Thousands of surf lifesaving volunteers have officially returned to the NSW coastline for the 2024/25 Surf Life Saving Patrol Season.
Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib joined life savers at Coogee Beach in Sydney on Saturday to mark the start of the patrol season, which runs to 27 April 2025.
The government says more than 21,000 active Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) volunteers are expected to be out in force on the state’s beaches.
Last year, 61 coastal drownings were recorded in NSW, all at unpatrolled locations or outside of patrol hours.
Volunteer surf lifesavers monitor 129 NSW beaches on weekends and public holidays, with many NSW beaches monitored by local government lifeguards outside patrol season.
$72 million in new rescue equipment
Last patrol season, volunteers and lifeguards performed more than 4,400 rescues.
Another 1.1 million preventative actions were reported, and SLSNSW responded to 805 emergency callouts.
The government says it’s invested a record $72 million over four years in SLSNSW, to be spent on new equipment and vessels.
The new purchases include fourteen jet skis and another eight Emergency Response Beacons installed at higher risk locations, bringing the state’s total to 40.
A new Coastal Safety Data Hub for coastal lifesaving and lifeguard data is also being set up.
Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib says volunteer lifesavers do an incredible job, and people need to do their bit by swimming in patrolled areas during patrol hours, no matter how strong a swimmer they consider themselves to be.
Awareness is key, Mr Dib says.
The minister says the government has expanded community programs alongside a new national water safety campaign.
‘We’re reaching at-risk groups with life-saving knowledge that will make a real difference this summer,’ Mr Dib says.
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