![\"Lifeguards](\"https:\/\/newcastle.nsw.gov.au\/getmedia\/1665ebf7-9435-4eb3-86a5-84fae83b2ac1\/Trainee-lifeguards-WEB.jpg\")
Lifeguards Lexi Sutherland and Bronte Bowker at Dixon Park Beach<\/em>The pair successfully completed last season\u2019s six-week trainee program, where they worked alongside experienced mentors during the busy summer holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCity of Newcastle Executive Manager Community and Recreation Lynn Duffy said the initiative is helping to make a positive change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWomen now account for around 40% of our lifeguards, with more and more girls applying to be part of the trainee program every year,\u201d Ms Duffy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe know some Councils are struggling to fill lifeguard roles because it\u2019s a seasonal job that requires a unique set of skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur program helps us maintain a dedicated team of professional lifeguards who have comprehensive knowledge of our beaches and our procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe innovative trainee initiative launched in 2021 and so far every participant has come back to City of Newcastle to work as a professional lifeguard in some capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cApplications for this summer\u2019s trainee program close on 6 October, with four high school students being offered the chance to gain hands-on experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The trainee program is delivered in partnership with Hunter Surf Life Saving and was the first program of its kind in NSW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Currently completing their Higher School Certificates, Lexi Sutherland and Bronte Bowker already have impressive resumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sutherland took out the Under 17 female ironperson title at the NSW Championships in March, while Bowker was part of the team that won the Under 19 ski relay title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both lifeguards say they\u2019re excited about the prospect of launching their careers at the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wanted to apply for the casual lifeguard role because the trainee program allowed me to create so many valuable friendships,\u201d Ms Sutherland said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI developed so many new skills and had amazing learning experiences that I hope to keep building on this season.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI decided to apply for the casual position because I really enjoyed my traineeship and working with such a friendly team,\u201d Ms Bowker said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI gained valuable insights into the role across morning and afternoon shifts, developing my understanding of beach operations and confidence in handling different situations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lifeguard patrols return to all six Newcastle beaches this Saturday, adding to the year-round patrols that also take place at three beaches and Merewether and Newcastle Ocean Baths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ms Duffy said recent tragic incidents in Newcastle and on the Mid North Coast were a reminder to always follow key water safety rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re enjoying our beautiful beaches, you should never swim alone, always swim between the red and yellow flags, ask lifeguards for advice about conditions and if you\u2019re in trouble, put your hand up and yell for help,\u201d Ms Duffy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Swimmers will also be welcomed back to City of Newcastle\u2019s inland pools at Wallsend, Mayfield, Stockton and Beresfield on Saturday, following the reopening of Lambton Park War Memorial Swimming Centre in August,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
City of Newcastle is expecting another busy season at the pools, which attracted more than 537,000 visits during the 2025\/26 season, highlighting their importance as destinations for family-friendly recreation and reinforcing their role in supporting community wellbeing and social connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The winter break provided an important period for essential maintenance activity with City of Newcastle completing a range of works across the network including safety upgrades, painting of non-slip surfaces and plumbing repairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was a major service of Lambton\u2019s popular splash park feature and new fencing for the waterslide, playground maintenance and kiosk improvements at Beresfield, while Stockton\u2019s bench seating was replaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Security improvements were carried out at Wallsend, while the 50-metre pool was emptied to enable floor tile repairs and the replacement of expansion joints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A detailed inspection of the pool shell was also carried out, while pipe fittings were replaced to reduce the risk of water leakage during power outages in the plantroom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The number of female lifeguards on patrol at Newcastle\u2019s beaches and Ocean Baths will reach an all-time high this summer thanks to City of Newcastle\u2019s innovative trainee program. Lexi Sutherland and Bronte Bowker will become the latest recruits to transition from a traineeship to the professional ranks when the new summer beach patrol season kicks … Continue reading “New wave of lifeguards helping to turn the tide at Newcastle beaches”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-newcastle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40945"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40945\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40946,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40945\/revisions\/40946"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}