New patrol base to be trialled for Tay St

Surf Life Saving New Zealand is pleased to announce it will extend its patrols to cover Tauranga's Tay Street Beach in the 2014/15 season.

A mobile patrol base will be set up, when conditions permit, at the popular spot between Mt Maunganui and Omanu, from December 27 to January 11.

Regional lifeguards will patrol from Monday to Friday and volunteer lifeguards from Omanu (in conjunction with support from Mount Maunganui SLSC) will take over on the weekends.

SLSNZ Eastern Regional Manager Chris Emmett says we took a good hard look at all three Mt Maunganui beaches and were able to rationalise the current services. The extra patrols at Tay St will be run within the current level of funding and will be more aligned with actual need. 

"The two local clubs (Mt Maunganui and Omanu) along with Tauranga City Council were very supportive of this rationalisation of services. It is also a model we will look to consider further down the coast at Papamoa East as we gather move evidence of need for this service, he says. 

"This is great news for the area as Tay St has been an area of concern for quite some time with rescues occurring regularly over the last five years, especially during the Christmas and New Year period."

In the past, the area has been covered by roving patrols by lifeguards from Mount Maunganui and Omanu Surf Life Saving Clubs. These will continue and the mobile unit will be utilised to provide a greater presence. Whether it will be a flagged or mobile response unit will be determined by the Patrol Captains on a daily basis.

For more information please contact: 

Lisa Honeybone, Media & Communications Specialist, SLSNZ
Phone 09 303 9335 or 0276 488 823
Email lisa.honeybone@surflifesaving.org.nz