Smooth sailing

BALLINA High School has been teaching boat safety to marine students for 18 years, and that program will now be extended throughout other coastal areas in NSW.

The NSW BoatSafe program was launched in Ballina last week.

Hubs for the program will be set up at Port Macquarie, Gosford, Port Kembla and at Port Hacking.

The extension of the program was made possible because of $194,300 committed by the State Government.

The program is a joint initiative of NSW Maritime, the Boating Industry of Australia and the Marine Teachers Association of NSW.

Greg McNeill, president of the teachers' group, said marine studies was taught in 120 schools in NSW.

In the BoatSafe program, students will learn "everything from putting the boat on the trailer to being on the water".

Lynda Hourigan, the Ballina High School Marine Discovery Centre co-ordinator, said the extension of the program was a "big accolade" for Ballina High School.