RESPONSE TO NOTICE OF MOTION - TRIAL OF REMOTE RESCUE TUBES/LIFE RINGS AT UNPATROLLED BEACHES · Report

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                            19 JANUARY 2026



REPORT
The purpose of this report is to investigate the feasibility of Council installing remote rescue tube/life
rings to determine whether a trial should be conducted.
1. Background
A Notice of Motion (NoM) was tabled at the September 2024 Ordinary Meeting, requesting an
investigation into the feasibility of installing remote rescue tubes and life rings at selected unpatrolled
beach locations. The proposal included the possibility of conducting a single-site trial prior to any
broader implementation, see Attachment 1.
The NoM sought to address the risk of drowning incidents in unpatrolled areas or outside of patrolled
areas by introducing self-service rescue tubes. It referenced a successful trial in northern NSW and
requested:
Review of the existing trial that was conducted in NSW, identification of potential sites, an analysis
of the potential cost, a comprehensive breakdown of all identified risks and a review of potential
stakeholders and partners.
Council requests the CEO to:
•   Report on Feasibility: Report back on the feasibility of conducting a remote rescue tube/life ring
    trial at unpatrolled locations with high visitation. This report should include data on visitation
    numbers at these locations, particularly at Sunrise Beach and North Peregian Beach.
•   Consult Insurers: Consult with Council’s insurers to ensure support for the initiative and confirm
    that no additional liability would be incurred should the units be damaged, stolen, or an incident
    occur while using the rescue tubes.
•   Seek Expert Insights: Contact Greg Hackfath, Team Leader of Lifeguard Services at Coff’s
    Harbour, who pioneered a similar project, for insights and guidance.
•   Explore Emergency Beacons: Explore using Surf Lifesaving Queensland’s (SLSQ) emergency
    beacons with the rescue tubes/life rings. This would allow beachgoers to contact emergency
    response by pressing a button, and the tubes/life rings would have clear location markings,
    including access numbers, to assist emergency responders.
The NoM provides the following background information to support consideration of a trial:
•   Rescue tubes are used widely across Australia, Europe, central and northern NSW, Hawaii, New
    Zealand, Zambia, Denmark and Germany.
•   The global adoption of rescue tubes and life rings highlights the need for Queensland to
    implement similar measures for unpatrolled and remote areas.
•   The initiative has strong support from ocean affiliated community organisations Noosa
    Boardriders Club, Noosa Malibu Club, Noosa World Surfing Reserve (NWSR), Noosa Surf
    Club.
Since the commencement of the Coffs Harbour remote rescue tube trial in 2019, the program has
received strong support, and no incidents of vandalism or bystander drownings have occurred.
See Figure 1 for typical installation: