Hart Facilitates Partnership to Increase Surf Safety

17 Oct 2013 1:30 PMMichael Hart

Hart Facilitates Partnership to Increase Surf Safety

Member for Burleigh Michael Hart MP recently raised concerns about the coverage of patrol hours for the Tallebudgera Creek area.

“As an active surf life saver I am well aware of the risks that are associated with fun in the sun.”

 “We need to make sure our community and visitors are safe swimming in these popular recreation areas not only on the weekends, but also during the week,” he said.

Mr Hart convened discussions between both Royal Surf Life Saving and Surf Life Saving Queensland to discuss practical opportunities to increase coverage of patrol hours at Tallebudgera Creek, a known safety hot spot.

“To their credit, a solution was reached which will see increased patrols from the start of season on 21 September.”

This morning Mr Hart joined Chief Lifeguard, Warren Young, Neptune Royal Life Saving Club President, Clive Newman, SLSQ Chief Operations Officer, George Hill, as well as Gold Coast SLSQ Regional Manager, Eddie Bennet for the announcement.

[ENDS] 13 September 2013

Contact: Burleigh Electorate Office 5526 6024

Parliamentary Hansard of Mr Hart’s Speech

https://curo.im/~michaelhartmp/blog/tallebudgera-creek-surf-lifesaving

2012/13 Statistics

• From Port Douglas to Coolangatta,  SLSQ has a total membership of 31,103 volunteers and during the 2012/13 Patrol Season, 8,550 patrolling members performed 336,011 patrol hours, 8,464 first aid treatments and 101,797 preventative actions, and saved 2,381 lives.
• On the Gold Coast during the 2012/13 patrol season, 3,907 volunteer surf lifesavers saved 904 lives, performed 43,659 preventative actions and 4,091 first aid treatments.
• During the 2012-13 patrol season, 58 Brisbane Lifesaving Service volunteer surf lifesavers performed 105 preventative actions and 16 first aid treatments, and saved 35 lives.
• Queensland’s 250 Australian Lifeguard Service Queensland Lifeguards performed 457,114 preventative actions and 16,893 first aid treatments, and saved 1,267 lives.
• All up – 3,648 lives saved – that’s friends and loved ones who may not have gone back to their families – 558,911 preventative actions and 25,357 first aid treatments – a reflection of the extent and magnitude of services that these volunteer surf lifesavers and Australian Lifeguard Service Queensland Lifeguards provide and well up on the 2011/12 season.
• Sometimes the battle is not won.  Queensland saw eight lives lost during the 2012/13 patrol season, all were swimming outside the red and yellow flags and all were male. Five of these were on the Gold Coast and one of these was at Tallebudgera Ck.