The numbers say it all - Surf Life Saving Northern Region
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Surf Life Saving
Northern Region
Annual Report 2006
The
numbers
say it all...
Contents Vision, Mission, Values 02 Finance Report 09 Financial Statements 46 Highlights 03 Development Report 10 Awards Statistics xx President’s Report 04 JuniorSurf 11 Membership Summary xx CEO’s Report 06 Club Reports 12 Lifesaving Season Summary xx Life Saving Report 08 Competition Results 29 Our People IBC
Surf Life Saving has had a very sucessful
summer and this reflected in our season 808 lives saved
106,464 interventions
statistics etc. At aliquat alit euguercip esse
ea faci tat, sim zzrit wis nim doloborerat.
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nonsenim dolesti nismod del dolessed min
eugait utem zzriustie dignim er.
17 beaches
Iliquipis num incilit illan hent aliqui et
luptatuer in velenit dolor se modignissit,
71,401 hours on patrol
quat lutet autatinci blaorem inibh ea conse
veleniametue faci bla faccum do digna feu
50,000 visitors daily
feumsandit wis ad magna faccum nonulla
feu feugait venisit non ut dipsum nulput ut. 129 searches
Facilluptat, commodiam in utem iuscip eu
facilisl iure feugiamet aut alit laore conum 732 first aids
3,800 volunteers
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faccum vulla feum velit utpat lum iriure tem.
SLSNR Annual Repor t 2 0 0 6 / / Pa g e 
Vision
To be recognised as the leading aquatic safety service in New Zealand.
Mission
Surf Life Saving Northern Region is commmitted to the prevention of drowning
and injury on New Zealand beaches.
Values
+ High standards of Governance
+ Responsiveness to the needs of our community and our members
+ Operating with integrity, equity and accountability
+ Innovation and constantly improving our services
+ Operating as a team
+ Accepting our role as the leader in aquatic safety services in our region.
Pa g e 
Hig hlights
+ 808 lives saved
+ Over 250 new surf lifeguards qualified
+ Successful rollout of Centralised Training Academy to deliver training opportunities to the Membership
+ U19 and Open Surf League Teams retain their Surf League titles
+ Red Beach winning the Alan Gardiner Trophy at the Surf Sports National Championships
+ Over 1000 kids age 7-13 competing at the SLSNR Junior Surf Age Group Champs.
+ 10,200 school children participate in BeachEd
SLSNR Annual Repor t 2 0 0 6 / / Pa g e 
Pre sident’s Report
To everyone that is Surf Life Saving Northern Region, the delivery of lifeguard training programs, by our
once again thankyou all for an outstanding season. own internal experts.
The collective efforts of many from within the To all our major sponsors a big thankyou, and
organisation continue to build a future for Surf congratulations to you all for the lengths you are
Life Saving Northern Region that is strong and prepared to go to in supporting our organisation.
prosperous. This is no more evident than when you Your continued support for SLSNR enables us to
sit and watch over a 1000 children competing with continue to develop and deliver the programs,
gusto and vigour at the Northern Region Junior Surf education and equipment to its members on the
Championships held this year at Orewa. beach. This is turn enhances the service we are
able to provide to the public. Without your efforts
To all the clubs, committees and volunteers who
the way forward for our organisation would not be
looked after the beaches this season, a magnificent
possible, I thankyou all for your commitment and
effort. Over 71,000 hours worked, 808 lives saved
support toward SLSNR.
and over 106,000 preventative actions.
The year has again been a challenging one for
Surf Life Saving Northern Region continues to
the Board; I thank all the board members for their
lead and set the standards for the rest of New
contribution and efforts over the last 12 months. In
Zealand; this can only be quantified once again by
particular would like to pay a special thanks to Mick
the outstanding contribution the regions athletes
Kearney, Emma Roberts and Michelle Molesworth
have made to the organisation when once again we
who will be stepping down from the Board this
saw the SLSNR Surf Sports team take out the Lion
season. Thankyou for continued leadership you
Foundation Surf League in both the U19 and the
have all shown in your respective portfolios.
