Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the House:

(1)

acknowledges that 2007 has been chosen by the Australian Government as the Year of the Surf Lifesaver to mark the 100th anniversary of Surf Life Saving in Australia;

(2)

notes the fundamental role surf lifesavers play in keeping Australia’s beaches safe and the 500,000 lives that have been saved on Australian beaches by our surf lifesavers over the past 100 years;

(3)

commends the volunteering efforts of surf lifesavers who dedicate their time to help others and save lives;

(4)

pays tribute to the surf lifesaving movement, which is the largest volunteer organisation of its kind in the country, consisting of 113,000 members, including 34,000 who actively patrol Australia’s beaches; and

(5)

acknowledges the integral role of the Australian Government within Surf Life Saving Australia to provide a safe beach and aquatic environment.

No examination of Aussie culture would be complete without rolling waves, white sand, surfers and our bronzed Aussie guardians of the surf. Images of the beach and those who protect lives on it reflect Australian popular culture—it is the ‘Australian way of life’. As such, it is an honour to move in the Australian parliament today this motion honouring our surf-lifesavers and acknowledging that 2007 has been chosen by the Australian government as the Year of the Surf Lifesaver, celebrating the 100th anniversary of surf-lifesaving in Australia.

Since 1907 Australian surf-lifesavers have saved more than 520,000 lives. Just the opportunity to save one life is remarkable, but to save hundreds of thousands from drowning and other life-threatening events on our beaches is truly outstanding. This motion celebrates 100 years of heroes—surf-lifesavers giving their own time to patrol our beaches, sometimes risking their lives to save others.

Surf Life Saving Australia is one of the largest volunteer organisations in the world. It consists of around 113,000 members in 304 clubs right across the country, including 34,000 who actively patrol Australia’s beaches. I am fortunate to live in a beachside electorate which takes in Australia’s tourism mecca of Surfers Paradise. It is the beachside capital where families relax and tourists come to holiday. Surf-lifesaving in Queensland began on Coolangatta Beach on 21 February 1909—now home to Australia’s premier iron man endurance event, the Coolangatta Gold—and, over the years, numbers have continued growing. There are now 59 surf-lifesaving clubs in operation in Queensland, with a membership in excess of 23,000 people.

Being the patron of Surf Life Saving Queensland’s South Coast branch and vice patron of Surf Life Saving Queensland, I understand and appreciate the dedication of the Australian surf-lifesaving movement, which has achieved worldwide recognition for the outstanding courage and service of its members. These members are our true heroes, dedicating hundreds of hours of their own time to patrol over 300 beaches along with some 20,000 kilometres of coastline.

Just weeks ago, I was able to congratulate volunteer surf-lifesaver Mark Fife from Broadbeach Surf Life Saving Club after he was named the Volunteer of the Year by Surf Life Saving Australia. For 32 years Mark has remained one of the most dedicated surf-lifesavers in Australia, winning the Surf Lifesaver of the Year award in 1996-97. A decade later his passion remains stronger than ever. Mark follows in the footsteps of other great examples of the best that our community has to offer, and he sets an example for others to follow.

Last Saturday night I had the opportunity of celebrating the efforts of several hundred surf-lifesavers at Australia’s national championship club—Northcliffe. I am a proud member of all surf clubs in my electorate—Southport, Surfers Paradise, Northcliffe, Broadbeach, Kurrawa, Mermaid Beach and Nobby’s Beach. Each of these clubs is a club of excellence with a dedicated crew of supporters and local heroes. They are all heroes like Mark, dedicating their own time to patrolling our beaches, raising money and training. Each year trained surf-lifesavers volunteer more than 1.4 million hours to keeping our beaches safe. Additionally, more hours are spent behind the scenes in the development and training of the next generation of nippers who will follow in their footsteps.

A survey has shown that at least 485 people would drown on our beaches each year and 313 would be permanently incapacitated as a result of accidents in the surf if not for the efforts of those bronzed Aussie heroes. The same study also found the economic and social value of surf-lifesaving services is worth more than $1.4 billion and provides many unquantifiable benefits, including increased tourism. To recognise the role of surf-lifesavers in protecting Australians over the past 100 years, the Howard government is providing $1.5 million to Surf Life Saving Australia over the next four years to enable Australians to celebrate the centenary of surf-lifesaving in Australia through a variety of events and activities.

