APOLA’s 26th National Conference heads to the Gold Coast

April 21, 2023

Extending an invitation to any person or organisation who have an interest in water safety to attend, the Australian Pool and Ocean Lifeguard Association (APOLA) is counting down to its 26th Annual Conference.

Hosted by the City of Gold Coast - which manages Australia’s largest ocean lifeguard service - the event will be held on Currumbin Beach, at the Currumbin Beach Vikings Surf Lifesaving Club and the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre in Southport on 4th and 5th May.

With the nexus between risk and water being constant, how risk is managed and the limiting of exposure to costly litigation will feature strongly at this year’s conference.

Among those presenting will be Bruce ‘Hoppo’ Hopkins, APOLA President and President of Surf Educators International (SEI).

Hopkins believes that “having well thought out pool and beach supervision plans is essential to minimising guarded drownings and serious accidents”.

After decades of supervising Sydney's Bondi Beach, one of the world’s busiest beaches, Hopkins believes there is room for improvement with specialised lifeguard training when it comes to supervision and victim recognition, adding “it is all about constant surveillance and a quick response.

“If we can minimise the time from when somebody is in trouble to when help arrives, we maximise their chance of survival.”

Click here for details on the APOLA Conference in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar.

Images: The City of Gold Coast operates Australia’s largest ocean lifeguard service (top) and the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre in competition mode (below).

12th April 2023 - Upcoming South East Queensland Water Safety Forum looks to reduce region’s drowning rate

17th March 2023 - Shellharbour City Council lifeguards recognised by APOLA

4th March 2023 - Summer drownings figures reveal 90 deaths across Australia

24th February 2023 - Royal Life Saving develops new online course specifically for pool lifeguards

11th February 2023 - Drownings highlight need for education on rip currents

23rd January 2023 - Float to Survive message demonstrated in ocean rip at Sydney’s Manly Beach

2nd December 2022 - Randwick City and Waverley councils launch Float to Survive initiative to reduce national drownings 

14th November 2022 - Sunshine Coast Council agrees new lifeguarding partnership with Surf Life Saving Queensland

9th November 2022 - More than 500 children lose their lives to drowning over past two decades

30th September 2022 - Council to offer support to lifeguards after near drowning at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre

23rd September 2022 - Float to Survive safety message to be trialled by Waverley and Randwick Councils

18th September 2022 - Professional ocean lifeguard patrols ramping up for summer

17th September 2022 - Rising drowning toll prompts AUSTSWIM to emphasise importance of educating new swimming teachers

16th September 2022 - 2021/22 drowning toll the highest in more than 25 years

9th September 2022 - APOLA President Bruce Hopkins gains support for adoption of Float to Survive initiative as a national anti-drowning prevention message

5th August 2022 - Swim It Forward 2022 campaign launched by Swim Australia ahead of peak drowning season

22nd July 2022 - AUSTSWIM to mark World Drowning Prevention Day with discounted courses for new teachers

7th June 2022 - Counting down to World Drowning Prevention Day 2022

24th May 2022 - Conference sees APOLA ride a wave of change

13th April 2022 - Court in father-son drowning case hears that Airlie Beach Lagoon lifeguard contractor had no ‘relevant’ experience

21st February 2022 - URBNSURF Melbourne to host APOLA’s 25th National Conference

7th January 2022 - Staff shortages impact Gold Coast’s lifeguard team and close Upper Coomera Aquatic Centre

14th May 2021 - Miami Aquatic Centre reopens following major upgrade

7th May 2021 - Review gives ‘top marks’ to Gold Coast’s professional lifeguard services

2nd March 2021 - Gold Coast chief lifeguard Warren Young retires after 48 years of service

22nd May 2019 - Federal Government won’t deliver on APOLA funding plea to reduce drownings

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.