Senior Competitions. Coached superbly by both
Tim Fitsimmons and Jason Pocock both the teams To Steve and the members of the professional team,
performed outstandingly going into the final day of Dean, Johnny, Amber, and Miriam, to our newest
competition, their efforts sealing the back-to-back members Avan, Stephanie and Andy thankyou for
win for SLSNR. the professional support you continue to give the
organisation.
Red Beach a month later stepped up to the mark
accepting the Allan Gardener Trophy as victors of Looking forward, on the recent road shows we have
the Surf Life saving NZ Championships this bearing asked the membership, what have we been doing
witness to the efforts this club has made over the well? What haven’t we been doing well? And where
past few seasons to consistently get better, it should does the membership see us in the future? This will
be noted it has been 15 years since a northern club be used as the basis of building the organisations
has achieved this, the last being Red Beach in 1991. strategic plan looking forward to 2011, beyond this
Congratulations must also go to Mirangi Bay for Auckland’s future population growth is expected to
taking out the SLSNR Championships. be in excess of 2 million people by 2021, 15 years
away, we need to be thinking what will Surf Life
SLSNR continue to lead in quality assurance and
Saving in the Northern Region look like then and
patrolling standards, our training and service delivery
where will we be patrolling?
standards are the best in the country. We are placing
the most capable, highly trained and multitalented I look forward to the challenges of the future.
lifeguards on our beaches. As we move forward
we want to build on this expertise with further
Jim Coe
President
development of the Central Training Academy and
Pa g e The collective efforts
of many from within
the organisation
continue to build a
future for Surf Life
Saving Northern
Region that is strong
and prosperous.
SLSNR Annual Repor t 2 0 0 6 / / Pa g e CEO’s Report
As I write this report, I look back at the past 12 months Junior Surf
in amazement at how fast it has gone and what we, Junior Surf continues to grow from strength to
as an organisation, have achieved. Our lifeguards strength thanks to the tireless efforts of the Junior
continue to demonstrate that they lead the country in Surf Coordinators in each club. Our Junior Surf
professionalism, commitment and dedication and our District Championships had over 1,000 competitors
surf sports athletes have once again shown that they which is a remarkable achievement to say the least.
are the dominant force on the national stage. The ongoing success of our Junior Surf Programme
has resulted in Sanitarium, through its UP & Go
Lifesaving
brand, committing to the future development of
The 2005/2006 season has once again seen the
Junior Surf throughout the Region by ‘purchasing’
workload of our lifeguards increase with an additional
the naming rights to the programme for the
10,170 lifeguarding hours performed taking the total
2006/2007 season. With Up & Go’s support,
lifeguarding hours for the season to 74,401 – an out-
we will be able to further develop the Junior Surf
standing achievement and testament to the commit-
Programme which can only be good for us all.
ment shown by our lifeguards throughout the Region.
SLSNR lifeguards performed 46% of all rescues
Development
The organisation’s leadership programme has once
throughout New Zealand over the summer, saving the
again ensured that our future leaders are identified
lives of 808 people. This is a remarkable achievement
and given the opportunities to develop their leadership
which reinforces the fact that, as a voluntary
skills alongside other future leaders from around the
organisation, we rely on individuals giving their time
district. The challenge for the organisation and clubs
each weekend to perform a task that is always
is to ensure that these people are not lost to the
required but not often acknowledged. Our lifeguards
organisation but instead are actively encouraged to
are being asked to put themselves into dangerous
take part in the governance of their clubs and given
situations on frequent occasions and risk their lives
the opportunity to practice the skills that they have
to save others. We must commend them for what
learnt in a ‘real’ situation. Every club needs to identify
they do and actively encourage them to continue to
their future leaders early. With the right training and
develop their skills and physical abilities to ensure
support, the common problem of having no one willing
they are equal to any situation that may arise.
