Time to debate surf fines, says club chief
6:47p.m. 1st January 2008
The foolish actions of some Sunshine Coast board riders during extreme swells has ignited a call to issue penalties.
Some in lifesaving circles feared they would awake yesterday to learn someone had drowned in the surf after people blatantly ignored thousands of warnings on the weekend.
Daily website bloggers have also called for “hefty” penalties.
Under Maroochy Shire Council local laws, volunteer lifesaving patrol captains and council lifeguards are among the people authorised to issue fines in bathing reserves.
The maximum penalty for swimming on a closed beach is $750. Not complying with a direction to leave a bathing reserve is $1500.
Maroochydore Surf Life Saving Club president Mike Dwyer does not want to put volunteers at risk of assault but he believes it is time to debate fines.
“Perhaps it is time to commence handing out a few fines instead of doing absolutely nothing,’’ he said. “What price is the life of a foolhardy person or one of our brave lifesavers?
“I train our captains from Redcliffe to Rainbow Beach and I tell them not to enforce their authority. We do not want our lifesavers involved in heated confrontations with the public.
“They are council local laws and therefore I would recommend that a council officer be the appropriate person for any enforcement.”
Big-wave surfing professional Mark Visser was among those who got a tap on the shoulder from police on the weekend.
He said police asked him not to go back in because others followed him out and then needed rescuing.
But Mr Visser said the wave faces at Mooloolaba could not compare to the 50-foot-plus monsters he surfs worldwide.
“You feel for the lifeguards but there’s a few guys who definitely know what they’re doing and I don’t think everyone should suffer,” he said.
Mr Visser said fines were not the answer.
“If there’s any doubt, you’ve just got to put your ego aside. There’s no shame in saying ‘I’m not comfortable in those conditions’,” he said.
Maroochy Shire Lifeguard Services manager Heath Collie said he did not believe lifeguards should invoke the authority to issue fines as “most people adhere to warnings”.
Recent Comments
Actions always has consequences what is needed is for the whole game to be played not stopped at before the final whistle.
Bob Buick
Where someone makes a conscious decision to put themselves in harm's way, what right does anyone have to stop them, let alone make money off their decision?
Maybe a better system would be billing for rescue? If someone has been warned, and then needs to be rescued, why not issue them with a bill for the service?
Why should volunteers risk their lives for people who ignore the warnings?
Sometimes the gene pool needs a little chlorine.
The experience go out knowing the dangers, and surf at their own risk. The lifesavers do a wonderful job on our beaches. Its the inexperienced, and idiots who put our lifesavers at risk. They should be the ones who get fined.
The attraction to chase the big waves will never die, to hear a fellow ausie suggest that the community will be greater served if I am killed disturbs me greatly as I have 2 children , a lovely wife, not to mention family and friends.
Bob Buick, maybe live life a little and enjoy this fantastic country in wich you are fortunate to live in, perhaps the country where you migrated from has little, if any regard for human life and the community there is greater served when people lose their lives in accidents, after all thats why you moved here ehhh.???
SURF'S UP GOTTA GO
As always, I'm sure there are far more pressing issues our council could be concentrating on.
Your 'after all, that's why you moved here! ehh!' is gross!
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