MEDIA RELEASE - Sutherland Shire Council Lifeguards flag the start of the summer beach season
Enhanced coastal monitoring capabilities and water safety training for at risk communities are among a suite of initiatives Sutherland Shire Council’s Ocean Safety and Lifeguards team have rolled out in preparation for a busy summer beach season.
But with a surge in major incidents recorded on beaches and waterways across the Sutherland Shire over the past year, Council lifeguards are once again reminding beachgoers of the importance of observing vital beach and coastal safety tips when they take to the water this summer.
Council’s Ocean Safety and Lifeguards Team Leader, Bede Elphick, said with more than six million visitors expected to beaches within the Sutherland Shire over the coming months, it is crucial all beachgoers take proper precautions to keep themselves safe.
“Our team have been hard at work throughout the cooler months honing our ocean rescue, first aid and life support skills to ensure we’re ready to respond to critical incidents across our patrolled beaches and beyond this summer,” Mr Elphick said.
“And while the installation of additional CCTV cameras and the expanded use of drone technology will enable us to keep a closer eye on even more of our coastline this summer, it’s vitally important that beachgoers take some simple precautions to keep themselves safe – stick to patrolled beaches and swim between the red and yellow flags.
“Last year our team were called upon to perform 842 ocean rescues, perform first aid in response to 4,358 individual incidents and carried out 88,568 preventative actions across our patrolled beaches.
“It’s a mammoth workload our team are tasked with carrying out, so we want to see beachgoers do their bit to stay safe and ensure they won’t remember their day at the beach for all the wrong reasons.”
With a number of major incidents involving rock fishers along the Bate Bay coastline over the past year, Council lifeguards have also conducted a number of rock fishing safety sessions as part of a concerted effort to ensure fishers are better able to manage the inherent dangers of this high-risk activity.
“Our lifeguards will have been conducting regular patrols throughout the cooler months, providing safety advice to rock fishers and reminding them of their obligation to wear a life jacket when fishing,” Mr Elphick said.
“Rock fishing remains the most dangerous pastime in Australia and claims lives every year, so we’re keen to see rock fishers on our coastline taking steps to ensure their own safety.”
Council lifeguards have also delivered ocean literacy workshops to 773 students and community members over the cooler months, equipping them with essential beach safety knowledge. A particular focus on enhancing ocean literacy education for high-risk community groups, including culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, is also set to ensure crucial water safety messages are reaching those most at risk.
“We’ve worked extensively with multicultural community groups to develop a targeted water safety action plan to ensure everyone knows how to enjoy our beaches safely,” Mr Elphick said.
“Evidence tells us that some groups within our community are at higher risk than others due to the fact they often haven’t been as readily exposed to vital water safety messages, so our team has been collaborating with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service with a keen focus on educating those from diverse cultural backgrounds on how they can keep themselves safe on the coast and in the water.”
With the installation of new CCTV cameras at Shelley Beach and Oak Park Pavilion, and enhanced aerial observation capabilities through the use of drone surveillance, Council lifeguards will also be able to better monitor and respond to potential dangers across local beaches, including hard-to-reach areas along the coastline.
“Council’s lifeguards were actively involved in preventing and managing over 93,000 beach safety incidents last season. While our lifeguards are skilled and ready, we encourage all beachgoers to take responsibility for their safety by staying informed, paying attention to warnings and safety messages, and making wise choices near the water,” Mr Elphick said.
‘We’re ready to do our bit to ensure that everyone can enjoy the beautiful coastline safely this summer, but our advice to beachgoers remains the same – always swim at patrolled beaches and stay between the red and yellow flags, understand your swimming capabilities, and avoid the water if you don't see the flags or if a beach is closed.”
Council lifeguards are set to commence beach patrols from September 23 this year through April, with Cronulla Beach, North Cronulla Beach, Elouera Beach, and Wanda Beach monitored daily from 7 am to 5 pm (6 pm during daylight saving time). Greenhills Beach will also be patrolled daily during school holidays from December to January, from 10 am to 5 pm.
Support will once again be provided this season to ensure those living with disability can also enjoy ready access to local beaches, with new mobi-matting sourced for this summer and beach wheelchairs serviced or upgraded. These services, part of the 'Beaches for Everybody' program have grown in popularity, allowing more people with mobility challenges to take to the water.
For more information on patrolled beaches and accessibility services, visit the Sutherland Shire Council’s Ocean Safety and Lifeguards.