DEBATE about the delivery of lifeguard services in Coffs Harbour continued at Council’s 28 August meeting.
As previously reported in News Of The Area, City of Coffs Harbour Council has butted heads with the United Services Union (USU) in recent weeks over plans to outsource beach lifeguard services to the Australian Lifeguard Service (ALS), a subsidiary of Surf Life Saving NSW.
Beach lifeguard services in the Coffs Harbour local government area are currently offered by Council lifeguards.
The City and the USU attended Industrial Relations Commission (IRC) hearings on the matter last month.
At the hearing on 14 August, the IRC ruled that ongoing consultation on the issue was to continue between key stakeholders.
At Council’s 28 August meeting, Councillor Tony Judge put forward a motion that the City “directly commits to retaining lifeguards as employees of Council”, additionally calling for Council to note media reports and the extent of community concern on the issue.
In the public forum before the meeting, Steven Pearce and Brent Manieri from Surf Life Saving NSW spoke against Cr Judge’s motion.
Mr Pearce said similar negotiations involving the ALS had not resulted in such levels of controversy.
“If there was the ability to have been able to engage in the conversation, I don’t believe the angst would have been there,” he said.
Mr Manieri challenged what he described as misinformation in the media concerning safety and working conditions for ALS lifeguards.
When pressed by Cr Judge about penalty rates, he said some would be better than Council’s while others may not be.
In response to a question from Cr Julie Sechi about service hours, Mr Manieri said it depended on each Council’s budget.
He also highlighted the quality of training delivered by ALS and Surf Life Saving NSW, in response to a question from Mayor Nikki Williams.
Darryn Quigley from Solitary Island Surf School spoke in favour of Cr Judge’s motion, offering endorsement of current Council lifeguards and publicly thanking them for their service.
Greg Vigors, a long-term member at Sawtell Surf Life Saving Club, also spoke in favour of the motion.
He expressed concerns that outsourcing could lead to increased costs or a decline in service quality, and stressed that Council lifeguards were valued members of the local community.
Cr Judge’s motion was lost five votes to four, with councillors Amos, Cassell, Judge and Sechi voting for and councillors Williams, Cecato, Fowler, Oxford and Saro voting against.
Mayor Nikki Williams then moved an alternative motion, calling for Council consultation with the lifeguard team and their representatives to continue.
The motion stated that “any alternative proposals to address current service issues and challenges” should be considered, and requested the engagement of an independent consultant to meet with key stakeholder groups including volunteer surf lifesaving clubs, board rider clubs and surf schools.
The final point of the motion noted that the Acting General Manager should give “due consideration to all matters raised from the consultation and engagement” before any final decision is made.
The motion was carried six votes to three.
The United Services Union (USU) has been vocal in its support of Council lifeguards throughout the process.
“They tried to muzzle us for exposing their backdoor deal to privatise lifesaving jobs,” USU official Luke Hutchinson said of the Council.
“Privatising lifesaving services means fewer trained professionals, lower standards, and a community left vulnerable.”
Both the Council and the ALS have stated that their positions have been portrayed unfairly by the USU and in the media.
According to a press release from SLSNSW, the ALS has committed that Coffs Harbour lifeguard staff would be “better off overall” under a service delivered by ALS, meaning their pay and conditions will be above what they are currently engaged under.
The ALS has also committed to take on any current staff and recognise leave and other liabilities if it takes over the service delivery.
The ALS said it welcomes the opportunity to engage with the consultation process as agreed at the Council meeting.
In a statement released after the meeting, City of Coffs Harbour Acting General Manager Andrew Beswick said, “It’s important to realise that no final decision has been made on a preferred operational model.
“The ongoing consultation process will allow for the exploration of all ideas to improve the service and make it sustainable and resilient to ensure public safety and staff welfare are the priority.”
Despite ongoing consultation, Cr Tony Judge believes the community sentiment on the issue is “very clear”.
“As a community representative, I cannot support outsourcing of the lifeguard service when the community and our lifeguards are so strongly opposed to it.
“I think Councillors need to listen to their community.
“They want lifeguards employed by Council.”
By Andrew VIVIAN
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