to ‘put their hand up’ for places on committees should
Surf Sports be avoided. In turn, those clubs actively encouraging
The 2005/2006 season also witnessed our Surf and fostering succession planning will find the
Sport athletes dominate the competition arena. transition from the old guard to the new a seamless
The two major highlights being our Surf League exercise and a positive one for their club.
teams once again achieving the double at the Lion
Foundation Surf League at Mt Maunganui and, for
Governance
The past 12 months have seen an initiative by
the first time in 15 years, Red Beach took the top
the Board to move away from a Management
honours at the National Championships in New
or Portfolio based Board structure to a more
Plymouth, winning the coveted Allan Gardner Trophy
strategically focused Board, commonly referred to
for New Zealand’s top club.
as a Governance Board. The Board identified the
The success of our athletes on the National and lack of strategic ‘thinking’ around the Board table
International stages is a reflection of the outstanding as a problem for the organisation going forward and
coaches that we have within the Region. It is great presented a new organisational structure and Board
to see a number of clubs now investing in club ‘process’ to the membership early in 2006.
coaches and this I am sure, will lead to an even
After many meetings with clubs including three
more dominant display of our abilities in years to
‘Roadshows’ that saw the Board taking the
come. The great challenge now is to repeat the
Governance Proposal to clubs around the region,
success of the 2005/2006 season next year!
a final structure/process was determined and
Pa g e presented by the Board to the clubs for adoption. Bennett Surfboards, and TYR, we thank you for your
At the eleventh hour, it was decided by the Board support and ongoing commitment to our organisation.
that due to some last minute feedback, it was in the Your continued support of Surf Life Saving Northern
best interests of the organisation to allow for further Region directly helps us to save lives.
consultation and development before a vote takes
Financially, the organisation remains in a strong and
place. Although disappointing, in the long run this
healthy position. We enjoy excellent relationships with
decision will ensure that we have 100% commitment
both funders and sponsors that in turn ensures we are
and consensus from the membership which can only
able to deliver a Annual Management Plan in excess
lead to a more effective and focused organisation
of $1.5m. This level of expenditure means that as an
moving into the future.
organisation we can deliver programmes and service
The change from a management focused to a more that are the envy of many but unfortunately reviled by
strategically focused Board must occur if we are some within our extended family. We must not however,
to ensure that as an organisation we are effectively get complacent. With very little ‘guaranteed’ income,
planning for our future and not just focusing on today. we are constantly in the undesirable position where we
Financial sustainability, risk management, health & must present a Management Plan to our members and
safety and succession planning, are all areas that the then hope that we can find the dollars to fund it. This
organisation, and individual clubs, must be focusing is obviously not ideal but a reality of the not-for-profit
on now. Not to do so, will result in the decline in our sector. We are therefore constantly looking for new
ability to provide the basic services and programmes sustainable revenue streams. This will take time, and in-
that we, and the public, have come to expect. vestment, but will enable us to develop future Manage-
ment Plans with greater certainty and increased levels
Funding
of investment in our core services and programmes.
As always, our family of sponsors, funders,
donors and supporters are owed a huge amount Conclusion
of gratitude from us all. They enable Surf Life Finally, thanks must be given to our President
Saving Northern Region to deliver an exceptional and Board of Directors for their tireless, and often
level of service and programmes that make us thankless, jobs that they have performed over the
the leading Surf Life Saving District within New past 12 months. To Jim, Mick, John, Emma, Michelle
Zealand, something we must all be hugely proud of. and Susanna, on behalf of the organisation I thank
These groups provided us with over $1.5 million of you for your efforts, commitment and dedication to
operational funding enabling us to deliver the key Surf Life Saving Northern Region. As an organisation
components of our annual management plan. with 16 clubs, one community lifeguard service and
over 3,500 members, the time required to ‘govern’
Special thanks must be again given to the Trillian
the organisation is always increasing and these
Trust who is Surf Life Saving Northern Region’s
people have performed their respective roles with
major provider of funding, committing over $350,000
commitment, passion and professionalism and have
in the past 12 months excluding any grants made
left the organisation in better shape for it.
