Heading to the beach after a long day at work has now become a safer prospect for our Lake Macquarie community. For the last two years the beaches have been monitored as part of the Smart Beaches program. As a result of the data collected lifeguards will patrol for an extra two hours per day until Sunday 29th January.
Local beaches see patrolled hours increase
With so many amazing beaches on our doorstep, it’s safe to say that our Lake Mac families will really feel the benefit of this over the school holidays. The data gathered by the Smart Beaches program showed an influx of people heading to the beach before and after work.
Lifeguards normally patrol between 9am and 5pm but for the next few weeks they’ll be watching over us at Blacksmiths, Redhead, Catherine Hill Bay and Caves Beach between 8am and 6pm.
“I’d encourage everyone to make the most of these extended hours and enjoy our beautiful coast during patrolled periods.” – Lake Macquarie Mayor, Kay Fraser
Longer hours = More family fun!
The data showed that on weekends the beach got busy with families at 9am suggesting that families are waiting for the lifeguards before allowing their kids in the ocean. Starting at 8am will allow families to head to the beach earlier and avoid the sun as it heats up later in the day.
During the week families were arriving as the lifeguards packed up for the day. This is the time when conditions were most hazardous. These changes will keep our community safer as summer heats up and we head to the beach for a swim to cool down.
Busy time at our beaches
It’s expected that over one million people will head to our beaches this summer of 22/23. Outside of Sydney, our beaches are some of the busiest in New South Wales. It’s fantastic to know that our lifeguards will be there keeping a watchful eye on us.