It is important we commemorate our local surf-lifesaving clubs—for me it is the Gold Coast—for their commitment and dedication of the volunteers who get up early to patrol our beaches so we can all enjoy a safe beach environment. We are home to some of the world’s cleanest and safest beaches, and it is our true heroes in the red-and-yellow uniforms that truly deserve credit. Our 113,000 surf-lifesavers demonstrate the character and skill that epitomises the best of the Australian culture. They give their time as volunteers in the service of their community, and I am pleased 2007, the Year of the Surf Lifesaver, officially recognises their commitment to saving lives.

Harry Jenkins (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on the motion that acknowledges 2007 as the Year of the Surf Lifesaver as well as the celebration of the 100th anniversary of surf-lifesaving in Australia. I also acknowledge the tremendous role that surf-lifesaving clubs play in saving Australian lives and the huge sacrifice that surf-lifesaving volunteers give to the Australian community—especially in my electorate, which has the coast of the Gulf of St Vincent as its western boundary.

I have attended numerous functions and awards nights at surf-lifesaving clubs throughout the electorate of Hindmarsh and, as a result, have had the honour of meeting some of Australia’s most dedicated surf-lifesavers. The surf-lifesaving clubs of Glenelg, Grange, Henley, Semaphore and West Beach, which are all within the electorate of Hindmarsh, have for generations protected thousands of Australians along the shores of South Australia. They all work together as part of South Australia’s surf-lifesaving clubs network. These clubs contribute immensely to the South Australian community by addressing issues such as safety, physical activity, youth development, training and education. I saw firsthand youth development when my own children were nippers at the West Beach Surf Life Saving Club many years ago.

These clubs provide a centre that enables all members of the community to engage with each other in a healthy environment that focuses on the importance of family. All clubs involved in the South Australian surf-lifesaving clubs incorporate programs such as peer support groups and family orientation groups which encourage family involvement and support for members within the clubs and, at the same time, patrol the beaches to keep them safer for the people who use them.

I have always been involved with community groups and sporting clubs, and the sense of community and the sense of belonging that is created through these surf-lifesaving clubs is incredibly important to our society. Community organisations such as the surf-lifesaving clubs of South Australia get people out of their homes and into the community. It gives us the opportunity to connect with one another and to care about each other and discover that we all have more similarities than differences and, at the same time, do good work by saving lives and patrolling the beaches. I would like to pay a special tribute to all the volunteers who make up the surf-lifesaving clubs in my electorate of Hindmarsh—that is, the Glenelg Surf Lifesaving Club, Grange, Henley Beach, Semaphore and West Beach. These clubs rely on their volunteers to ensure that they remain active and functioning on a daily basis. Without those volunteers, these clubs would not exist.

The mission of the South Australian surf-lifesaving clubs is to save lives on the beaches through their patrolling of the beaches as well as other means such as education, prevention and rescue services. All of this frames the actions of those clubs in my electorate and clubs all around Australia, of course. There are over 5,500 members aged seven years and over in South Australia alone in surf-lifesaving clubs. Every one of those 5,500 members contributes to the safety of our beaches in South Australia. For example, the Glenelg Surf Life Saving Club has over 400 members and plays a significant role in Adelaide’s beach side suburbs. Glenelg is one of South Australia’s busiest beaches, attracting beach goers from all over South Australia, Australia and overseas. Other beaches such as Grange, Henley Beach, Semaphore and West Beach also attract thousands of beach lovers, and the clubs have protected these beaches for decades.

It is a pleasure to support surf-lifesavers and their ongoing work of saving lives, their training in water skills and resuscitation and their commitment to instilling in people an appreciation for preventing and neutralising potentially dangerous situations. Prevention is always the preferred means of problem solving or remedial action, and there is no better way of reducing unnecessary deaths by drowning than through the development of the very skills that will ordinarily enable a person to take care of themselves in and around water.

I am sure the effort that has gone into water-skilling through all surf-lifesaving clubs over time is a leading contributing factor in the gradual reduction in drowning deaths—both numerically and as a proportion of the population. So I would like to thank the surf-lifesaving clubs of Australia and especially the clubs within my electorate—Glenelg, Grange, Henley, Semaphore and West Beach. They are a respected, diligent success and I encourage all Australians to praise their commitment to sustaining and saving lives around the nation, throughout South Australia and in my home town of Adelaide.

