For the first time, more female lifeguards than male have been recruited to keep Coffs Harbour’s beaches safe during this summer season.
“We’ve always had a number of female lifeguards, and the Surf Lifesaving Clubs can always count many women among their volunteers,” said Council’s Lifeguard Services Coordinator, Greg Hackfath. “But this is the first time that we have recruited more women than men.
“We already have one female lifeguard on the team, but of the six we have taken on for the season this year, four are women. That takes the total number to five out of 20 – a quarter of the team. It may not seem such a breakthrough, but lifeguarding has traditionally been seen as a male dominated pursuit. To have such a high percentage of female staff shows that Coffs Harbour is challenging that view.”
Assistant General Manager, Kyme Lavelle, said Council strives to make sure it offers equal opportunities to all.
“This latest recruitment suggests that our efforts to get a gender balance and encourage more women in the workplace do seem to be getting results,” Kyme Lavelle said.
The five female lifeguards will be part of a team who, with the lifesavers of the local Surf Lifesaving Clubs, will keep watch over Coffs Harbour’s beaches through the summer holidays.
“The lifeguards may be male or female, but their message is always the same,” said Greg Hackfath. “The golden rule is always to swim between the flags at a beach patrolled by lifeguards or lifesavers.”
