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Thursday, 5 June 2025

While beachgoers won’t notice anything bar a different shirt colour, changes are coming to professional lifeguard services on the Northern Beaches.

Following a comprehensive service review, beach safety services on 9 beaches which have been contracted to the Australian Lifeguard Service (ALS) in the north of the peninsula will be brought in house, in line with the management of services on all other beaches. The move will introduce greater flexibility to manage risk and deliver a seamless service across the whole council area.

The change is cost neutral to Council ratepayers and is expected to find ongoing service efficiencies and economies of scale.

By managing lifeguard operations directly, our teams will be able to better allocate resources based on demand and surf conditions. The change also creates opportunities for better cross training and development opportunities for lifeguards, stronger partnerships with volunteer surf lifesaving clubs located in the northern area, removal of duplication and more regular and consistent collection of data to identify safety trends and efficiencies.

Expect to see the new blue shirts from next patrol season in September. Volunteer lifesaving operations will continue to operate in yellow and red uniforms on weekends and during holiday periods across the season, complementing the professional lifeguard service.

The ALS contract ends in June 2025 and Council are working closely with them and local clubs to ensure a smooth handover and continued safety for beachgoers. ALS has provided a great service in the north of our area and we thank them for their commitment to our community.

Northern Beaches Council Beach Services facts 

  • Northern Beaches has 21 patrolled beaches. 
  • Most beaches are patrolled for 32 weeks between September and April. Dee Why and Freshwater are patrolled for 40 weeks from the beginning of September to the end of May. Manly is patrolled year-round.
  • During the 2023/2024 season, there were 12.9 million visitations to the 21 patrolled beaches. 
  • There were 1,729 rescues and 10,615 first aid cases recorded for the 2023/24 season. 
  • Lifeguard services are consistently the most highly rated Council service, achieving a 99% satisfaction rating in Council’s most recent Community Satisfaction Survey.