Tuross Head business owners are up in arms about how the lack of paid lifeguards this summer will affect tourism.
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While Surf Beach, Malua Bay and Broulee beaches have secured funding from businesses for paid lifeguard services, beaches in the shire’s south have not.
Tuross Head residents, business owners and progress association members voiced their concerns to three councillors and Mayor Fergus Thomson at a public meeting on Sunday.
On the agenda were concerns about how they were disadvantaged because there were not as many large businesses in the south to offer financial support.
However, Cr Thomson said he was confident that Tuross Beach would be patrolled this summer.
“We are working to find funds to do that, and we are still in discussion with several major sponsors,” he said.
“Tuross people are concerned because Tuross Head is the second-most popular beach in shire. We certainly appreciate that and are doing all we can.”
He said they hoped to have answers within a fortnight.
Tuross Holiday Park owner Geoff Ward said he had already lost a $1000 booking because the family was worried about having children swimming on an unpatrolled beach.
“I was originally concerned from a financial point of view, but then I found out from a council report that 45 lives were actually saved (in the shire), six of which were at Tuross Beach,” he said.
He said finding sponsorship from Tuross businesses was difficult because most couldn’t afford to throw in thousands of dollars for a lifeguard service.
“Once word spreads that this beach will not be patrolled, it will severely damage tourism in Tuross Head...a lot of our little shops wouldn’t survive without the influx over Christmas time,” Mr Ward said.
“Then who’s going to want to come to Tuross? It’ll just be a little coastal town with nothing, no patrolled beaches and no shops.”
Tuross Boatshed owner John Suthern said local businesses would be devastated if Tuross Beach couldn’t get funding for paid lifeguards, but was
confident that wouldn’t happen.
“I think all business will be affected,” he said. “How much of an effect, I don’t know. But I honestly don’t think it’s going to come to the fact where we won’t have lifesavers.”
He suggested that council look into taking funds from Eurobodalla Tourism.
“Why spend a fortune on advertising for this place (the Eurobodalla)? This to me is working negatively to something they’re trying to work positively towards.”
Cr Thomson said once all the arrangements had been made for paid lifesaving, he would push for extensive media coverage in places such as Goulburn and Canberra to give tourists peace of mind.
