Safety boost for northern Gold Coast beaches

Gold Coast beaches will be even safer with the announcement today a new tower will be built north of the sand pumping jetty at The Spit.

Tower 46 will be built early next year and will give greater lifeguard coverage at the popular northern stretch of beach.

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said safety remained the City’s top priority and that we couldn’t afford to have any blind spots along our 46km of patrolled coastline.

“We know our lifeguards are among the fittest, most prepared and best drilled lifeguards in the world and we need to equip them with the best tools to ensure they can do their job,” Mayor Tate said.

“They told me a new lifeguard tower was vital to improve our service so we are making it happen.”

Mayor Tate said with school holidays and warmer weather, lifeguards were heading into their busiest time of the year.

Acting Chief Lifeguard Chris Maynard said it had been an extraordinary year for the Lifeguard Service with the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games creating enormous opportunities.

“We bolstered our casual lifeguard numbers by 20 per cent in the lead up to Games which means we have an even larger pool of fully trained lifeguards to draw on this summer,” Mr Maynard said.

“A real highlight was seeing our iconic lifeguard tower and uniform worn by our lifeguards in the GC2018 Opening Ceremony, announcing the nations of the Commonwealth as they entered the stadium.  

In the past year, the City’s Lifeguard Service has performed 1300 rescues, prevented more than 43,000 potential ocean incidents and provided first aid to 6000 people. Lifeguards will maintain mobile patrols north of the sand pumping jetty and continue to staff its tower just south of the jetty as always while the construction of the tower is undertaken.

To ensure you enjoy our beaches safely follow some simple rules:

Remember, if our lifeguards and lifesavers can’t see you, they can’t save you.