Gisborne lifeguard funding proposed for long-term council plan

Surf Lifesaving New Zealand have asked Gisborne District Council to include funding for paid lifeguards in the Long-Term Plan.

Surf Lifesaving New Zealand (SLNZ) wants the funding agreement for the provision of Tairāwhiti paid lifeguard services to be incorporated in Gisborne District Council’s Long-Term Plan.

Avan Polo, SLNZ’s Eastern region manager, made a public submission to the council’s operations committee this week.

He said Long-Term Plan (LTP) funding would provide ongoing service delivery, certainty of service and strategic planning.

Such investment would secure weekday patrols during summer, improve community safety outcomes and support local tourism and the visitor experience.

Avan said SLNZ was grateful for its positive and collaborative relationship with the council.

The two organisations had a three-year funding agreement where SLNZ would provide six weeks of paid lifeguard service in Gisborne and two weeks in Tolaga Bay.

The 2025-2026 service provision, which costs $128,481, includes paid lifeguards from December 15 to January 23 at Wainui ($36,124), Waikanae ($33,576) and Midway ($32,009), along with Ūawa (Tolaga Bay) from December 22 to January 11 ($26,751).

The paid lifeguard service will cost $133,620 in 2026-2027 and $138,965 in 2027-2028.

Avan said the agreement included a 4% annual increase to cover inflation and wage indexing.

He asked if a living wage should be considered, to align lifeguards with the council, which had paid a living wage to its staff since 2016.

That would increase the cost of the paid lifeguard service by $9000 to $10,000 each year, he said.

The current hourly wage for an entry-level lifeguard is $25.50, and $26.50 for a lifeguard with three years’ experience or more.

The current living wage, determined by Living Wage Aotearoa NZ, is $28.95.

Avan said there were councils, including many in the South Island, which paid lifeguards a living wage.

A job listing for summer lifeguards on the Christchurch City Council website advises that the position pays the living wage.

Surf lifesavers were first responders and served the community, Avan said.

Councillor Larry Foster asked for further details on the “outside of beach activities” that lifeguards were involved in.

Avan said lifeguards were called to caravan parks/holiday parks as a first responder to assist people suffering cardiac arrest or from other illnesses before an ambulance arrived.

“Our search and rescue capability does everything from river safety, river searches, inner harbour searches and all places inland.”

In 2024-2025, paid and volunteer lifeguards across Tairāwhiti made 19 rescues, 17 “assists to safety”, 818 preventive actions, 6193 safety interventions, three searches, 35 minor first aid calls and two “major” first aid calls.