Michael Keenan (Stirling, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a pleasure to second this motion moved by the member for Moncrieff. The Year of the Surf Lifesaver pays tribute to the tens of thousands of Australians who contribute to their community as surf-lifesavers. Surf-lifesavers have a wonderful record of having kept Australians safe for the last 100 years at our beaches nationwide. I am acutely aware of the good work done in my own electorate by surf-lifesaving. I have two excellent clubs at Scarborough and at Trigg Island and I am privileged to be vice-patron and patron of these clubs respectively. Both clubs are an important part of the fabric of the Stirling community, patrolling and protecting people on one of Perth’s most iconic stretches of coastline. The Scarboro Surf Life Saving Club, together with the Trigg Island Surf Life Saving Club, keep Australia’s best beaches safe for the thousands of people who take advantage of all they have to offer.

I was recently very privileged to have the Prime Minister visit Scarboro surf club to show the government’s support at the highest level for the work that this club, and their many sister clubs around Australia, do for the community. I know the visit was very well received by members of the West Australian surf-lifesaving community. It has been an exciting year for the organisation in WA as they began their three-year hosting of the National Surf Lifesaving Championships in March of this year. Some 8,000 competitors and officials were joined by up to 40,000 spectators coming down to Scarborough on any given day to watch the events.

I was fortunate to have had an opportunity to attend on both the Saturday and the Sunday of the championships. On the Sunday morning His Excellency the Governor-General presided over a service of thanksgiving for those surf-lifesavers who have lost their lives in the course of their duty. This was a reminder of the dangers that surf-lifesavers are prepared to accept on behalf of their fellow Australians. Thousands of beach goers are rescued around Australia each year, not to mention the enormous number of preventative actions that are taken on a daily basis to make sure that beaches like Scarborough and Trigg are safe for swimmers, surfers and families.

When you look at it like that, the importance of the Surf Life Saving Association to the entire Australian community becomes clear. It provides world-leading best practice lifesaving services through its strong commitment to juniors and through its adoption of uniform standards and systems. It also exports its expertise. At the surf-lifesaving championships in Scarborough, I met representatives from surf-lifesaving organisations from around the region and around the globe, and they look to Australia for best practice and leadership for surf-lifesaving internationally.

Surf-lifesaving provides our Australian young people with the chance to not only participate in fun and healthy activities but also learn vital survival skills—as well as how to save the lives of others. Because of Australian surf-lifesavers and the wonderful commitment that all of its volunteers make, Australian beach goers are undoubtedly the best protected in the world—a testament to the skill, expertise and professionalism that is espoused not only by the organisation as a whole but also by the individual members who give up their time to serve the community. This selfless volunteering of time and commitment showcase the best in the Australian character. Australians as a community are always prepared to give something back to help their fellow Australians, and surf-lifesaving is one of the best examples of this.

This motion is a timely reminder of the good work done nationwide by Australian surf-lifesavers for the past 100 years. It is a tremendous opportunity for this parliament as a whole to acknowledge the efforts of lifesavers—people such Mark Irwin, who is the President of the Scarboro Surf Life Saving Club, and David Mottram, who is the President of the Trigg Island Surf Life Saving Club; people who have spent years giving back to their individual communities to protect Australian beach goers. I heartily commend Surf Life Saving Australian for their community service and congratulate them on their continuing service to the Australian community and thank the member for Moncrieff for bringing this important motion before the House.

Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a great privilege and pleasure to speak to this motion, signifying and recognising the fine contribution of surf-lifesaving in Australia in this 100th year of its operation. Surf-lifesaving epitomises the Australian way of life and our Australian culture. It is volunteers working together for the community and relying on each other—mates helping mates and mates working for their community. That is what the surf-lifesaving movement is about. Throughout the world Australian lifesavers are renowned for their skill, expertise and knowledge.

The lifesavers in the Shortland electorate have made an enormous contribution to our community. I think I am probably one of the most fortunate members of this House because I have six surf-lifesaving clubs within the Shortland electorate and each and every one of them is home to a magnificent beach. We have fantastic surf and fantastic lifesavers—men and women who put their lives on the line to save others, men and women who work together for our community.

One of the surf-lifesaving clubs within Shortland electorate is Redhead, which was the fifth club to be formed in the Newcastle surf-lifesaving branch. It was formed in 1908. We have the Swansea Belmont Surf Life Saving Club, which—and I have news for the member for Stirling—will be host to the next Australian titles. It is an absolutely fantastic club. It has had lots of experience in the past hosting the New South Wales titles on a number of occasions. The dedicated surf-lifesavers at that club will do a fine job, just as the surf-lifesavers in his electorate and in the member for Moncrieff’s electorate did a fine job in the past.

