Welcome to the March Edition
of the
Surf Life Saving Illawarra Newsletter
Peter Evert
President
Surf Life Saving Illawarra
A message from the President
I would like to again thank our Illawarra surf lifesaving club volunteers for their time, continued effort, vigilance, and service on the beach this season, you are all doing a remarkable job supporting our community and visitors to the region. So far this season you have completed 251 rescues, and 6813 preventative actions!
As we move towards the final 6 weeks of the regular patrolling season I would like everyone to consider your fellow club members that have provided significant and / or exceptional volunteer service this year, those that have gone over and above with their efforts and commitment…all clubs have these inspirational members. It is time to thank and appreciate these members' contributions and nominate them for community wide acknowledgement. The Bluescope Win Community Partners supported SLSI Awards of Excellence circular will be released soon. I wanted to advise that our 2025 Surf Life Saving Illawarra Awards of Excellence event is being held again at the City Beach Function Centre - 1 Marine Drive Wollongong NSW 2500 on the 20th June 2025, please lock the date into your calendars. For the moment please start preparing your notes and submissions about your extraordinary club members, and look out for the soon to be released SLSI AOE circular..
Some exciting news as I would like to announce and welcome our newest Branch Sponsor: Jims Pool Care Wollongong, - Mobile pool Shops, please make contact with Gregoire on 13 15 46 or 0403 944 448 if you need assistance with your pool investment, either with servicing or maintenance.
I hope that those Illawarra members that recently competed at the SLSNSW State Championships in the Sydney Northern Beaches branch had a successful carnival. Those travelling to the Gold Coast Queensland for Aussies 2025, I wish you the best of luck, and travel safe!
Our biggest challenge for beach safety continues to be that of our “unpatrolled beaches”, so as you frequent our coastline, please continue to promote the beach safety messages, and encourage our community, and visitors to swim between the red and yellow flags.
In a surf emergency please call 000 and ask for NSW Police who will make contact with the SLSNSW State Operations centre.
Wishing you all the best for the rest of the season.
Peter Evert
Well, here we are in March and the Summer months have passed, however that doesn't mean our volunteer lifesavers are, 'tools down', they will be patrolling until the end of April. As always, thanks to all our patrolling members, who continue to keep turning up and keeping our community safe, even when the weather starts to cool down.
This month we have had members from many of our Illawarra clubs competing at State Champs in Manly, some lucky enough to place in their events. Keep reading for some great photos of all the action.
We have also had multiple members complete their Rescue Water Craft (RWC) training are now fully qualified ski operators, Congratulations!
As you would be aware, Northern NSW recently experienced the effects of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and the Illawarra had multiple members from our clubs travel up North to assist as flood rescue operators. Thank you to these volunteers who gave up their time to assist.
With our nippers' programs finished up this month, we would like to thank all our hard-working members who volunteer their time to keep our Nippers programs at our clubs. As most of you would know, it takes an army of people to keep these wonderful programs going for our kids. If you a parent or member or would love to help with nippers at your club, reach out to your club's Junior Activity Coordinator or your Club's executive team.
There are lots of roles that make our nippers program tick, including Age Managers, Water Safety, BBQ volunteers, uniform coordinators, social media managers, why not get involved in the fun!
Flood Rescue Support in Northern NSW
Earlier this month, Ex-cyclone Alfred caused flooding and storms in Northern NSW and QLD. As an emergency service, NSW Surf Lifesaving members, who have opted to be part of the flood rescue team and have been trained, have the opportunity to volunteer and be called upon during flood rescues.
During this recent event, Illawarra members Mat Webber (Helensburgh-Stanwell Park SLSC), Aaron Wallace (Helensburgh-Stanwell Park SLSC), Barry Allen (Coalcliff SLSC), Rachael Plummer (North Wollongong SLSC), Alison Montgomery (Thirroul SLSC), Jeff Body (Thirroul SLSC) and Michelle Emmett( Thirroul SLSC) travelled to Northern NSW to assist, taking with them a Surf Life Saving Illawarra Vehicle and fully equiped Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB).
A really big thank you to these members for volunteering their time. Thank you also goes to Thirroul SLSC for use of their IRB and IRB equipment. We also wish to thank members from Thirroul who coordinated access to their IRB at such short notice and Mat Webber again, from Helensburgh-Stanwell Park, who coordinated a trailer to transport the IRB and collected the vehicle.
Thanks also goes to Peter Evert and Gunther Enthaler, who volunteered their time as Surf Life Saving liaison officers at the SES Headquarters in Wollongong.
Download Beachsafe App!
