Beyond Patrol Issue 10 2016

SURF LIFE SAVING QUEENSLAND

ISSUE 10 | 2016

Westpac Heli celebrates 40 years Surf lifesavers wrap up 2015/16 season Queensland’s best hit the surf for State Champs

Welcome

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n behalf of Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) I would like to welcome you to the latest edition of our quarterly publication, Beyond Patrol.

It continues to be an extremely busy period of time for our organisation, with plenty of challenges to address and opportunities to pursue as we move forward.

Across the past few months alone, millions of people have hit the surf and sand along Queensland’s coastline, entrusting our organisation and its members to keep them safe in the water. It’s a big responsibility and it’s certainly not something that we take lightly. In fact, we remain more committed than ever to expanding and improving upon surf rescue services at all levels in a bid to maximise protection for Queensland beachgoers and swimmers. A number of services have been rolled out in the past few months alone, with many already proving to be lifesaving in the most literal sense of the word.

From surf patrols to the sporting arena, our members have continued to perform with distinction. Some 3,500 surf lifesavers from all corners of the state lined up to compete at the Queensland Surf Life Saving Championships at North Burleigh in March, with many also making the trip to the Sunshine Coast for the Australian Championships. There were some wonderful performances at both events, and I congratulate all athletes, officials, volunteers and organisers. In particular, congratulations to Northcliffe for taking out the Queensland Championships and Maroochydore for winning the Youth Championships.

On Monday, 2 May 2016, our volunteer members from Forrest Beach down to Rainbow Bay packed up the red and yellow flags for another season. After eight months of patrols, they’ll have a well-earned rest over the cooler months before the 2016/17 patrol season commences in September. Meanwhile, our North Queensland lifesavers have only recently returned to the beach, and will continue to patrol on weekends and public holidays through winter.

I encourage you to read ahead about some of SLSQ’s recent achievements and surf safety initiatives. While it’s important for our organisation to acknowledge its success stories, it’s also important for us to continue planning for the future. Our overarching vision is to achieve ‘zero preventable deaths in Queensland public waters’ and we remain committed to working with stakeholders at all levels in pursuit of this ambitious goal.

Yours in lifesaving,

John Brennan OAM CEO, Surf Life Saving Queensland

Surf Life Saving Queensland 18 Manning Street, South Brisbane, QLD, 4101 t. 07 3846 8000 | w. lifesaving.com.au Beyond Patrol staff and contributors: Writers/Editors: Cameron Ward, Saira Manns Designers: Chloe Koklas, Hannah West

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Surf Life Saving Queensland

Little Lifesavers break record at South Bank

Brisbane was recently home to the future generation of surf lifesavers when a record number of 100 participants took to the sand and water at South Bank on Saturday mornings throughout February.

Surf Life Saving Queensland’s (SLSQ) awardwinning Little Lifesavers program has educated thousands of children since its launch in 1993, and this season reached more than 600 kids in nine locations across the state.

I get to do swimming, one of my favourite sports.

It’s nice knowing that if you continue with it one day it could be helping people,” Claudia said.

Henry, 9, said his favourite aspect of the program was beach flags, and 6-year-old Helena is just happy having fun and making friends.

SLSQ’s award-winning Little Lifesavers program has educated thousands of children across the state since its launch in 1993.

Proud Program Supporter:

“I love it because it’s fun! We get to swim and paddle on boards. I like making friends too,” Helena said.

SLSQ community awareness manager Helen Hallett said the program sees children aged five to 11 introduced to the basic principles of surf safety.

“Little Lifesavers is designed to ensure that kids have fun in the water while introducing them to some of the basics of beach safety through the guidance of qualified surf lifesavers,” Mrs Hallett said.

“We also look to educate them about basic rescue techniques and what to do if they find themselves in trouble while swimming; if they get nothing else out of the program, these are skills they’ll have for life.

“Surf safety is something that every child should learn, regardless of whether they go to the beach once a day or once a year,” she said.

For Rhian Persal of Holland Park, it was the fifth year her kids have taken part in the summer holiday program at South Bank.

“We’ve loved coming along each year. We’d love to go down the coast, but really, lives are quite busy between everything, so for city kids, it’s the perfect way to introduce them to the beach life in a convenient way,” Mrs Persal said.

Eldest sibling Claudia, 11, has been participating in the program since she was just six years old.

