Coffs Harbour lifeguards raise alarm through union over staffing levels
The United Services Union says council lifeguards in Coffs Harbour have worked 30 days straight. (ABC Coffs Coast: Charles Rushforth)
In short:
Council lifeguards in Coffs Harbour have expressed fears over beach safety due to understaffing.
Coffs Harbour City Council and the union representing lifeguards appeared before the Industrial Relations Commission on Thursday.
What's next?
The council and the United Services Union have agreed to work to resolve the dispute.
Lifeguards in a coastal tourist destination with some of the worst drowning rates in Australia say their staffing levels are "a recipe for disaster".
The union representing lifeguards employed by Coffs Harbour City Council said there were only six permanent lifeguards available to patrol the area's 60-kilometre coastline.
United Services Union (USU) northern industrial officer Noel Martin said the situation had led to some lifeguards working 30 days in a row.
"They're being called in outside of their normal roster to fill gaps because council aren't [sic] actively recruiting casual and full-time staff," he said.
"Our members certainly don't want to be part of a tragedy because council has failed to fill vacant positions.
"The mayor and the elected council should be asking council what is going on."
Fears for beach safety
The Mid North Coast in NSW, which includes Coffs Harbour, is among the 10 regions in Australia with the highest drowning rates. according to data from Royal Life Saving Australia.
In the past decade, 53 people from the Mid North Coast have drowned.
An Industrial Relations Commission hearing was told on Thursday one person had drowned in the Coffs Harbour area in the past 12 months but lifeguards conducted more than 70 beach rescues.
Sonny Tisdell says poor staffing of council lifeguards is a recipe for disaster. (ABC Coffs Coast: Charles Rushforth)
Former lifeguard Sonny Tisdell told the ABC lifeguards employed by the City of Coffs Harbour were tasked with patrolling more than 60 kilometres of coastline across eight beaches at peak times during summer.
"You're not just watching the flags, you're responsible for that whole coastline," he said.
"[Rescue] call-outs can occur at any time, day or night."
Mr Tisdell, who has more than two decades of experience, said no lifeguard could be expected to work 30 days straight while remaining alert to danger.
"That's a recipe for disaster," he said.
"You'd have to be superhuman to be expected to do that."
Unlike volunteer surf lifesavers, who mostly operate on weekends, lifeguards are hired by councils in NSW to patrol beaches full time.
Lifeguards with Coffs Harbour Council met with management in October to discuss staffing levels, with a follow-up meeting scheduled for November.
The USU filed proceedings with the IRC after that meeting was cancelled.
Agreements reached in court
Thursday's hearing was told both parties had been working to resolve the dispute.
Lawyers representing Coffs Harbour City Council agreed to work with the union to resolve on-call rostering arrangements, which it conceded were not "best practice".
The council said it had allocated money to create a third lifeguard position for Park Beach, a popular tourist destination on the Coffs Coast.
The Mid North Coast region has the tenth highest drowning rates per capita in Australia. (ABC Coffs Coast: Charles Rushforth)
Both parties agreed to negotiate the issues in private going forward.
Mr Tisdell said tourism revenue would be affected if the situation resulted in drownings over the summer holidays.
"Lifeguards are a service that backs up tourism, one of our key industries," he said.
"If you want to promote people to your region, you've got to support that with a good lifeguard service."
City of Coffs Harbour Council declined to comment when contacted by the ABC.