Meeting papers

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING                                                        19 JANUARY 2026


While there has been some community support for the roll out of this equipment, installation and
management of this equipment by Council enlivens issues such as duty of care and liability
exposure, precedent and cost implications if the program expands, Council’s adopted risk appetite
and tolerance, and reputational risk.

A Council managed trial requires Council to accept a higher risk appetite and tolerance than its
current adopted position which makes it essential to adopt robust mitigation measures. While the
likelihood of a bystander drowning in a rescue attempt is low, the potential consequences of such
an event would be significant for Council.
Deferring installation on Council-managed land while supporting SLSQ and surf clubs in their funded
rollout provides a balanced and prudent approach. This strategy enables Council to monitor
outcomes from existing trials and gather empirical evidence before committing resources to a rescue
tube program. It also mitigates immediate legal, financial, and operational risks and aligns with
Council’s zero tolerance position on health and safety and zero to minimal tolerance for legal
compliance risks and preserves flexibility for future decisions based on proven effectiveness.
Although this approach carries potential reputational risk if a drowning occurs where a rescue tube
might have been situated, it ensures decisions remain informed, evidence-based, and consistent
with Council’s Enterprise Risk and Opportunity Management Policy.
In summary, it is recommended Council continue to monitor trials and programs elsewhere and
support SLSQ and surf clubs in their funded rescue tube rollout initiatives, as detailed in Option 2
of this report.


Link to Corporate Plan
Theme No. 2 - Liveability
Objective 2.8 – Provide opportunities to enhance the health, wellbeing and safety of our
communities.
Departments consulted:




Previous Council Consideration
Ordinary Meeting Minutes dated 19 September 2024
TRIAL OF REMOTE RESCUE TUBES/LIFE RINGS AT UNPATROLLED BEACHES
That Council request the CEO to provide a report to Council that investigates the opportunity to
install Remote Rescue Tubes/Life Rings at selected unpatrolled beach locations with the possibility
of conducting a trial of a single site prior to any further action.


Finance
The 2024/2025 Coast Safe report (page 32) states the advantages of rescue tube boxes lie in their
simplicity, affordability and potential impact.. and they are low cost compared to the societal and
economic burden of a single fatality. Table 3 identifies the cost to manage a rescue tube trial at a
single location. Rescue tubes are housed in a rescue tube box which includes a rescue tube,
adjustable set of fins, bleeding kit and resuscitation mask. Monitoring costs are not included given
singular site. The figures include the following assumptions:
•   3% CPI annual indexation.
•   Capital costs included purchase of box in year 1 and replacement in years 4, 7 and 10.
•   Equipment in each box includes rescue tube, adjustable set of fins, bleeding kit and resuscitation
    mask.




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