“I like the community of it and I like how it’s challenging but really fun and you can learn new things. I’ve made new friends in different years and

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Lifesavers hit the surf to test their skills

It was on for young and old in March when the state’s beach and ocean athletes flocked to North Burleigh on the Gold Coast across two weekends for the Queensland Youth, Senior and Masters Surf Life Saving Championships.

As the pinnacle event on Surf Life Saving Queensland’s (SLSQ) sporting calendar each and every year, the championships saw more than 3,500 lifesavers, representing clubs from as far north as Port Douglas right down to Rainbow Bay, line up to compete for one of the prestigious state titles up for grabs.

The competition kicked off on Thursday 10 March, with The University of Queensland Secondary School Surf League championships. The inaugural event was designed to provide high-school students from across the state with an opportunity to learn and hone new skills, while challenging their abilities against the surf and other youngsters their age.

More than 150 students lined up across the day’s competition, with Assisi Catholic College winning the first UQ Cup, presented by UQ Faculty of Business, Economics and Law Executive Dean Professor Iain Watson.

On Friday 11 March, the focus shifted to the state’s top youth competitors, with some 1,750 nippers aged 11-15 years old hitting the surf and the sand for three days of action-packed racing at the Queensland Youth Surf Life Saving Championships.

The youthful exuberance and uninhibited passion for all things surf lifesaving was on clear display, as the junior members donned their club caps with pride, before lining up to compete in a variety of events including surf swims, board racing, beach sprints and the ironman and ironwoman.

Surf Life Saving Queensland

Gold Coast’s Northcliffe has been the club to beat in recent years and, once again, that proved to be the case as the surf sports powerhouse produced a number of strong performances on its way to a 12th consecutive victory at the event.

In the ironwoman final, Harriet Brown led home a star-studded field on her way to taking out a maiden Queensland title ahead of Northcliffe clubmate Courtney Hancock and Noosa’s Jordan Mercer.

Meanwhile, in the ironman final, Surfers Paradise’s Ali Day mastered the tricky conditions to secure his second state crown, ahead of Noosa’s Jack Moyes, with Northcliffe’s Caine Eckstein taking out the bronze medal.

Day said it was a great result to have taken out his second Queensland ironman title.

“The win was pretty unexpected for me. I think a bit of luck probably got me through, but I’ll take it and I’m really happy at the moment. I wouldn’t say I had the best preparation coming into it, but I just tried to have a positive outlook on the whole weekend,” he said.

“Last year at the Queensland titles I got knocked out in the heats, and anything better than that was a bonus for me, so to get the win was unreal,” he said.

In the end, it was defending champion Maroochydore who took the overall honours, claiming back-to-back titles ahead of close rivals Alexandra Headland and Northcliffe.

Importantly, the Queensland Surf Life Saving Championships form just a small part of SLSQ’s annual sporting program, which sees thousands of athletes from all corners of the state line up at various carnivals and events to compete under the overarching lifesaving banner.

Maroochydore entered the third and final day of competition some 90 points behind, but a series of strong performances saw the club turn the tide on its rivals to secure a second consecutive victory at the prestigious event.

The mateship, spirit and camaraderie on display across events such as these are embodied across the entire surf lifesaving movement in Queensland.

The action continued the following week, with the Masters competition on Friday 18 March, before the

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state’s top ironmen and women took centre state at the Queensland Surf Life Saving Championships on March 19-20.

In addition to their competitive nature, SLSQ sports manager Stuart Hogben said the carnivals also served to promote a healthy lifestyle choice for

Credit: Harvpix

members while, at the same time, allowing them to regularly practise and transfer some of the core lifesaving skills into the sporting arena.

“There’s no other sporting code or competition in the world like surf lifesaving,” Mr Hogben said.

“In fact, unlike other sports, the underlying purpose of our competition is to improve the lifesaving skills of our members and, ultimately, help develop and reinforce the core skills that save lives on Queensland beaches.

“The strength, skills, speed and determination that we saw drive athletes to gold medal performances across the Queensland Championships, are the same traits that we see on weekends when our members raise the red and yellow flags on patrol.

“And let’s not forget that all athletes have to satisfy minimum patrol requirements to even earn eligibility to compete at the Championships which, in the case of active patrolling members, is 25 hours over the summer months,” Mr Hogben said.

Mr Hogben said that sporting competitions also served as a key tool in the ongoing recruitment and retention of surf lifesavers at all levels, particularly nippers and younger members within the movement.

