Emergency services on the South Coast have received an $800,000 boost.
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Three state-of-the-art vehicles have been given to the NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES) and a new rescue vessel has been commissioned for Marine Rescue NSW.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott joined the Member for South Coast Shelley Hancock and NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York to officially handover a $185,000 'Light Storm Vehicle' to the NSW SES Nowra Unit, and to attend the NSW SES St Georges Basin Unit to handover a $185,000 'Light Storm Vehicle' and a $90,000 'General Purpose' vehicle.
"It's good news for South Coast residents particularly coming into the heavy end of storm season," Mr Elliott said.
"With La Nina coming this is an opportune time to invest in emergency services."
Mr Elliott said the new equipment forms part of the $56.4 million NSW SES fleet replacement program funded by the NSW Government over four years.
"The vehicles and the SES Volunteers that man them will be a welcome sight during any emergency," Mrs Hancock said.
NSW SES Commissioner Carlene York welcomed the new additions, saying the vehicles will be of great assistance to volunteers in emergency response situations.
"It is crucial that our volunteers have access to vehicles that are well-equipped to combat the difficult circumstances they face during an emergency," said Commissioner York.
Mr Elliott and Mrs Hancock also joined Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Stacey Tannos, Deputy Commissioner Alex Barrell and volunteers from Marine Rescue Sussex Inlet to officially commission the Sussex Inlet 20, a new $343,000 rescue vessel, to the MRNSW fleet.
Mrs Hancock said the 7.5 metre Ocean Cylinder vessel, fully-equipped with search and rescue, communications and navigation technology, was an investment in the safety of both the unit's volunteers and the region's large local and visiting boating community.
"This is a valuable rapid response resource that the unit can deploy to incidents on the Sussex Inlet, St Georges Basin and up to 15 nautical miles offshore," she said.
Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Stacey Tannos said Sussex Inlet 20 was one of 103 vessels, worth more than $25 million, delivered under the organisation's Fleet Modernisation Program.
Marine Rescue Sussex Inlet Unit Commander Karen Lowry said the vessel was named John Nicholas to honour the contribution one of the founding fathers of the Sussex Inlet unit.
"The boat is manoeuvrable and durable, which makes it a great resource for operations on the Inlet's bar and the Basin, both of which can be hazardous for inexperienced boaters or when the wind blows up," she said.
"As well as the suite of search and rescue technology our crews need, it also carries advanced first aid equipment, including a cardiac defibrillator and oxygen kit so we are ready to provide immediate assistance in a medical emergency."
