We are so blessed with stunning coastlines that attract people from all over, and Council plays a big role in keeping everyone safe while they enjoy these natural wonders. But we also need your help to ensure we have a safe beach season. 

In the past fortnight, three lucky swimmers have been rescued by community members at our beaches during unpatrolled times using Council's emergency rescue boards. I'd like to thank those kind people who took the initiative to take a board and swim out to save these swimmers.  

To help manage unforeseen situations, Council has installed 60 rescue tube boxes at all beaches and rockpools and several emergency rescue boards at unpatrolled locations and spots known to be hazardous to be available for bystanders to use.    

Our dedicated lifeguards are highly trained professionals committed to keeping our beaches safe. And our volunteer lifesavers work with them hand in glove to watch over beaches and perform first aid and rescues. But as we too often see, outside of patrol hours, accidents and misadventures can happen. 

Locals and visitors who come to the beach to swim should be thinking about water safety - swim between the flags, look for rips and don't enter the surf if it's dangerous. Council will shortly run a beach safety campaign to help educate beach goers ahead of summer. Stay tuned for more information and please share it among your own networks. 

Coinciding with Mental Health Month, Council has organised a series of events and compiled valuable resources on our website to support you. Please do take some time to check in with yourself and those around you and get help where needed. Talk to someone. To get started you can find some helpful resources here.

October is also Small Business Month. I am passionate about helping local businesses in whatever way we can, and I understand the challenges faced by small business owners firsthand. Council has arranged a great event with a strong line up of speakers, that will help participants improve recruitment and staff retention. Please visit our webpage to register for this event.