Unlike other sports, the underlying purpose of our competition is to improve the lifesaving skills of our members and, ultimately, help develop and reinforce the core skills that save lives on Queensland beaches.

–S tuart Hogben SLSQ sports manager

“At the end of the day one of our key goals is to keep our members involved in the movement and retain patrolling members on our beaches,” he said.

“Sporting competitions such as this are a great way to keep members involved in the movement.”

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Lifesaving Pathways paves road to success

Andrew McNeilly

Kaitlyn Akers

super fit in order to get involved, but it’s simply not true,” Ms Lofthouse said.

“We’re always looking for new patrolling members, but there are a lot of other roles available off the beach and behind the scenes for anyone who wants to get involved and give back to the community, but isn’t comfortable in the water.

“Whether it’s a club treasurer, fundraiser, a BBQ coordinator, or something else, there’s a role for anyone and everyone within the surf lifesaving community,” she said.

With that in mind, SLSQ has launched the ‘Lifesaving Pathways’ project, an engaging and interactive new website and video series designed to showcase the opportunities available to people within surf lifesaving.

Gary Ferreira

“The Pathways project is a great opportunity for us to engage with existing and potential members and tangibly show them everything that surf lifesaving has to offer. We’ve used real volunteers with real stories to give people a genuine look at what it’s like to be involved in surf lifesaving,” Ms Lofthouse said.

Ms Lofthouse said the benefits of joining the surf lifesaving movement extended well beyond giving back to the community.

Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) is embarking on a bold and ambitious new plan to recruit an extra 20,000 members by the end of 2020.

The state’s peak authority on aquatic safety currently boasts some 30,000 members across Queensland, encompassing everything from nippers and patrolling surf lifesavers to ‘behind the scenes’ roles such as fundraisers, radio operators and club photographers.

SLSQ membership development manager Brenda Lofthouse said the organisation was hoping to increase this to 50,000 volunteers within the next five years, and encouraged people from all walks of life to consider joining the iconic movement.

“There’s a common misconception when it comes to surf lifesaving that you have to be young and

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Surf Life Saving Queensland

“When people consider joining surf lifesaving, they’re often thinking about how they can help and give back, which is great to see. However, we’ve noticed there aren’t many people who stop to consider just how surf lifesaving can actually help them in their personal and professional lives, and that’s also a key focus area of Pathways,” she said.

“There are so many doors that surf lifesaving can open. Even just having it on your resume is a great way to stand out when it comes to future employment, and that’s not mentioning the leadership, communication and technical skills that you learn along the way.

“There are countless examples of surf lifesavers using the skills they’ve learned within the movement to transition into professional careers within the Defence Force, or as police officers,

paramedics, first aid trainers, teachers and even air traffic controllers.

“I’d really encourage anyone interested in getting involved to give it a go – there’s nothing to lose, and it might just put you on the pathway to a place you never imagined.”

“I’m incredibly proud to be a Surf Life Saving Queensland nipper because it means I’m part of a massive family that all loves the same thing that I do, and all share the same habits and values.

Skills that Surf Life Saving has taught me include confidence, teamwork, communication skills and leadership.”

Harry Graham – Nipper & Student

Lifesaving Pathways Ambassadors “I don’t think it’s volunteering; it’s a passion, it’s a hobby. It’s me giving back to the wider community and using my skills to help keep beaches safer.”

Anthony Cassone – Age Manager & First Aid Trainer “I’d more than happily go a year or two years without rescuing someone if I can get a thousand different preventative actions, because you’re going to educate people, it’s going to create a better culture, and it’s also going to save lives.”

James Crockatt – SurfCom Operator & Air Traffic Controller

“Being deployed overseas in several various locations and giving to those local communities, I’ve seen that through Surf Life Saving I can give back to our local community here in Australia. It’s a great passion, coming and serving on the beach.”

Gary Ferreira – Rescue Water Craft Operator & Australian Defence Force

The Pathways project is a great opportunity for us to engage with existing and potential members and tangibly show them everything that surf lifesaving has to offer.

– Brenda Lofthouse SLSQ membership development manager

Caitlin Knight

“Nobody comes to the beach thinking they’re not going to make it home that day, so knowing that everyone has gone safely back to their families is a very rewarding experience.”

