Southern Peninsula Rescue

What Southern Peninsula Rescue does

Southern Peninsula Rescue Squad (SPRS) is a volunteer-operated, not-for-profit marine search and rescue organization founded in 1967 and formally incorporated in 1970, headquartered at the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula. The organization provides 24/7, 365-days-a-year emergency response on Port Phillip Bay and adjacent Bass Strait waters, dispatched primarily through Victoria Water Police on 000 calls. SPRS has answered over 5,200 calls for help and rescued over 15,700 people since establishment, with a crew of 35+ volunteer members (32 active) operating alongside seven paid support staff.

SPRS runs two purpose-built Naiad rescue vessels: Southern Peninsula One (10m, twin 325hp Suzuki outboards, delivered December 2011) and Southern Peninsula Two (7.5m, twin 175hp Suzuki outboards, delivered July 2014), both permanently berthed at Blairgowrie Marina and equipped with Furuno GPS, radar, multifunction displays, AIS, FLIR infrared cameras, marine radios, and Sanshin remote search lights. The fleet is being supplemented by two Dolphin 1 remote-controlled lifebuoys procured through the VESEP government grant program. Operations are supported from purpose-built accommodation in 'Scotts Shed' at Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron, housing a radio room, office, and training facilities.

SPRS generates no revenue from services, which are provided free of charge to the public. Funding is sourced from a volunteer-run Opportunity Shop in Rye (operating since November 2017, originally established 1997), state government grants (VESEP), public donations accepted via Square, Ritchies Card Community Benefits contributions, and a corporate sponsorship program offering logo placement on vessels and digital channels. The organization is governed by an annually elected eight-member Committee of Management and is actively fundraising for an estimated $3 million over five years to replace its aging rescue vessels.

Name

Southern Peninsula Rescue

Legal name

Southern Peninsula Rescue Squad

Website

https://southernpeninsularescue.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Southern Peninsula Rescue Squad is a volunteer not-for-profit providing 24/7 marine search and rescue on Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait, dispatched via Victoria Water Police, with two Naiad vessels and 35+ volunteer crew funded by an Op Shop, grants, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Blairgowrie

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Op Shop Revenue: SPRS operates an Opportunity Shop at 12D Nelson Street, Rye that provides essential funds to cover running costs of Search and Rescue operations. The Op Shop was established in 1997 and has been operating for over 28 years.
2. Government Grants: Funded through grants including VESEP (Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program) which enabled procurement of Dolphin 1 remote-controlled lifebuoys.
3. Public Donations: Receives donations from individuals and businesses. Accepts donations through Square payment link. No charge for services, though grateful recipients often donate.
4. Ritchies Card Community Benefits: Participates in Ritchies Card Community Benefits Program where a percentage of member spending is donated to SPRS.
5. Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship program offering logo placement on rescue boats, website, social media promotion, newsletter features, merchandise, and exclusive event invitations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Southern Peninsula Rescue Squad (SPRS) is a volunteer marine search and rescue organization operating 24/7 on Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait waters off the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia. The squad conducts emergency response, person and vessel rescue, vessel towing, and community boating safety education completely free of charge, funded through government grants, public donations, and its own Opportunity Shop. Two purpose-built Naiad rescue vessels (10m Southern Peninsula One and 7.5m Southern Peninsula Two) equipped with GPS, radar, FLIR infrared cameras, and marine radios form the operational backbone of the service.

Product overview

Southern Peninsula Rescue Squad is a volunteer-based marine search and rescue service offering 24/7 emergency response operations. The organization operates two purpose-built Naiad rescue vessels (SP1 and SP2), equipped with modern navigation and communication technology, providing search and rescue services, vessel towing, and community safety education. Funding is supplemented through an Opportunity Shop in Rye.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SPRS Op Shop: Opportunity Shop operated by SPRS volunteers at 12D Nelson Street, Rye, Victoria, providing essential funds to cover running costs of Search and Rescue operations.

