Tonight I acknowledge Jimmy Arteaga, our fantastic 2024 Citizen of the Year for the northern beaches. Jimmy is the Unit Commander for Marine Rescue Broken Bay.
In the past year he has overseen the rescue of many vessels and people in the Pittwater and Broken Bay area, bringing them to safety, along with being responsible for the 90-plus volunteers who belong to the Broken Bay unit. Jimmy's role in saving lives as unit commander on our busy local waterways deserves recognition alone. However, in the past year his drive and dedication has enabled Marine Rescue Broken Bay to have a wonderful new state-of-the-art building, in keeping with the rest of the Marine Rescue facilities in New South Wales. Jimmy proudly commands the unit with great respect from all members and has formed a team of experts, taking care of each watch over weekends, with extra shifts at holiday times. Jimmy has overseen successful assistance at Sydney Harbour on New Year's Eve every year. I say a big thank you to his wife and kids who support him to serve the community in such a way. I love your work, Jimmy.