As well as that we have the Catherine Hill Bay club, which is a smaller club but a real family club, as is the Caves Beach club. I find that each of the surf clubs within the Shortland electorate is unique. There are also two surf clubs in the Central Coast part of my electorate, the Lakes and Soldiers Beach clubs. Soldiers Beach had their presentation night last Saturday night. It recognised the contribution of the surf-lifesavers in that club. I have to put on the record in the House that Soldiers Beach has fantastic surf. If anyone is in that area, they should visit Soldiers Beach and see how the dedicated work of those surf-lifesavers has ensured the safety of the swimmers there. The Central Coast branch of Surf Life Saving Australia is now in its 66th year of operation. Its boundaries were initially set from Catherine Hill Bay in the north to the Hawkesbury River in the south. These boundaries have prevailed today. It has now grown from five surf-lifesaving clubs to 15. The two most northerly ones are in the Shortland electorate.

The Newcastle branch of Surf Life Saving Australia has a longer history. Its first surf club came into existence in 1908. As I mentioned earlier, the Redhead surf club in Shortland electorate was the fifth. The Catherine Hill Bay club was formed in 1920. When the Caves Beach club was formed there was quite a bit of angst within the community because it broke away from the Swansea-Belmont club and there was concern that there would be two weak clubs. Rather than that, we have two strong clubs serving the community and working together to see that the people in our area are safe.

I have to acknowledge the work and support of the Lake Macquarie City Council and the Wyong Shire Council. They both support the surf-lifesaving clubs in the area. Many clubs in the electorate have a 100 per cent record of patrols, and the training and the level of competency of all the surf-lifesavers within the electorate of Shortland and throughout Australia are astonishing. I have great pleasure in supporting this motion. (Time expired)

Kym Richardson (Kingston, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today in support of the motion moved by the member for Moncrieff. I would like to commend the member on bringing this very worthy motion before the House. I was very proud when the Australian government chose 2007 as the Year of the Surf Lifesaver. Being the 100th anniversary of this exceptionally important organisation makes it a fitting time to celebrate the role it plays in making our beaches safe and, most importantly, in saving lives.

The second part of this motion notes not only the role of surf-lifesavers in making our beaches safer but also the 500,000 lives which have been saved on Australian beaches. There are 500,000 people who, but for the hard work of these dedicated volunteers, would have had their lives cut tragically short and 500,000 families who would have been grieving a needless loss. The people who make surf-lifesaving tick are volunteers. It is the largest volunteer organisation of its kind, and thousands of Australians give their time, and often risk their own lives and personal safety, in the pursuit of safer beaches and quite simply to save lives. These volunteers and Surf Life Saving Australia deserve to be commended for that commitment.

Of the 18 surf-lifesaving clubs in South Australia, five are in my electorate of Kingston, and I have seen firsthand the hard work they do. In addition to the surf-lifesaving focus they have, these clubs also play an important role in the lives of the young people, the young nippers, the club members, who participate in the organisation with such passion. So often we come across teenagers with a lack of purpose who fall victim to antisocial behaviour and negative influences. Surf-lifesaving clubs throughout the country provide an alternative for these young people. For a century now, they have provided these young people with social and teamwork skills, leadership skills, and a safe and healthy environment for them to form bonds and friendships which last a lifetime. I would like to take this opportunity to particularly commend the hard work I have seen at the surf-lifesaving clubs in my electorate of Kingston, including the Aldinga Bay, Christies Beach, Moana, Port Noarlunga and Southport surf-lifesaving clubs.

I noticed, when I received my autumn edition of Surf Life Saving Australia’s BeachSafe newsletter, an article about Australia’s newest Muslim surf-lifesavers, who are now patrolling the beaches at Cronulla. The article went on to discuss the introduction of the new burqini, which is enabling Muslim women to participate as well. It makes you proud to read about this positive step, and it reiterates the important social role of Surf Life Saving Australia, who are providing real solutions to social problems other organisations are unable or unwilling to tackle.

The Australian government supports surf-lifesaving, and not just through rhetoric. This government provides millions of dollars to the program because it understands the important role they play and because they are invaluable on our beaches. Many international tourists, many of whom cannot swim, flock to Australia because of the promotion of our beaches. We have a responsibility to those tourists as well as to our own citizens to ensure our beaches are safe. Surf Life Saving Australia provide that assurance by conducting their patrols on over 300 beaches and along some 20,000 kilometres of lovely coastline. Each summer, surf-lifesavers are involved in around 10,000 rescues and 25,000 first aid treatments as well as giving safety advice to more than 150,000 other beach users.

