Brunswick Surf Lifesaving Club needs you!

Photo & story Eve Jeffery

We can always hope that history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often does, and if last summer is anything to go by, we are going to need all the lifesavers we can get on the beaches this year.

With warm dry conditions on the horizon, there’s likely to be more beachgoers, and according to last year’s stats, Brunswick Heads is one of the busiest beaches in the Byron Shire.

And also one of the most dangerous.

The 2022/23 season saw 2,668 patrol hours, and more than 28,500 beachgoers, with 18 rescues performed.

Since covid, the Brunswick

SLSC, like many other volunteer organisations, is struggling to both entice old members back, and encourage new people to join.

Last summer, patrol groups went from eight to six, and with the current membership, the club won’t have enough members to fill all the needed roles in the coming season.

Construction of their new clubhouse is about to get underway and demolition of the old one is imminent, so the upcoming season will see volunteers based out of a temporary compound.

This isn’t ideal, but it will allow the club to help keep beachgoers safe in the meantime.

But the club needs more members – and not just as life savers.

There are plenty of other positions available at the club that mean you don’t even need to get your feet, or any other part of you, wet – they hope to have a full complement of volunteers by the time the new club opens next year.

Visit brunswickslsc.org for more info.

Paul

Bibby

A scrub fire at Brunswick Heads had fire crews rushing into action last Friday afternoon.

At around 4pm, emergency services received reports that a fire had broken out in the Tyagarah Nature Reserve, next to Brunswick Heads

Beach. The fire, which was about 20m wide, sent plumes of smoke billowing out over the surrounding area, which could be seen from as far away as Byron Bay.

At least two Rural Fire Service crews from surrounding towns attended the blaze, which was brought under control soon