Today the Shadow Minister for Emergency Services, Anthony Roberts MP, visited The Entrance Surf Club with Liberal Candidates for Wyong Council, Lynne Webster and Darren Webber, to announce the Liberal’s commitment to renewing and refurbishing Wyong’s Surf Clubs.

“The Wyong Council area is in desperate need of new or refurbished Surf Clubs. The state of the clubs and facilities afforded to permanent lifeguards and volunteer lifesavers is appalling”, said Anthony Roberts.

The main tower at Toowoon Bay, which is the command post for Lifeguards in Wyong Shire, doesn’t have a fixed phone line and lifeguards are forced to use their own mobile phones to contact emergency services, because the cordless phone doesn’t get reception from the main building – Council when building the tower, cut through the phone lines and haven’t replaced them despite repeated requests from the lifeguards.

“Surf Clubs are in the business of saving lives. Why are the clubs in Wyong Shire not afforded an appropriate level of standards and assistance from Council? The tower at The Entrance was placed in the wrong spot and doesn’t have electricity or a phone line. This is putting precious lives at risk”, said Darren Webber, volunteer lifesaver at The Entrance.

Liberal Candidate for Wyong Council, Lynne Webster said, “a Liberal Council will make sure that each of our Surf Clubs gets refurbished and are given the appropriate level of assistance they need from Wyong Council”.

“Summer tourism is the life blood for many businesses in Wyong Shire. Last summer over a six-week period, on one beach alone (Soldiers Beach) there were 1,800 rescues and tens of thousands across the Shire. Our beaches in the Wyong Shire are our biggest asset – we must recognise this and take action like Gosford has done. Lifeguards and lifesavers do an excellent, sometimes thankless job on our beaches and we need to make sure we look after them”, said Lynne Webster.

“Council’s move to fund $3 million over three years isn’t anywhere near enough to fix the state of disrepair Wyong’s Surf Clubs are in now. A Liberal State Government, in co-operation with a Liberal Council will assist to fund new Surf Clubs in Wyong”, said Mr Roberts.

“Wyong’s Surf Clubs, especially The Entrance, are struggling for volunteers. People don’t want to give up their valuable time to volunteer for something when they themselves are at risk of not being afforded the appropriate Clubs and equipment they need. Toowoon Bay is the only Surf Club to be rebuilt and its membership is going very well, while the rundown club at The Entrance is struggling”, said Anthony Roberts.

“If all of the Clubs can’t get enough volunteers and lifeguards throughout summer many thousands of lives could be in danger. A lot of locals are deserting our clubs and going to the new clubs in Gosford Council”, said Lynne Webster.