Sunshine Coast Council extends lifeguard service at popular beach

Sunshine Coast Council, together with Surf Life Saving Queensland, has extended daily lifeguard services at Caloundra's Happy Valley Beach until May 2025.

The move will see professional lifeguards continue to watch over the popular swimming area daily. Additionally, they will put up the red and yellow flags when the tide allows vehicle access.

The seven-day service will then reduce to weekends, public and school holiday coverage across the winter months.

Location signage will also be updated to reflect the new arrangements.

The move follows a busy holiday season and, with the foreshore generally protected from large surf and the large sand bars exposed at low tide, the beach continuing to be a draw for an increasing number of bathers.

Advising of the extension, Sunshine Coast Councillor, Terry Landsberg explained “in previous years, a Tier 4 service level was provided, only covering weekends, school and public holidays.

“With the changes to the landscape, increased visitation and growing number of incidents over the last few months, we decided to maintain a higher of service in this location.”

Surf Life Saving Queensland State Regional Operations Manager Aaron Purchase said the service change was a proactive step by Council and SLSQ to increase bathing safety in the area.

Purchase noted “the use of the patrol flags will make it easier for the public to identify the best place to swim in the area and will, in turn, make it easier for Lifeguards to manage the area.”

Sunshine Coast Council funded Lifeguard Services for the region are guided by the Surf Life Saving Queensland – Sunshine Coast Council Lifeguard Service Plan 2023-2028. 

This Plan was adopted at the August 2023 Ordinary Meeting. Year-round services are provided by Council’s contract partner Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ), with provisions to adjust services able to occur based on changes in the Australian Beach Safety and Management Program (ABSAMP) Rating.

An Aquatic Risk Assessment for Bulcock Beach and Happy Valley Beach, was recently conducted in accordance with the ABSAMP Rating.

Based on an increased risk level at Happy Valley Beach, the service levels changed as follows:

• Bulcock Beach - moves from Tier 2 (seasonal service patrolled 7 days a week from September school holidays to the first Monday in May plus weekends, school and public holidays during Winter) to Tier 4 (patrolled weekends, school and public holidays - September - May).

• Happy Valley Beach - moves from Tier 4 to Tier 2.

Changes were trialled over the Christmas/New Year holiday period and SLSQ received no negative comments from the public.

These changes will now continue. Signage will be updated to reflect the new arrangements.

Sunshine Coast areas patrolled by lifeguards and lifesavers
Sunshine Coast Council’s $6.7 million investment in lifeguard services this financial year delivers patrol services with more than 120 professional lifeguards across permanent, part-time and casual positions and covering 21 beach locations, from North Coolum to Bulcock Beach.

It also provides our professional lifeguards with vital equipment they need to perform their duties including jet skis, rescue boards, flags and first aid kits.

Sunshine Coast beaches are patrolled by volunteer lifesavers every weekend and on public holidays from 7am to 5pm during the summer season. This vital service supports lifeguard patrols which occur year-round.

Images: Professional lifeguards will patrol Caloundra's Happy Valley Beach until May 2025 (top, credit: Surf Life Saving Queensland) and the car park at the popular beach (below, credit: Sunshine Coast Council).