Surf clubs cheer lifeguard funding return

THE leader of the Bellarine’s largest surf club says she’s “relieved” that paid lifeguard services will continue on local beaches during summer after the City of Greater Geelong council reinstated funding for the service in its final 2023/24 budget.

The city had proposed cutting its allocation that helps pay for professional lifesaving services at Ocean Grove, 13th Beach and Bancoora surf clubs during the peak summer period.

Instead, the city will provide $47,500 for services to continue during the next financial year, down from the $48,750 it spent during 2022/23.

The cash is provided in partnership with Life Saving Victoria and Barwon Coast Committee of Management to ensure the popular beaches are patrolled and have red and yellow flags raised on weekdays and Saturday mornings in summer, when volunteer lifeguards are often unavailable.

The three local surf clubs, LSV and Barwon Coast all pleaded with the council to return the funding in recent weeks and said the local beaches would have increased risk of drownings without the vital service.

Ocean Grove SLSC president Lyndie Freestone, 13th Beach Barwon Heads SLSC president Matt Burke and Bancoora SLSC vice-president Andrew Cross all told the Bellarine Times about their fears of potential disastrous consequences if the service ended.

Ms Freestone said this week that restoration of the funding would allow local clubs to continue “business as usual” to prepare their teams for the coming summer.

“It means that that the highly trained and qualified paid lifeguards will be able to keep our beaches safe at times when volunteers can’t do it.

“That’s a huge relief for us because the thought of how on earth we were going to manage it was weighing very heavily on us.

“We’re all well and truly into our planning already; the training assessment of our members and patrols, and all the rest.”

Ms Freestone said she and her club were “overwhelmed” with the support it received from community members that eventually swayed the council.

“It was really affirming. So many reached out to us, including other people who are campaigning for their portfolios.

“They were shocked and horrified at the news and so people were proactively saying ‘What can we do? How can we help?’.

“The validation that we got was quite overwhelming. It was wonderful.”

Councillors said on Tuesday they were pleased to return the money to its next budget.

“Councillors committed from the outset to considering all submissions and we have responded with… reinstatement of our contribution to Life Saving Victoria,” mayor Trent Sullivan said.

“They’re only smaller allocations, but considered to be critical allocations, and are therefore in the budget,” Cr Bruce Harwood said.