Caitlin Knight – Patrol Captain & Intensive Care Nurse “There are so many aspects to being involved in surf lifesaving. It gives anybody who gets involved so many avenues to pursue. It adds another dimension to your life, and it can take you so many places. It’s not just joining a club: it’s joining a lifestyle.”

Andrew McNeilly – Helicopter Crew & Chief Training Officer “The family of Surf Life Saving is the thing that makes my heart sing most. It doesn’t matter what role you play. Whether you’re counting the money at a Nippers barbecue or stepping up to Club President; whether you’re an active swimmer or someone who can bring a first aid certificate to the beach - whatever it is your passion lies in and makes your heart sing, jump in and give it a go.”

Kaitlyn Akers – Club President & Financial Services Manager

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Lifesavers bring the flags down on 2015/16 season Every summer, millions of people flock to Queensland’s beautiful beaches to soak up the surf, sand and sun. And each year, thousands of surf lifesavers are out in force to help keep them safe.

Since the start of the September school holidays last year, some 8,000 patrolling surf lifesavers have been raising the red and yellow flags on Queensland beaches every weekend and public holiday, protecting, watching over and saving thousands of beachgoers in the process.

Now, with the peak summer months coming to a close, lifesavers from Forrest Beach down to Rainbow Bay have packed up the flags and will now have a well-earned rest over winter before the 2016/17 patrol season officially kicks off later this year.

Read ahead for a snapshot of 2015/16 volunteer patrol season.

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Surf Life Saving Queensland

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Since the September school holidays last year, some 8,000 patrolling surf lifesavers have been raising the red and yellow flags on Queensland beaches every weekend and public holiday

Meanwhile, lifesavers from Port Douglas to Mission Beach in North Queensland will remain on the beach and continue to patrol through to November.

Once again it’s proven to be a very busy and challenging season for SLSQ’s surf lifesavers, who have logged more than 310,000 hours on patrol across the past eight months.

During this time they performed a staggering 102,052 preventative actions to help safeguard beachgoers, treated 4,044 first aid patients and, most importantly, directly saved the lives of 1,755 people through in-water rescues.

The weight of these figures alone is staggering and, if nothing else, serve to provide a genuine and tangible reflection of the crucial role our volunteer men and women continue to play along Queensland’s coastline.

However, these numbers tell just a fraction of the story. The level of dedication and commitment that it takes to become a surf lifesaver is near impossible to articulate; so too the motivation within that drives a person to put themselves in harm’s way, time and time again, to help strangers in their hour of need.

Surf Life Saving Queensland

“Despite this, it can be easy to forget sometimes that these men and women are all volunteers who actively give up their own weekends to watch over and protect swimmers on our beaches.

“Their efforts have been nothing short of remarkable. Thanks to their training, dedication and quick thinking, they have given more than 1,700 beachgoers a second chance at life,” he said.

The past season has seen both lifesavers and lifeguards alike forced to contend with large crowds of beachgoers in addition to periods of challenging conditions and adverse weather.

Reflecting on the season gone, SLSQ’s operations support coordinator Jason Argent paid tribute to the volunteers for their remarkable efforts.

Back in February, Tropical Cyclone Winston wreaked havoc along Queensland’s coastline creating extremely unstable and dangerous conditions across the South East. At the height of the storm, SLSQ’s surf lifesavers and lifeguards worked closely with councils and other emergency service agencies to close beaches and minimise risk in and around the water.

“Our surf lifesavers have done a remarkable job across the past eight months, in sometimes challenging and quite difficult conditions. So full credit goes out to each and every person who donned a red and yellow cap and lined up to patrol one of Queensland’s beaches this season,” Mr Argent said.

Not long after, the Easter period saw hundreds of thousands of beachgoers take to the water across the state, as swimmers looked to make the most of the warm weather and holiday break. Over the long weekend alone, SLSQ’s lifesavers and lifeguards combined to rescue 242 swimmers, an increase of almost 20 per cent when compared to last year.

2015/16 volunteer statistics

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“It takes a great deal of training, hard work and dedication to become a fully-qualified patrolling surf lifesaver. It’s not always an easy job, but it’s a vital role and this season our volunteers across the state have continued to build on and reinforce their reputations as genuine lifesavers in every sense of the word.

These actions have supported a concerted effort from across the entire organisation to introduce and implement proactive surf safety services for the benefit of all beachgoers.