Access the latest information about every Australian beach or find a beach near you including local conditions and lifesaving services. There’s also safety advice and information about flags, signs, rips, waves and more.
Surf Life Saving recommends swimming at patrolled beaches, between the red and yellow flags.
Education Courses
Upcoming Branch Courses
Are you a current financial member? Are you interested in joining a patrol and helping out your club and community? Please keep reading below for more details on upcoming courses. These courses not only help you obtain lifesaving skills or upskill your current lifesaving skills but allow you to help out your club on patrol and contribute to the greater community.
If you wish to become a patrolling member of your club or help with water safety at nippers, then why not complete your Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC) or Bronze Medallion (BM). Speak with your club if you are interested or email Megs, our Education admin officer at educationadmin@slsillawarra.com.au.
Did you know that you can join a patrol in different roles? If being in the water performing rescues is not for you, then maybe you might like to be the First Aid Officer on patrol. If this sounds like something for you, then why not join our next First Aid Course. Details below.
First Aid
The next branch First Aid Course (HLTAID011) is being held on Tuesday the 1st of April and Thursday the 3rd of April, 6-9pm.
First Aid is open to current financial members who are above the age of 14.
If you are interested in attending, please contact Amy at North Wollongong SLSC on amy@nwslsc.com.au
Silver Medallion Patrol Captains (SMPC)
Our next SMPC course is being held on Saturday the 5th of April and Sunday the 6th of April.
Please contact Megs at educationadmin@slsillawarra.com.au to find out more.
This course is open to the following members;
• Minimum 17 years old
• Hold an SLSA Bronze Medallion or have held an SLSA Bronze Medallion and currently hold a patrolling award
• Have 2 years patrolling experience - you must have the support of your club's Chief Education Officer to attend this course
Rescue Watercraft (RWC) Training
We had multiple members from our branch recently complete their RWC Training.
Congratulations to Thomas Dorahy (Bulli SLSC), Lachlan Mackinnon (Bulli SLSC), Hayden Wilkinson (Austinmer SLSC), Zeb Lilliendal (Coledale SLSC), Rob Lumby (Towradgi SLSC), Jackson Walsh (Windang SLSC) and Jayden Keys (Thirroul SLSC).
A really big thank you to our trainers who have given up their time to train these members and continue to volunteer their time to members who are still being trained.
RWC operators must hold a current Bronze Medallion and be a minimum of 17 years old to commence training and at least 18 years old to undertake their assessment.
Future RWC courses will be advertised through your club, on our social media pages and through the newsletter.
SLSNSW State Championships
The SLSNSW State Championships were recently held from the 28th of February to the 16th of March at Freshwater SLSC and Queenscliff SLSC.
The competition involved beach and water events, including surf boats and saw multiple members from the Illawarra compete. Competitors from the following Illawarra clubs were involved in competition: Helensburgh-Stanwell Park, Scarborough Wombarra, Coledale, Thirroul, Bulli, Woonona, Bellambi, Corrimal, Towradgi, North Wollongong, Wollongong City, Port Kembla and Windang.
Well done to all our Illawarra competitors and congratulations to the following members who received medals in their events.
Max Eccles - Wollongong City- 2nd U11 Male Surf Race
Oscar Sheppard- Bulli- 3rd U11 Male Surf Race
Rio Sheppard- Bulli- 1st U9 Male Surf Race
Noah Ockenden- Wollongong City- 3rd U11 Male Beach Flags
Kiah Evans- Wollongong City- 2nd U14 Female Beach Sprint
Ethan Macfarlane- Thirroul- 3rd U9 Male Beach Sprint
Lachlan Jory- Bulli- 2nd U10 Male Beach Sprint
Carol Tallarida- Wollongong City- 3rd U11 Male Beach Sprint
Jake Schulze, Jack Mulhern- North Wollongong- 3rd U14 Male 2 X 1km 2km Beach Run Relay
Freddie Nesbitt- 1st U11 Make 1KM Beach Run
