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In what is likely to be the world’s first national lifeguard conference to be held at a wave park, the Australian Professional Ocean Lifeguards Association (APOLA) has advised that its 25t annual Conference will be held at URBNSURF Melbourne.

Set to welcome leading ocean safety experts from around Australia on 5th and 6th of May 2022, among those presenting will be Bruce ‘Hoppo’ Hopkins, who is the Vice President of APOLA and President of Surf Educators International (SEI).

Looking forward to the conference, Hopkins commented “10 years ago, if you told me we would be heading off to Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne for an APOLA Conference and compete in APOLA’s tag team surfing challenge, I would have thought you had rocks in your head.”

Ian Lee, APOLA’s National Training Officer describes URBNSURF as the perfect venue to hold the conference, noting “the aquatic industry is rapidly changing. 

“Many local councils are looking for different options when renewing aging aquatic assets or considering ways to increase revenue by adding facilities like wave pools. This is a great opportunity to inspect the facilities at URBNSURF and network with industry leaders.”

Conference Topics
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. 

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 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.” 

Airlie Beach Lagoon Drowning
Response times to drowning events are currently gaining attention lately with action being taken against Whitsunday Regional Council which operate the lagoon at Airlie Beach in Queensland and their former lifeguard service contractor following the drowning of a Chinses tourist and his son.

Littles Lawyers, currently representing, Zhang’s widow have filed court documents in Mackay claiming damages of more than 20 million yuan or around $4.5 million dollars.

It is understood that the plaintiff’s legal team will argue that both the Whitsunday Regional Council and the contractor failed in their Duty of Care. 

Statewide Mutual
Statewide Mutual, Australia’s largest member owned local government self-insurer, have been working alongside NSW Councils since its formation in 1993 to reduce their exposure to risk and ensure they get the most from the industry’s leading mutual.

Representatives from Statewide Mutual will be key note speakers at the conference. They hope to give lifeguards and risk managers a better understanding of their ‘Duty of Care’ and the process when a person takes action against a council and or contractor arguing negligence. Talking about case law and exposure to litigation should be of interest to everybody who provides a water safety function. 

APOLA
APOLA Inc is a non-profit peak ocean safety association for local council employed beach inspectors and ocean lifeguards. It promotes and supports best practice in ocean water safety and beach management in consultation with Councils and those working in the industry.

APOLA extends an invitation to any person or organisation to attend the 25th APOLA National Conference who have an interest in water safety. 

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

Image: URBNSURF Melbourne.

URBNSURF Managing Director Damon Tudor writes in the latest issue of Australasian Leisure Management.

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