directly to an individual club(s). Thanks must
also go to the ASB Trust, Lion Foundation, Pub As we look forward to the 2006/2007 season, I am
Charity, The Scottwood Trust, The Southern Trust excited by the opportunities that lie ahead and the
and The New Zealand Community Trust who have level of optimism that is currently out there among the
also supported us with major grants this year and clubs. We must continue to challenge ourselves and
we thank them for their on going support and not be afraid to put our necks on the line for what we
commitment to SLSNR and our clubs. believe. We have a very diverse organisation with a
wide range of abilities and large number of characters
We are also fortunate to have a large group of
– but who would want it any other way!
sponsors who continue to support the organisation in
a number of areas. To Tradestaff, Climatech, Southern Steve Johns
Cross Building Society, Ironman, Urgent Couriers, Chie f exe c utive o ff i c er
SLSNR Annual Repor t 2 0 0 6 / / Pa g e Life Saving Report
Writing my report became a daunting process. This WaterSafe Auckland Inc and Northern Region jointly
year saw me step into the role of Director of Lifesaving played an imperative role in the education of surf
and when trying to sum up all the happenings I found safety for hundreds of fishermem. This partnership
myself not knowing where to start. will continue with an aim to reducing the number of
After a year I feel a whole lot more settled and
have gained a better understanding of the role. I The Auckland Regional
have also enjoyed a series of learning to ensure we
continue to serve the community and our members
Council, WaterSafe
in the safest and most efficient way. Auckland Inc and Northern
During the past 12 months I have seen things Region jointly played an
grow. The Centralised Training Academy was a
new concept hard for many people to accept.
imperative role in the
However, after a delayed take off it has proved to education of surf safety for
be productive and effective when trying to maintain
a level of standard throughout the region. With the hundreds of fishermem.
framework now established, the transition into the
next season should be smoother. This is an exciting fatalities and increasing general surf safety among
opportunity that will ensure Northern Region remains overseas visitors. Huge thanks must be extended to
at the top of our field. those volunteers that openly welcomed the
field officers.
The loss of five fishermen from the West Coast
highlighted a problem that seriously needed to Emma Roberts
be addressed. The Auckland Regional Council, D ire ctor o f li fesavin g
Pa g e Finance Report
At the boisterous annual awards this year we were now we’ve brought these into line. Reporting of holiday
treated to a video from the archives demonstrating the accrual has never been done in the past and this has
“correct” way to go about a rescue, circa 1954. The been included for the first time this year. In other words,
routine had a military-like precision, yet the methodical surpluses in the past have been overstated.
nature of the lifesaving drill seemed to write the script
I mentioned the abnormal items and these were
for some very slow rescues. What’s more, the old style
specifically:
of CPR belonged to a different age entirely! Methods
and technologies keep moving forward. 1. A
tidy up of the asset register so that the books show
which assets have been disposed of. The assets
In finance, much of the progress we make is less
disposed include first aid and radio equipment and
dramatic than the advances in surf rescue. For every
vehicles.
rescue innovation on the beaches, we in finance must
focus on the more conservative elements of running an 2. B
ad debts. A few monies were not recovered from
organisation. While rescuers grapple with their IRBs, we previous years, and these need to show up on the
wrestle, rather, with the figures: making sure everything is books now.
above board and open to scrutiny. This is as it should be. All these adjustments highlight the need for our systems
First the headline news to be up to scratch in terms of timely reporting and
In 2006 the operating budget was in surplus $50,000 but transparency: both so we can function as an organisation,
after adding in auditor’s adjustments we have ended up and to be accountable to our sponsors and funders.