Jonty Greenhalgh, Freddie Nesbitt- Thirroul- 3rd U11 Male 2 X 500M Beach Run Relay
Max Eccles- Wollongong City- 2nd U11 Male Ironperson
Oscar Sheppard- Bulli- U11 Male Ironperson
Tayah Anderon, Kiah Evans, Lucy Richardson, Lexi Yatras- Wollongong City- 3rd U14 Female Beach Relay
Nicholas Aivaliotis- Wollongong City- 1st U17 Male Beach Sprint
Rory Lindsay-Cowan- Wollongong City- U15 Male Beach Sprint
Isabella Evans- Wollongong City- 3rd U17 Female Beach Sprint
Shye Beveridge, Isabella Evans, Zoe Hope, Amelia Poulos- Wollongong City- 3rd Open Female Beach Relay
Kiah Evans, Monique Gray, Rory Lindsay- Cowan, Callan Malcolm- Wollongong City Squad Maroon- 1st U15 Mixed Beach Relay
Lucy Richardson, Isaac Malcolm, Blake Plummer, Lexi Yatras- Wollongong City White- 3rd U15 Mixed Beach Relay
Nicholas Aivaliotis, Xavier Anderson, Luke Drewsen, Jackson McKenzie- Wollongong City Maroon- 1st Open Male Beach Relay
Nicholas Aivaliotis, Xavier Anderson, Luke Drewsen, Jackson McKenzie- Wollongong City Maroon- 2nd U17 Male Beach Relay
Nicholas Aivaliotis, Luke Drewsen, Isabella Evans, Zoe Hope- Wollongong City Maroon- 2nd U17 Mixed Beach Relay
Rory Lindsay-Cowan, Isaac Malcolm, Callan Malcolm, Blake Plummer- Wollongong City- 2nd U15 Male Beach Relay
Alice Coleman, Bronte Hawkesby, Kayla McKenzie, Claire Parker, Alexandra Whitnall- Wollongong City- 3rd Open Female 5 Person R&R
Bronte Hawkesby, Kayla McKenzie, Regan McKenzie, Claire Parker, Alexandra Whitnall- Wollongong City- 1st U23 5 Person R&R
Rory Lindsay-Cowan - Wollongong City- 3rd U15 Male Beach Flags
Nate Heffernan- Helensburgh Stanwell Park- 1st U14 2km Beach Run
Kristy Smith, Kym Weidner, Symone Pearsall, Davina Strauss- Coledale- 1st 170years min Female Beach Relay
Kristy Smith- 1st 40-44 yrs Female Beach Sprint
Davina Strauss- 1st 45-49 yrs Female Beach Sprint
Rod Landy- Thirroul- 2nd 65-69 yrs Male Surf Race, 3rd 65-69 yrs Male Rescue Tube Race, 2nd 65-69 yrs Male Iron Person
Stephen De Lorenzo- Wollongong City- 3rd - 65-69yrs Male Surf Race
Darren Turner- Bulli- 2nd 55-29 yrs Male Surf Race
Brendon Miles- Thirroul- 3rd 70-74 yrs Male Surf Race, 3rd70-74 yrs Male Rescue Tube Race
Ross Taylor- Thirroul- 1st 75 + Male Surf Race, 3rd 75 + Male Beach Sprint, 2nd 75 + Male Rescue Tube Race, 2nd 75 + yrs Male 1km Beach Run
Jeff Wall- Thirroul - 1st 75 + Male Board Race
Ian Sakoff- Thirroul- 2nd 55-59 yrs Male Board Race, 3rd 55-59 yrs Male 2km Beach Run
Ben Squiers- Wollongong City- 2nd 45-49 yrs Male Board Race, 1st 45-49 yrs Male Rescue Tube Race, 1st 45-49 yrs Male Ironperson
Belinda Jacobs- North Wollongong- 2nd 40-44 years Female Beach Flags, 2nd 40-44 yrs Female Beach Sprint, 3rd 40-44 yrs Female 2km Beach Run
Kaye Norris- Windang- 1st 55-59 yrs Female Beach Flags, 2nd 55-29 yrs Female Beach Sprint
Gina Crick- Woonona- 2nd 65-69 yrs Female Beach Flags, 2nd 65-69 yrs Female Beach Sprint
Michael Yatras- 1st 35-39 yrs Male Beach Flags
Sal Ribeiro- North Wollongong- 3rd 35-39 Male Beach Flags, 2nd 35-39yrs Male Beach Sprint
Ben Squiers, Andrew Wood, Louis Whant- Wollongong City- 3rd130yrs min Male Single Ski Relay
Stephen Gibbeson- Thirroul- 1st 60-64 yrs Male Rescue Tube Race
Brendan Payten- 2nd 40-44 yrs Male Rescue Tube Race
Ben Etherington, Brendan Payten, Scott Russell- Thirroul - 3rd 130 yrs Male Surf Teams
Stephen De Lorenzo, Trent Lawrence, Stuart MacKay- Wollongong City- 3rd 170yrs min Male Surf Teams
Craig Fairbrother, Stephen Gibbeson, Geoff Pryke- Thirroul- 2nd 170 yrs min Male Board Relay
David Petty, Brendon Miles, Chris Rule- Thirroul- 3rd 170yrs Male Board Relay
Noel Gracie- Thirroul- 3rd 70-74 yrs Male Ironperson
Trent Lawrence, Stuart MacKay- Wollongong City- 2nd 45-49 yrs Male Board Rescue
Ben Squiers, Louise Whant- Wollongong City- 3rd 45-49 yrs Male Board Rescue
Ross Taylor, Jeff Wall- Thirroul - 1st 75 + Male Board Rescue
Simon Rocchi- Port Kembla- 3rd 30-34 yrs Male 2km Beach Run
Shannon Fox- Wollongong City- 3rd 30-39 yrs Female Champion Lifesaver
Andrew Bell, Toby Dawson, Shane Harloff, Chris Isles, Colin 'Taj' Martin- Wollongong City Can Can Cans- 3rd 160yrs min Male Surf Boat
Jack Patison, Craig Hadfield, Aaron Jackson, Brendon Choice, Duane McManus -Port Kembla Blue- 2nd 180 yrs min Male Surf Boat
