Beach safety hours !

There is something very illogical about the hours that our beaches are patrolled.

We enthusiastically embrace summer daylight saving so that we have glorious sunlight until eight in the evening and then we withdraw a service that saves lives just as the shops and offices are opening out and people are looking for relief in the
water on a hot day.

Of course, it is all a matter of money. If we extend the hours of our Lifeguards they will expect to be paid for that extra time.

As usual, the answer is some sort of compromise. To extend Lifeguard hours on every Illawarra beach would impose a huge cost on the council - and that at a time when budgets are under stress.

It would make more sense to offer swimmers the choice of attending a small number of beaches with a Lifeguard in attendance until sundown - probably eight o'clock would be a reasonable time span.

To keep costs under control, such a service would need to be restricted to one central beach - such as city beach - and one other beach each to the north and south.

At least that would give a choice to mothers with small children - and those with limited surf skills - to make a conscious choice to attend a beach with a safety factor present.