with a small deficit. Also budgeted income was down due Looking forward
to withdrawal of sponsorship by X-Box, and the reduction Part of the thrust of the management plan this last
in grants received, however this was matched by reining year has been the continued emphasis on the training
in expenditure. of lifeguards to a uniformly high standard through the
We had one out of the blue expense. This was our Central Training Academy and other development
electricity bill which was significantly higher compared to programmes.
previous years due to a metering error. A second thrust this year has been to diversify our
As of April 30, 2006 we had for the year: sources of income. I noted last year that the income
stream from Gaming machines would diminish, and this
Total Income $1,597,961
is what happened with Gaming Machine Trust Grants
Total Expenses $1,613,118
down by 16 per cent compared to last year. Meanwhile
Operating Deficit - $15,157 Avan Polo has been newly appointed to work with
existing donors (we cannot love these donors enough!)
If we take into account the abnormal items relating to the
and to find additional sponsorships and revenue.
disposal of assets and bad debts, the deficit for the year
comes to -$93,033. Avan’s work is going to be critical for Surf Lifesaving
Northern Region though it is up to all of us, through
Capital expenditure incurred in the year relates to
all our contacts, to do what we can to win supporters.
the much needed upgrade of SurfCom and upgrade
Avan should not feel alone.
of computers at the office and was funded by our
cash reserves. If a lot of the financial effort this year was about bringing
our systems and our reporting up to best practice,
And now for the news that doesn’t make the headlines.
the effort next year must surely be about raising more
Much of our work was the rather dry but necessary
revenue. Surf Life Saving Northern Region performs
review of accounting procedures. Chartered accountants,
an incredible public service, and each year hundreds
Grant Thornton, were hired to review and audit our
of volunteers keep lifting the game. This can’t happen
financials and they have highlighted some areas where we
without adequate resources.
can improve reporting. These have been taken on-board.
In essence we used to have a mismatch between the Susanna Stuart
reporting periods for our expenses and our income, and D ire ctor o f Finan c e
SLSNR Annual Repor t 2 0 0 6 / / Pa g e Development Report
Another season has flown by and there have been Rookie Challenge and Champion Rookie events, in
some outstanding achievements in the membership addition to attending training courses on organizational
development portfolio that will see SLSNR continue governance, funding and networking.
to grow and lead into the future. First of all, a huge
Congratulations to our Buddy Lucas Scholarship
thank you to the SLSNR membership who once again
recipients, Ashley Matuschka and Emma Darwin
volunteered their time to make club based and SLSNR
who were selected by their peers from the High
development programs a success. Without your
Performance Leadership Group to represent SLSNR
commitment these achievements would not be possible.
in this prestigious leadership development program.
In addition I would like to thank all of the professional
Both recipients will represent SLSNR at the SLSQ
staff at SLSNR for their continued support.
Leadership Camp. In addition, it is pleasing to see
The Leadership 5 SLSNR members, Andrew Lancaster, Andy Kent,
Ashley Matuschka, Jessica Limbrick and Rebecca
Development Camp was Witten-Hannah being selected onto the SLSNZ
leadership group. These individuals and Surf Life
again a huge success and Saving will benefit from their involvement.
it is encouraging to see so As you can see, within SLSNR there is a wealth of
many young and talented talent progressing through the development programs,
and I am confident the systems we have in place will
members showing an continue to produce outstanding leaders within Surf
interest in the management Life Saving and our communities.
Mick Kearney
of their clubs and SLSNR. D ire ctor o f Deve lo pment
The Urgent Couriers Rookie Lifeguard Program
continues to evolve and SLSNR clubs are continuing
to see immediate benefits from this exceptional youth
development program. The Champion Rookie Event
contested by individuals had record entries as did
the Rookie Challenge team event. Congratulations to
the United North Piha team for winning the Rookie
Challenge.