The federal government are very happy and very proud to support this effort because we understand the very important role surf-lifesavers play. We are very proud that as a government we have managed the economy in such a way that we are able to provide funding like this to such an important organisation. We will continue to work hard to ensure we are able to continue to support important services like this in the future. I commend this very important organisation on its hard work and I commend this motion on its recognition of Surf Life Saving Australia’s very valued work.

Kirsten Livermore (Capricornia, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I also wish to support the member for Moncrieff’s motion on surf-lifesavers. I am delighted to have this opportunity to record my appreciation and admiration for the contribution that the surf-lifesaving movement has made to our Australian way of life.

This year marks the centenary of surf-lifesaving in Australia—and what a proud history it is. One hundred years of volunteers patrolling our beaches, educating us about how to enjoy the water safely and putting their own lives at risk to perform rescues. It is a fitting tribute to the thousands of volunteer lifesavers, who have kept our beaches safe in that time, as well as the current members, that the 100-year milestone has been marked by the declaration of 2007 as the Year of the Surf Lifesaver.

There is no doubt that the Australian surf-lifesaver is a true national icon. As a nation we love the beach, and the image of the bronzed Aussie lifesaver in his or her red-and-yellow cap brings together two of our most celebrated national characteristics—our love of sport and the spirit of volunteering: getting in and helping others. The story of the beginnings of surf-lifesaving lives up to that image. In the early years of last century the ban on swimming in daylight hours was lifted, and going to the beach became a very popular pastime. With so many poor swimmers getting into trouble in the water there was a need for stronger swimmers to be ready to rescue them. Groups started to form to carry out that service on beaches around Sydney. The Surf Bathing Association of New South Wales formed in 1907 with a grand total of nine clubs. There are now over 300 surf-lifesaving clubs with 113,000 members. In that time 500,000 lives have been saved on Australian beaches. That is an incredible achievement and something we should never take for granted.

I am proud to say that surf-lifesaving is in my blood and was a big part of my early life. My father is a life member of the Mackay Surf Club and some of my earliest memories are of following him around on the beach and trying to run up sand dunes when he was training his surfboat crew. As soon as surf-lifesaving was opened up for female members in 1980 my sister and I were signed up to be nippers, and I continued as an active member of the Mackay club and then the Yeppoon club until a couple of years ago. I am not sure whether the Yeppoon club accept this as an excuse, but I am afraid that the demands of this job and a growing family finally got too much and something had to give. Sadly, at the moment, it is my weekend patrols, but I hope to be back on the beach one day.

When most Australians think of surf-lifesaving they immediately think of the lifesaver on patrol, and that is undoubtedly the public face of the lifesaving movement and part of its enduring strength and appeal. But we should never forget the other volunteers who do so much to keep clubs going—the administrators, trainers and fundraisers. I know from my experience at the Yeppoon club that those tasks are never-ending and absolutely essential if clubs are to continue operating so that each weekend our beaches can be patrolled by members with up-to-date qualifications and with access to reliable rescue equipment.

As we have heard from the other participants in this debate today, every club has those people—the stalwarts who sell raffle tickets, organise cent sales, do the bookwork and staff the canteen every weekend. There are also the trainers and examiners, who make sure that every lifesaver on patrol can carry out the demands of rescue and resuscitation if they are required to do so. When I think about the level of commitment that is required, and the level of commitment that is embodied in the surf-lifesaving movement, I can think of no greater example than a gentleman who is very well known to me and to those throughout Central Queensland—and that is Ron Harding. He is a fantastic example of the finest traditions of surf-lifesaving. Ron Harding is known to everyone in lifesaving as ‘Speed’. Speed has been a member of the Yeppoon Surf Club for over 50 years and his dedication to surf-lifesaving is legendary.

Now in his seventies, Speed is at the pool in Rockhampton before five o’clock every morning ready to train any lifesaver brave enough to try one of his sessions. He spends his weekends at the club training members in rescue and resuscitation and is always encouraging them to upgrade their skills. It is a labour of love for Speed, but it still amounts to a huge sacrifice of his personal time to further the cause of surf-lifesaving in Central Queensland. To Speed and the countless other dedicated volunteers like him who have built this unique Australian organisation over the past 100 years, we say thank you.

Harry Jenkins (Scullin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The time allotted for this debate has expired. The debate is adjourned and the resumption of the debate will be made an order of the day for the next sitting.