Wollongong City Council Lifeguards will be back on the city’s 17 patrolled beaches this weekend to mark the beginning of the 2011 summer swim season.

From Saturday, 24 September, Council Lifeguards will begin daily patrols on beaches from Stanwell Park to Windang, complemented by Volunteer Surf Lifesaver patrols on Sundays and Public Holidays.

At the official swim season launch, Council’s Recreational Services Manager Mark Bond took the opportunity to remind citizens about the importance of following beach safety rules this summer.

“According to long range forecasts it’s going to be a warm summer, so we are expecting to again see a lot of visitors to our beaches over the next few months,” Mr Bond said.

“To make sure it’s also a safe summer on our beaches, Council encourages beach goers to only swim at patrolled beaches and always stay between the red-and-yellow flags and follow the simple ‘no flags, no swim’ rule.

“To remain safe you should only swim at patrolled beaches and follow all instructions given by our Lifeguards and on Sundays volunteer lifesavers. With so many beautiful patrolled beaches on the coast, no beach goer should put themselves at risk by bathing in unpatrolled areas,” he said.

Following a comprehensive risk review, Council will be strengthening its lifeguard service this season through a budgeted $500,000 commitment in additional lifeguarding staff and resources at key locations. The service will also be improved through the introduction of three ATVs “All terrain vehicles” and two new jet skis to enhance the mobility and responsiveness of the lifeguard service in both educating the public of potential hazards and in rescues.

The community should also be aware that many of our beaches have been affected by erosion resulting from storms and big waves over the winter months, and there are steep drop-off in some areas. This is not unusual and the beaches will build up again with time, as calmer conditions prevail.  Beach goers should avoid accessing beaches from steep drop-offs and children should avoid playing near or tunnelling in to the drop offs.  We encourage beach goers to be aware of the beach conditions, read all safety signage and take caution when accessing and using our beaches.

The patrolling season will continue until the 25 April 2012. 

For more information you should visit the Council’s website or contact Council’s Customer Service centre on (02) 4227 7111.