The Leadership Development Camp was again a
huge success and it is encouraging to see so many
young and talented members showing an interest
in the management of their clubs and SLSNR. The
establishment of the SLSNR High Performance
Leadership Group is a new initiative introduced this
year. The top 8 individuals from our Leadership
Development Camp are selected by their peers for
further leadership training. The Leadership Group
undertake specific projects such as facilitation of the
Pa g e 1 0JuniorSurf Report
The past season has seen a further growth in
numbers of those returning to and joining the ranks
It was pleasing to
of Junior Surf. see a growing number of
It was pleasing to see a growing number of Junior Surf Junior Surf parents getting
parents getting involved with coaching and Surf Official
courses, this will help raise the standard of events involved with coaching and
we run and provide more surf officials for the whole
movement as their children progress through the ranks.
Surf Official courses.
All the carnivals were well attended with an increase
The smooth running of any season is largely due to
in the number attending the Age Group Champs held
the effort of the Junior Surf co-ordinators, coaches,
at Orewa.
managers, and parent helpers who work tirelessly with
There was a larger contingent attending the West the children on club days and at carnivals.
Coast experience held at Bethells Beach, conditions
Junior Surf carnivals would not run as smoothly as
and the weather were challenging and it was a good
they do without the team of dedicated people who turn
training session for those travelling to Ocean Athlete
out early, set up arenas and then are still there at the
the following weekend.
end of the day packing gear back into the trailer.
The Inter-district competition was held at Papamoa.
Thanks go to all those who contributed in any way to
Saturday saw big surf and very trying conditions. The
make the past season so successful
team handled the conditions well and achieved some
personal best performances. On Sunday the direction Michelle Molesworth
of the course was changed to go with the current D ire ctor o f junior sur f
rather than against it, the conditions were still very
trying. There was great team spirit shown throughout
the training sessions and became stronger at the
competition carnival.
The Northern Region U 14 team was ably coached by
Edwin Richards, he was able to give them expert tips
on entry, exit and transition techniques as these areas
can make a big difference to places. These tips proved
invaluable on the day as the competitors were able
to use the conditions to their advantage. The team
came through in fourth place, only 2 points behind
Bay of Plenty.
The Cath and Eddie Millar Cup was a good test for
the competitors. Clubs made teams from their own
members to compete for the individual age group as
well as the overall cup. Red Beach won the A and C
Group cups, Orewa won the B Group cup. The overall
cup went to Red Beach with Mairangi Bay second and
Orewa third.
SLSNR Annual Repor t 20 0 6 / / Pa ge 1 1Bethells Beach
First I would like to thank all the volunteer club Over the last twenty-eight years I have witnessed
members, contributing Trusts, Sponsors and many different transitions in the club, from a small
supporters for the time, money and efforts healthy organisation in the late seventies to one
expended on behalf of the Bethells Beach Surf Life on threat of closure by mid eighties through to
Saving Patrol. Your contributions have ensured the growing, vibrant entity seen today. Part of
that we continue to provide a voluntary community the success has been the ability to put capable
service that is respected and appreciated by the people into key management positions. Over the
beach going public. last few years we have been gifted with talented,
enthusiastic leaders who are able and willing to
This season has been a year of consolidation for
put the time and effort into making BBSLSP a
the club, focusing on existing club members and
success. With this in mind I have stepped aside
providing a top line service on the beach. To achieve
from President knowing that the club is in good
this members’ were encouraged to meet or surpass
stead and the capable hands of Dave Comp and his
swim times, refresh or attend first aid courses and
management team.
review IRB procedures, coupled with new IRBs,
quads, and other rescue equipment has put the club Henry Backhouse-Smith
in good stead. New member intake was less than Past President BB S LS P
previous years, concentrating on existing rookies,
cadets and unqualified members and incorporating
them into the patrol structure. Clubbies performed
may rescues through the season, most notably
the rescue of the month for December, though the
emphasis was put on prevention rather than cure
which was evidenced by the increased number of
preventative actions.