Products and services

• Marine Search and Rescue Services
• Boating Safety Education
• SPRS Opportunity Shop

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,200 calls for help answered since establishment in 1967
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Blairgowrie Yacht SquadroncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPRS is based at Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron, operating from purpose-built accommodation in 'Scotts Shed'. SPRS can nominate members as honorary members of BYS as part of the lease arrangement. This partnership provides operational facilities, berths for rescue vessels, and mutual support.
• Victoria Police Water PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPRS works closely with Water Police who dispatch rescue squads for marine incidents. SPRS has received praise from Water Police for professionalism and dedication. Two members of Water Police Squad attend SPRS monthly meetings.
• State Emergency Service (SES)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint training exercises conducted. SES provides cross-training opportunities. Police and EMV (Emergency Management Victoria) also participate in joint exercises.
• Portsea Surf Life Saving ClubmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative water safety support for events including Pier to Perignon swim. SPRS provides rescue boat support for community swimming events.
• Ritchies Card Community Benefits ProgramsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSPRS is a nominated beneficiary of the Ritchies Card program. Community members can nominate SPRS to receive a percentage of their store spending through the program.
• HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Services)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPRS participates in Helicopter Emergency Medical Services training exercises off Sandringham, developing coordination capabilities for emergency response operations.
• Air Ambulance VictoriamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint training activities conducted off Sandringham with Air Ambulance Victoria for coordinated emergency response.
• Other Marine Rescue SquadssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPRS maintains relationships with other rescue squads including Coastguard St Kilda, Coastguard Queenscliffe, and Coastguard Safety Beach. St Helen's Rescue Squad (Tasmania) visited for knowledge sharing.
• Transport Safety VictoriamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPRS works with Transport Safety Victoria on maritime safety initiatives. The organization's social media posts frequently reference Better Boating Victoria.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Marine Rescue NSW: State-wide volunteer marine rescue organisation in New South Wales operating rescue vessels along the NSW coast. Functionally analogous to SPRS in mission, vessel-based response, and volunteer operations, but covering a different coastal geography.
• Volunteer Marine Rescue Queensland: Volunteer marine rescue organisation serving Queensland waters with rescue vessel operations, towing, and emergency response. Directly comparable in service offering and volunteer-driven model, though operating in a distinct region.

Broad incumbents

• Surf Life Saving Australia: Australia's peak coastal water safety organisation, with affiliated clubs like Portsea Surf Life Saving Club (a SPRS partner). While focused on beach and surf rescue rather than offshore vessel-based SAR, SLS provides overlapping water safety coverage and event support in the same coastal region.
• Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association: National peak body for volunteer marine rescue in Australia, of which SPRS-style local Coastguard units are members. Provides broader policy, training, and coordination across the volunteer marine SAR sector that SPRS participates in.

Others

• Royal Life Saving Society Australia: National water safety organisation focused on drowning prevention, swim training, and aquatic safety education. While SPRS is a service delivery volunteer rescue squad, RLSS provides adjacent water safety and education work that intersects with SPRS's boating safety education mission.
• Australian Maritime Safety Authority: Australian government agency responsible for maritime safety, vessel registration, and search and rescue coordination at the national level. SPRS operates under AMSA's broader regulatory framework and benefits from its SAR coordination policies, making AMSA a key ecosystem enabler.

Direct peers

• Coastguard St Kilda: Volunteer marine rescue squad in Victoria that is explicitly named as a SPRS partner and works the same Port Phillip Bay waters with similar vessel-based emergency response for boaters. Directly comparable in mission, volunteer structure, and dispatch relationship with Victoria Water Police.
• St Helen's Rescue Squad: Volunteer marine rescue squad in Tasmania that visited SPRS for knowledge sharing. Operates an analogous volunteer-based vessel rescue service in a different jurisdiction, making it a directly comparable peer in service model and operational structure.
• Coastguard Safety Beach: Volunteer marine rescue squad on Port Phillip Bay named as a SPRS partner. Operates the same volunteer-based 24/7 SAR model with shared dispatch and training ties to Victoria Water Police.
• Coastguard Queenscliffe: Named partner of SPRS, this volunteer marine rescue squad operates at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay with the same vessel-based rescue and towing mission. Direct operational peer in the same regional network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SouthernPeninsulaRescue
• Instagraminstagram.com/southernpeninsularescue
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-peninsula-rescue

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southern Peninsula Rescue