Noosa Council has negotiated a deal with Surf Lifesaving Queensland to provide lifeguard services across Noosa beaches for the next five years at $1.69 million per annum with an option to extend the deal for a further five years.
Under the agreement lifeguard services will be delivered to beaches from the September to May season at Noosa Main and West beaches, Peregian village, Peregian north, Sunshine and Sunrise beaches with increased services to most beaches.
The amount will be subject to annual Fair Work Commission increases on labour and CPI increases on equipment.
At its general committee meeting on Monday Cr Amelia Lorentson asked, considering the annual report statistics, if the amount negotiated was enough.
According to the annual report lifeguards performed 260 rescues, 59,000 preventative measures, 6,700 first aid treatments, 87,000 local law interactions and attended to more than 3.6 million beach goers, she said.
Cr Lorentson said the figures reflected the efforts of lifeguards alone and did not take into account the work of volunteer lifesavers.
Council’s officer said in negotiating terms to determine the best service levels with Surf Lifesaving Queensland they went through each beach, each location and each season.
He said the option decided on ticked all the boxes in mitigating the risk to safety on the beach and the financial risk to ratepayers.
The officer said the agreement was more comprehensive incorporating what would be expected in a modern employee agreement including codes of contact and zero tolerance bullying.
He said lifeguards had an obligation to undertake local law engagement which provided them powers to enforce laws such as dealing with dogs off leash “to an extent”.
Cr Lorentson said in the past year records showed there had been two drownings – one at Noosa and one on the eastern beaches – but no lives had been lost between the flags.
The agreement will be ratified at council’s ordinary meeting on Thursday evening.