Surf sports for Bethells was mainly represented
by three boat crew with a small band of beach
competitors. All boat crews ventured over the ditch
to experience Aussie competition, one women’s
crew to the world champs and women’s and a men’s
crew to the Aussie Titles, all three gaining benefits
from touring.
Junior surf has maintained a steady number
of participants this season, taking a full role in
activities and events as well as hosting the west
coast experience at Bethells. All children, parents,
coaches, organisers and lifeguard helpers are to
be congratulated for a successful season. With
a renewed focus on bringing through C group
to active lifeguards as well as competition for
the coming season, the club can look forward to
a higher participation at Surf sports as well as
provision of future lifeguards.
Pa g e 1 2Karekare
A few years ago we started the process of planning + A renewed focus on competition saw the
for a new club house. We made the assumption Karekare ladies boat crew win both boat gold’s
that it would take us the longest amount of time at the Auckland Champs and Nationals. As well
to get agreement from the club members on what as Karekare member Steve Westlake achieving
to do. This was in fact the easy part. As the club the same result for Red Beach.
sits on the edge of an environmentally sensitive + Rebecca Witten-Hannah has been working with
area and requires consents from not only the local SLSNR as part of her Buddy Lucas scholarship
council but also a district parks authority and has award and has used much of the motivation and
a local minority group that consistently tries to knowledge learned to bring ideas back into the
argue against the club activities, the club has had club and hopefully contribute many of her own
to engage in a prolonged consultation process and and the clubs ideas to SLSNR
need to apply for resource consents and licenses to:
To the professional staff and officers of SLNR the
+ Build the clubhouse Karekare club would like to offer our thanks for
+ Occupy regional authority land your support and effort. In saying this, the club
+ Obtain licenses to gain access to it’s facilities would like to encourage a higher level of knowledge
sharing with and learning from the clubs. There is
+ Interact with a nearby watercourse through which
still a gap in what SLSNR believe they are doing and
access is gained to the beach
what is expected from the clubs. This needs to be
While we have found the support of the local
eliminated.
councils and authority to be outstanding the biggest
barrier to achieving the goals of the club has been On the subject of the proposed new governance
the bigotry of the local community which is largely model, the Karekare club is fully supportive of the
lead by a few personally motivated individuals. need for this. We are however disappointed with the
As a club that patrols one of the most dangerous approach to dealing with this initiative, and feel that
beaches in New Zealand we find this frustrating in this project has been unnecessarily and unwisely
terms of tying up club resources which would be time bound by the current board, with a lack of
better used on lifesaving activities. willingness to take council during the development
and briefing stages. It is critical whether under the
Over the past year the club has enjoyed yet another
current model or any new model that there is a
successful year and there are many positives to
willingness to discuss matters openly and without
come form this:
favour, seek advice and take the counsel of our
+ Our average length of service in the club is now senior statesmen in order derive the best outcomes.
over 12 years, with nearly half of our membership Without this the expectation that good governance
IRB qualified. We are still waiting for recognition in will occur as a consequence of a new governance
having the best retention record in the country? model is largely mistaken.
+ Our patrolling standards have again been Stephen Pye
exceptional and our lifeguards worked tirelessly to President
minimize the number of rescues we needed to do.
+ Members of our club have put an incredible amount
of energy into our building project as well as their
other patrolling and club management duties.
SLSNR Annual Repor t 20 0 6 / / Pa ge 1 3Kariaotahi
With the Autumn upon us, the season has drawn to a season. This will further enhance the depth and skill
close signalling the onset of winter, with a bit of a break level of our instructors.
and then the preparation for the next season begins.