Lincoln Costello, Barry Lowe, Glenn MacMillan, Chris Mercer, David Boyle- Bulli - 2nd 260 yrs min Male Surf Boat
Shane Geloven, Heath Mercer, Kyle Mercer, Dean Roberts, Fraser Worthington- Bulli Gold- 1st Open Male Surf Boat
Every effort has been made to ensure that the results shared are inclusive of all Illawarra clubs and members competing, however as this carnival is not run by Illawarra, it is hard to keep track of every event. If you want us to share your results, please send them through to office@slsillawarra.com.au . Thanks for understanding.
Upcoming Surf Sports Events
The 2025 Australian Surf Life Saving Championships will be held on the Gold Coast, Queensland at North Kirra SLSC and Tugun SLSC from 29 March – 6 April.
Best of luck to all our members from our Illawarra clubs who are competing and many thanks to our officials, coaches and water safety helpers who volunteer their time.
Save the Date for our Awards of Excellence (AOE)
Our Awards of Excellence are being held on Friday the 20th of June at City Beach Function Centre in Wollongong.
The awards night allows an opportunity for all our members across our clubs to come together and celebrate the hard work and dedication of our members for another season.
A circular will be released in the coming weeks with information on how to nominate members for awards. If you think a member from your club deserves to be recognised, please reach out to your club about how to nominate them!
Welcome to our newest Sponsor for Surf Life Saving Illawarra
Jim’s Pool Care in Wollongong provides top-quality pool maintenance services to ensure your pool remains clean, safe, and enjoyable year-round. Our experienced technicians understand the local climate and the unique challenges pools face in the region, from high humidity to coastal salt exposure. We offer comprehensive pool care services tailored to your needs, including water testing, cleaning, and equipment checks.
Thank you to Jim's Pool Care Wollongong for their sponsorship of Surf Life Saving Illawarra!
Do you want to become a sponsor of SLSI?
We are looking for sponsors for the branch.
Our packages offer great exposure for your business, plus you will be giving back to a not-for-profit organisation that gives so much to our community.
If you have a business and are interested in sponsoring please get in touch with Ash at office@slsillawarra.com.au and we can provide you more information about our sponsorship packages.
Rod Stevens Memorial Paddle at Coalcliff SLSC
On Sunday the 6th of April, Coalcliff SLSC will be holding their annual Rod Stevens Memorial Paddle at 11am.
Competitors race on rescue boards from Coalcliff Beach to the Southern end of the Seacliff Bridge and back and it's a truly spectacular event to be part of.
Competitors from other clubs are invited to come and compete for the winning male and female trophies or just participate for the fun of it.
The event honours the memory of one of our club's finest surf life savers, Rod Stevens, who passed away some years ago from melanoma.
Please contact Rob Deacon from Coalcliff SLSC if you are interested in competing- 0410 578 144
Illawarra Club Events
If you have an upcoming event at your club that is open to all Illawarra members that you want featured in our newsletter, please email Ash at office@slsillawarra.com.au
Nominations for Office
Surf Life Saving Illawarra is overseen by a volunteer board of eight directors.
A General Election is held annually to allow for nominations for directors' positions. This year's Election will be held on Tuesday the 27th of May 2025 at Surfhouse, our office in Wollongong.
Each director’s term is two years, resulting in four director positions being called for nominations each year. This year we are calling for nominations for the position of President, Director of Finance, Director of Education and Director of Surf Sports.
More information and the form to nominate can be found in the following circular; SLSI Office Nominations
NEWSLETTERS
Does your club have any news, training dates or just anything you would like to share. Send it through to the SLSI branch office and we will put it in the newsletter.