On the Gold Coast, SLSQ introduced a dusk service at Surfers Paradise extending through to 7pm over peak weekends in a bid to actively engage with and discourage would-be swimmers from entering the water after dark. Meanwhile, SLSQ’s dawn patrol crews continue to provide a vital service each and every day on the Gold Coast, and have been called into action several times across the past few months to rescue swimmers in distress.

Additional roving patrols have also been implemented across the South East in recent months at selected black-spots and high-risk locations.

SLSQ’s Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service remains one of our core lifesaving weapons and was used extensively across the past season, with aerial patrols proactively increased to twicedaily at various times across the year to cater for the influx of beachgoers.

This season, SLSQ performed extensive testing on the use of portable electric watercraft on patrols and during search and rescue missions, while unmanned aerial vehicles remain an area of interest for the organisation.

Importantly, our network of coastal cameras, positioned at high-risk black-spots along Queensland’s coastline, continue to play a key role in protecting beachgoers around the clock. This network not only serves to significantly improve patrol and surveillance capacity, but also provides surf lifesavers and lifeguards with real-time and tangible information on surf conditions, wave height and beach usage.

However, despite these best efforts, Mr Argent said there had been at least 11 drownings recorded this season, a figure he described as “tragic and heartbreaking”.

“As far as we’re concerned, that’s 11 too many,” he said.

“Investigations have revealed that all of these drownings occurred either outside of patrol times or away from patrolled areas, which is certainly

disappointing to see and obviously something we’ll continue to address moving forward,” he said.

To mark the official end of the 2015/16 patrol season, SLSQ held a number of Memorial Day ceremonies across the state on Sunday 1 May, providing lifesavers with an opportunity to come together and pay their respects to those people who lost their lives in the surf this season.

Once again it’s proven to be a very busy and challenging season for SLSQ’s surf lifesavers, who have logged more than 310,000 hours on patrol across the past eight months.

The ceremonies included short speeches to mark the occasion, followed by the laying of red and yellow wreaths at sea by club members and a minute of silence.

Mr Argent said SLSQ remained committed at all levels to extending its services and reach in a bid to break the drowning cycle and achieve its overall vision of ‘zero preventable deaths in Queensland public waters’.

“Our key message to beachgoers is, and always will be, to find a patrolled area and swim between the red and yellow flags. Just ask the 1,755 people who were rescued this past season alone.” he said.

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Westpac Heli notches up 40 years of service

Forty years ago a dedicated group of volunteer surf lifesavers banded together and took to the skies, establishing a vital and iconic search and rescue service that has not only stood the test of time, but saved hundreds of lives along the way.

Formally established on 5 December 1976, Surf Life Saving Queensland’s ‘eye in the sky’, the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service (WLRHS), is one of the oldest community-based helicopter rescue services in the world. With a highly-trained team of skilled professionals encompassing pilots, crewmembers and volunteers, the service exists for one reason – to save lives.

While the service officially notches up its 40th anniversary this year, its origins can actually be traced all the way back to the 1960s. With Queensland’s tourism industry booming and the state’s beaches proving to be more popular than ever, the need for a world-class aerial search and rescue service was identified as a means to protect swimmers in the water and support the efforts of surf lifesavers on the ground.

After working to obtain the necessary approvals and endorsements from the Gold Coast City Council, SLSQ embarked on a series of trials that

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Surf Life Saving Queensland

would ultimately prove successful and pave the way for an official helicopter service to be established, with an initial team of 16 volunteer crewmembers and two pilots.

Originally known as the Wales Helicopter Surf Rescue Service, it immediately made an impact on the Gold Coast community. In fact, in the service’s 1976/77 annual report, inaugural conductor and crewmember Ken Bird OAM noted that crews had saved several lives in the first 12 months of operation.

“The Wales Helicopter Rescue Service was launched on the 5th of December 1976. From this date on the service patrolled every weekend and public holiday until Monday the 11th of April, 1977,” Ken wrote.

“Throughout the season the service was involved in four rescues, five sea and land searches and several calls in which we were not directly involved. This

speaks for itself as to whether or not the service has been a worthwhile one,” he wrote.

over the years crews have continue to do quite a bit of that,” he said.

Mal McNeilly MBE, one of a small handful of lifesaving officials responsible for making SLSQ’s helicopter dream a reality four decades ago, said the service had changed a lot over the years but its core vision of saving lives had remained the same.

