Stephen Jones (Whitlam, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With lockdowns coming off and the weather warming up, the beautiful beaches of the southern Illawarra are the place to be at the moment. It has been fantastic to see families and friends enjoying the squeak of sand underfoot and making the most of our spectacular coastline. Spare a thought for those who are keeping us safe while we're enjoying our time in the water: the dedicated volunteers of our local surf lifesaving clubs.

Windang Surf Life Saving Club has been keeping locals and visitors safe for almost 65 years, with not a life lost while the patrols have been operating. That's a remarkable achievement given the treacherous nature of the currents that can be created around the lake on that part of the coastline. I wish the club president, Peter Anderson, and his crew, including the fabulous Kaye Norris and her family, who are regularly knocking on my door for grants, all the very best for the coming season. The Warilla-Barrack Point Surf Life Saving Club has been operating since 1959 with similar success. Its strong in training and competition and has many current and former Olympians amongst its ranks. I give a big shout-out to Alan Beveridge, the club president, for all the work he's doing to keep us safe on that beach.

Both of these clubs grew out of the grand old dame on our local scene, the Shellharbour Surf Life Savings Club, which was formed way back in 1936. I spoke to Wayne Cavanagh last week and he told me they've got a full roster and busy beaches they're committed to keeping safe. I want to give them a shout-out and thank them for all the work that they do.