions on jet boat training with Mr Dib and questioned how crews could maintain specialist rescue skills without being able to regularly train in the conditions they could face during an emergency.

The Mayor was equally critical of the local operation being managed from Newcastle.

“There’s a lot of things to discuss. There’s a lot of disquiet going on,” she told councillors.

“Without going into too much detail, being run out of Newcastle is not good for us, as the history is telling us.”

Above: the official handover of the first jet boat, Sea Rescue 1, with officials including Surf Club President Jack Trevan and Ballina Mayor Jack Easter. Below: Mrs Marie Trevan christens the second jet boat, named after her husband Jack in 1977. (credit: Shipwrecked – Geoff Hutchinson)

Cr Cadwallader said the stand-in rescue vessel sent to Ballina following the disaster initially required significant work, although she understood it had now been repaired and was seaworthy.

But Ballina remains dependent on neighbouring Marine Rescue units for coverage.

“We are still dependent on Brunswick Heads and Evans Head for coverage should there be an incident, which is concerning,” she said.

Marine Rescue volunteers Frank Petsch and Bill Ewen died when BA30 rolled while crossing the Ballina Bar responding to a yacht in distress on May 4.

The yacht’s skipper also died and four Marine Rescue volunteers survived.

The disaster prompted an independent operational review, the details of which have not been made public.

Cr Cadwallader said Mr Dib gave her concerns a good hearing.

The talks are expected to continue face-to-face when the Minister visits Ballina for the opening of the new SES building next month.

RELATED: New restrictions, captains quit: fresh crisis for Ballina jet boat