In the forty years since it was established, the WLRHS has grown to become a vital part of SLSQ’s rescue operation, and one of the world’s leading aerial search and rescue services.

“I think it started to make a mark right from the very start and people soon became very enthusiastic about it. And then of course it’s developed from those initial early days to where it is now,” he said.

“I remember times when there were swimmers who were in such a difficult position that they couldn’t be reached by the shore patrols and to be able to help them was one of the greatest parts [of the helicopter service].

Today, the WLRHS operates two helicopters from hangars on both the Sunshine and Gold Coasts, with pilots and crewmembers on call 24 hours a day,365 days a year. The service plays a key role in SLSQ’s bid to deliver on its vision of ‘Zero preventable deaths in Queensland public waters’, engaging in a variety of tasks including beach surveillance, shark warnings, preventative actions, and search and rescue missions both on and off the beach.

With a highly-trained team of skilled professionals encompassing pilots, crewmembers and volunteers, the service exists for one reason – to save lives.

Pictured: Forty years of SLSQ’s aerial patrols including Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service and Vigilance 1 aircraft.

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“And it wasn’t just in the water either – we’d pick up civilians who were lost in the bush and scrub, and

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Gold Coast nipper named Queensland’s best

“It’s such a shock; I wasn’t expecting that at all!

It’s such an honour and I’m so happy right now, I couldn’t be happier,” Chloe said.

Chloe Boland

“This award means so much to me and my club especially, being the first ever winner of the South Coast Branch [award] for my surf club, and now this! I’m glad I could do this for my surf club.

“Everyone who was a finalist was deserving of this award, but surf lifesaving is my whole life. Every weekend I’m either down on patrols or doing water safety for nippers. I couldn’t imagine it any other way,” she said.

SLSQ membership development manager Brenda Lofthouse congratulated Chloe on her win, saying it was a genuine reflection of her dedication and passion for surf lifesaving.

“While Chloe is still quite young in her lifesaving career, she demonstrates a maturity well above and beyond her years,” she said.

“This award is the highest individual honour that can be given to our younger members, so it certainly goes to show the level of respect that Chloe has earned, not just from her clubmates but from the wider surf lifesaving community as well,” she said.

Little in stature but giant in heart, Surfers Paradise nipper Chloe Boland has been formally recognised

by Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) for her outstanding efforts, awarded the 2016 Breaka Under-14 Junior Surf Lifesaver of the Year award.

The announcement was made at the Queensland Youth Surf Life Saving Championships at North Burleigh on the Gold Coast in March.

Chloe, representing South Coast Branch, beat five other nominees from across the state for the award, which remains the highest individual accolade for Queensland’s young surf lifesavers.

It marks the first time a nipper from Surfers Paradise SLSC has taken out the prestigious award.

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Surf Life Saving Queensland

The Year 9 student qualified for her Surf Rescue Certificate at the start of summer, and since then has volunteered almost 60 hours to help patrol one of Australia’s busiest beaches. She was recently nominated for a Rescue of the Month award with her patrol group for their efforts in assisting a swimmer from the surf suffering an asthma attack.

Chloe was one of six finalists representing their club and branch from around the state, including George Taifalos (Cairns), William Muscat (Sarina), Zachary Paskin (Yeppoon), Madison Douglas (Mudjimba) and Gemma Glenny (Tugun).

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Supporters Clubs honoured with top awards

A number of surf life saving supporters clubs from across the state were recently honoured at the Clubs Queensland 2016 Awards of Excellence.

Maroochy Surf Club was recognised as the Best Surf Life Saving Supporters Club (large) and the Best Gaming Venue (small), while Sunshine Beach Surf Club was named the Best Surf Life Saving Supporters Club (small). Northcliffe Surf Club was named Best Club (Gold Coast) and The Surf Club Mooloolaba was named Best Event Facilities and Services.

It is the generous involvement of our partners that enables us to continue to keep our beaches safe.

Surf Life Saving Queensland would like to thank these organisations for their ongoing support.

Noosa Heads Surf Club was recognised as the Best Club (Sunshine Coast) and Best Community Service by a Licensed Club (small). Coolangatta Surf Club took out the award for Best Dining (large), with Rainbow Beach Surf Club named Best Dining (small).

Supporters clubs continue to provide a vital and regular revenue stream to inject into patrol services and initiatives while, at the same time, boosting community engagement and involvement in the surf life saving movement.

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