Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Today, I rise to acknowledge the incredible work done by thousands of lifesavers right across the Central Coast community. There are 15 clubs on the coast, including eight in my electorate of Robertson, and they form an army of red-and-yellow volunteers, who, in the past 75 years, have helped to make the Central Coast beaches among the safest in the world. Lifesaving on the Central Coast has been around for 68 years, now.

I was delighted to learn of this season's statistics from Surf Life Saving Central Coast: 956 lives saved, 37,322 preventative actions taken, more than 1,000 first aid cases, and no lives lost. There are more than 8,000 members on the coast, with 2,000 patrolling the sand and the water for around 94,000 hours every season. Every single member is deserving of praise but today I want to make mention of a number who received awards at the Central Coast's Life Saving Awards of Excellence on Saturday night. They include Robert Powell from Umina, Assessor of the Year; Jane Davis from Ocean Beach, for Trainer of the Year; Lynn Smith, who won the Administrator Award; and Peter Lambeth, who received the Lifesaver of the Year Award.

The Ocean Beach club also won the patrol championships and first aid awards. Avoca Beach had two major winners: Damien Benson, Coach of the Year, and Kevin Bootle, who collected the President's Award. From Terrigal, Cath Wilson won the award for SurfCom Operators, Tim Schofield was Open Athlete of the Year and Paul Lemmon was Masters Athlete. Junior Lifesavers of the Year were Jackson Heinze from Terrigal and Jasmine Darwin, who is based at Umina Surf Life Saving Club. They are both outstanding young people of our future. Champion Lifesaver awards were given to Jemma Smith, Teigan Miller and Jack Waining from Umina; and Jason, Jordan and Shelley Smith from Ocean Beach. The overall point score for the Champion Lifesaver Award went to Avoca, and Umina won Club of the Year. Special mention must be made of the President of Surf Life Saving Central Coast, Stuart Harvey, CEO Chris Parker and also Marie Ward and Jonathan Donnelly for their hard work and support for our community.

In relation to the Terrigal club, I declare an interest. My husband and I have recently joined and we were honoured to complete the bronze medallion a couple of months ago. We have joined a patrol and, I have to say, it is one of the most rewarding experiences I have had. The sense of teamwork and connection and desire to make a difference is something that really binds the surf-lifesaving volunteer community together.

Volunteers on the Central Coast beaches and, indeed, in New South Wales and right around Australia give of themselves tirelessly, week after week, month after month, year after year, with one aim in mind: to keep our local residents safe, to keep our beaches safe and to keep the thousands of tourists who visit the Central Coast safe in the water over summer and on the weekends. Today I pay tribute to all of our surf-lifesaving volunteers for what has to be one of the most honourable roles you can have—that of seeking to serve and to save lives.

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