The National Search and Rescue Council

SAR Issues

SAR Awards 2010

Nominations for the National SAR Award 2010 have now closed with 10 nominations received from a wide range of the community. To find out how to nominate a group or an individual for the 2011 National Sar Award, please visit SAR Awards.

2010 SAR Council Meeting

The 2010 meeting of the National SAR Council will be held in Darwin, NT from 13 to 15 October 2010. The 2009 report will be released shortly.

Report of 33rd Meeting published

The report of the 33rd Meeting of the National SAR Council has been published on the Council Reports page.

>> SAR Issues archive

    The responsibility for search and rescue in Australia is shared by SAR Authorities at both the Federal and State levels. These authorities are responsible for the coordination of search and rescue over a vast area made up of Continental Australia and the East Indian, South-west Pacific and Southern oceans and their responsibilities are shared in accordance with the National Search and Rescue Plan.

    In 1976, the SAR Authorities formed a national conference to ensure consistency and uniformity in SAR procedures within the Australian search and rescue region (SRR). In 1999 a shift in perspective saw the group renamed the National Search and Rescue Council with the role of formulating, discussing and ratifying national search and rescue policies. The Council meets annually in November.

In 2004, the Commonwealth, State and Territory Government Ministers responsible for SAR response in Australia signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) on National Search and Rescue Response Arrangements that confirmed the National SAR Council's functions and roles.

August 2010