Sponsorship deal may save lifeguards

02.09.2010

CLUBS and businesses are set to pick up
the tab for the Eurobodalla Shire Council's
cancelled lifeguard program.
Talks between council, Club Catalina
and the Batemans Bay Village Centre are
underway, and a $50,000 sponsorship deal
is on the table.
Paid lifeguards will ease the burden on
surf lifesavers at beaches extending from
Batemans Bay to Narooma, but the new
sponsorship deal could take from the
community funding pot.
Broulee Surf Club president Geoff Wells
said surf lifesaving clubs and other sporting
groups could miss out.
"The fear is that sporting groups in gen-
eral might get a backlash," Mr Wells said.
"The money has to come from somewhere,
and every budget has its limits."
Club Catalina CEO Richard Hogg
yesterday confirmed a $25,000 commitment
to council for lifeguards in Batemans
Bay, and said Mr Wells' concerns were
warranted.
"This money will come from a ... limited
budget, so clearly this is $25,000 that
would otherwise be donated to other local
community organisations," Mr Hogg said.
"However, we see this need as very important
for the region."
Mr Wells said the clubs had confidence
in council to "cobble together"
something for this year's summer
holiday season.
However, there is still a question
mark over funding for future seasons.
"I don't think we can go cap in
hand to the clubs every summer,"
Mr Wells said.
"It's council's responsibility to
provide this service."
Club Catalina admits its commitment
is a short-term solution.
"We have stressed to council that
... a long-term solution needs to be
put in place," Mr Hogg said.
Mayor Fergus Thomson, a life
member of the Moruya Surf Life
Saving Club, fronted the area's combined
clubs annual general meeting
on Sunday and admitted he felt he
had "failed" to make the community
understand how crucial the rate rise
application was.
"I didn't go to the surf clubs and
say (if you don't support a rate rise)
this is going to be the outcome," he
said. "I failed in getting that message
across.
Mr Wells said club members felt
council was scolding the community
for not proactively supporting a
rate rise.
"We're concerned about public
safety and the very real likelihood
that without lifeguards, our members
will be called out more frequently
because there will be incidents,
and there will almost certainly
be drownings," he said.
"From what we've heard Surf
Beach and Malua Bay beaches are
covered, but we've seen nothing
concrete about any of the other
beaches at this stage."
That list includes some of the
area's most dangerous beaches, like
Moruya, Tuross Head, Dalmeny and
Narooma.
"We didn't really believe that
council would take the lifeguards
away, we thought they couldn't
afford to, for public safety," Mr
Wells said.
"If it were me, I would have reallocated
funds from somewhere else
because it's one of the most valuable
services you can provide."