Safety facilities to be enhanced at Bondi Beach

Waverley Council plans to construct a new purpose-built first aid and incident management facility at Bondi Beach. The Bondi lifeguard tower will also be refurbished as part of works to boost safety and emergency response capabilities.

The first aid and incident management facility will be located under the promenade to the north of the lifeguard tower, with construction expected to take six months to complete once planning applications are approved.

Matt du Plessis, Manager of Lifeguard Services and Beach Safety noted that despite having to adapt to a very different environment during the COVID-19 pandemic, during the summer season (1st September 2020 to 30th April 2021), Bondi lifeguards carried out 600 rescues, 1659 first aid treatments and 10,877 preventative measures.

du Plessis advised “we never know when the next emergency will unfold, so to have a dedicated place for patients to receive first aid and for staff to respond to critical incidents means that our lifeguards in the tower can have all eyes on the water.

“The facilities will also improve comfort and privacy for patients and match the quality of our facilities with advances in the professional lifeguard services that Council provides.”

“As we slowly return to normality, there will again be an increase in visitation to Bondi, and these new facilities will play a key role in how we respond to emergencies.”

On Tuesday 25th May, temporary structures will be craned onto the sand and fitted-out for when lifeguards vacate the existing lifeguard tower.

Image: (L) Matt du Plessis, Waverley Council Manager of Lifeguard Services and Beach Safety with Bruce Hopkins, Team Leader, Waverley Lifeguard Service