If you’ve missed the last expired flares collection in 2018, you can soon take advantage of another visit by Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) to the MidCoast region in January.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The mobile collection program will roll out for the first time in 2019, offering convenient and free disposal of marine flares that have reached expiry, and serving as a reminder to boat owners that flares disposed of incorrectly can be hazardous.
Mobile collection points will be available on:
Thursday January 10 in Taree (Queen Elizabeth Park) from 8am-10am,
followed by the Crowdy Head boat ramp from noon-2pm,
finishing up at the Forster boat ramp from 4.30pm -6.30pm.
Marine flares are used in boating emergencies as a signal for help, and to assist with establishing a vessel’s location.
Most flares have a use-by date of three years from manufacture, and penalties apply where flares are not replaced within their expiry period. It is also an offence to set off flares except in the case of an emergency.
“Many people think flares can be placed into their general garbage collection,” council’s Waste Program Coordinator Amy Hill explained.
“But flares are highly flammable and can be dangerous to the collectors, they can cause fire and damage to property, and they’re hazardous for the environment if they end up in our landfills.”
Local boat owners are encouraged to regularly inspect their on-board flares, check the expiry dates, and take advantage of the RMS mobile collection program in January 2019.
For more information, and to view collection locations in other coastal locations, visit www.rms.nsw.gov.au/flares