By RON LANE
THE statistics released in this year’s annual report for Surf Life Saving Sunshine Coast once again reveal the outstanding contribution that our two local clubs Noosa and Sunshine, made during the 2015/16 season.
At Noosa, their total number of hours on the beach has for the second year in a row been highest of all clubs on the Sunshine Coast. This season they totaled 18,475 hours of patrol duty with Mooloolaba being next with 15,116.
Noosas high total is because they are now responsible for the running of both Noosa and Peregian beaches – and with two beaches being under their care it doubles their rate of responsibility. This is something that should be acknowledged.
Last year their total was 17,800 thus giving them an outstanding tally of 36,275 hours for the two seasons.
For Sunshine – with only one beach to patrol – their total for the season was 8021. This is also an outstanding total for this small club, remembering that they are in fact not on a main thoroughfare like Noosa, which sits on the well-known tourist attraction of Hasting Street.
Sunshine had in the 2014/15 season a total of 6782 hours, giving them a two-season total of 14,803. This season’s increase in membership enabled them to provide more manpower to their beach, thus the increase hours.
Total rescues on the Sunshine Coast were 780 as against last year’s 971. This can be taken as a good indicator as to the high standard of patrolling.
Despite repeated warnings clubs are finding that the number of beachgoers visiting remote and less crowded beaches seems to be on the increase. The reduction in rescues tells us that the 32,932 preventative actions taken by the clubs are indeed paying dividends. Add to this the emphases placed on the training as to the reduction of response times for emergency call outs to remote areas by our IRB teams, has been productive.
With the estimated visitations to our Sunshine Coast Beaches being 1,484,837, it is to be hoped that our various tourism groups take note and acknowledge the work being done by our volunteer life savers.
We have said it once and we will say it again; Life Saving Queensland is now and will always be a vital and necessary part of our tourism industry – with no patrols on our beaches, mum, dad and the kids will go elsewhere.
Happy to relate the Surf Awareness Courses for schools, in which the Noosa club has been heavily involved, is ongoing.
With constant visits to schools, even in as far-away places as Brisbane, plus huge banners being designed for public display, every avenue of support for this training team is being pursued.
Under the leadership and organisation of education manager Greg McLaughlin, plus support groups, this team has reached many hundreds of students who otherwise would have been left in the dark as to the teachings of surf awareness.
The ultimate goal is of course is that the school programs will produce the life savers of tomorrow. However for those who do not chose to join the Red and Yellow Army (the life saving clubs) they will have learned lessons that will enable them to enjoy surfing without endangering their lives or those of family members who may be on the sand in times of crisis.
On behalf of the Noosa club – and in particular the Nippers – we wish to congratulate Brittany Elmslie on winning her Gold Medal at the Rio Olympics. In 2007 while swimming for her club the Noosa Nippers, Brittany was a member of the under-13 surf team that won the gold medal at the State Titles. Also best wishes to her family – well done to both.