As our facility ages we must keep abreast of the
Under the watchful eye of Judith Coe and Natasha maintenance and so this season saw a major
Dickson junior surf has really leapt forward again, for upgrade in our waste disposal system, with major
the 3rd consecutive year, now boasting the biggest modifications to the septic tank holding and outflow
membership ever, this going hand in hand with the discharge, with the improvements being well
clubs burgeoning membership being at its largest in thought out allowing a greater capability and an
the history of the club. Next season will see these environmentally friendlier system. This would not
young folk training and competing in district and have been accomplished had Graham Rutherford
hopefully regional competitions to a level never seen and John Ross not been involved.
by our club before.
Last season saw the commencement of the
The rookies program has now evolved well, under the retaining wall project with a due completion in the
tuition of Mare Haitsma and Christina Hitchcock, to where 2006-2007 season, however with the diligence of
it is today having 12 rookies getting totally immersed the membership under the supervision of Jim Coe,
in all the facets of the club and inter club activities stage 2 and 3 were merged and so this project was
and presenting themselves as well trained individuals completed 1 season ahead of schedule. Not only
prepared for their surf lifeguard training next season. was this achieved, but also the council carpark was
reconstructed giving better parking and drainage.
Surf Lifeguard training, instructed by Dave Robb
This project was supported by Terry Ryan Building
and Bryce Burgess, developed 9 new lifeguards for
Supplies, Lionel Daly Earthmoving, Rutherford
the club, achieving excellence seldom seen in such
Plumbing, RDL and the Franklin District Council.
young people. Some of these new lifeguards already
having a taste of competition away from home, and During the season we are able to exist by the
one now sporting a medal won at national level. sponsorship and support of so many organisations:
ASB Charitable Trusts, The Trillion Trust, The Lion
IRB training saw 2 Instructors complete the
Foundation, South Auckland Charitable Trusts, NZ
“Advanced Instructors Workshop”, at Raglan during
Lotteries Board, DHL, BP, Franklin District Council,
winter, and so giving the club a higher expertise
level in IRB instruction. Coastguard Northern Region, NZ Police, Haitsma
Kitchens, Egbers Electrical, Rutherford Plumbing,
This in turn saw 3 drivers and 3 crew qualify by the
RDL, Robb Contracting, Daly Earthmovers, Terry
end of the season. The club also hosted 2 IRB CTAs
Ryan Building Supplies and all the other groups,
and one end of season exam allowing some east
families and local organisations that enable us to
coast lifeguards the opportunity to hone their skills
provide the service that we do.
in testing surf.
Thank you to the Staff and Board of Directors
Instuctors are the basis from which lifeguards learn
from Surf Life Saving Northern Region for all their
their skills and currently we have 3 IRB Instructors
guidance, support and direction in the past 12
and 1 Lifeguard Instructor heading toward gaining
months.
their qualifications.
Just remember: “Winners don’t quit and Quitters
On the examiner front Kariaotahi currently has
don’t win”
2 Lifeguard Examiners and 1 IRB Examiner
under training due to complete their examiners David Ross
qualifications by the beginning of the 2006-2007 President
Pa g e 1 4Mairangi Bay
At the end of the 52nd year of service to the Northern Region, regularly watch more than 200
community and its club members, Mairangi Bay Surf cadets swamp the beach on a Sunday morning at
Lifesaving Club stands at the cross road that will Mairangi Bay and was a huge contributor to the
determine our next 50 years and possibly beyond. Beach Education programme.
The 2005/2006 season will be remembered for many This 2005 2006 season will also be remembered as
reasons and for major strides forward in the club’s activities. the period during which began a review process that
set the tone and direction for Mairangi Bay for the
The approach started from the formation of a
foreseeable future.
management committee following last years AGM that
blended experience and youth. The emphasis between the club’s excellent sporting
achievements and the community service aspect was
The team, under the new Chairmanship of Greg Hall,
address and better balanced with the review looking
promoted a programme that endeavoured to provide
at club facilities, patrolling activities and a launch into
its members with incentives and facilities to improve
the world of technology as a platform for emergency
both community services and sporting activities.
response to local coastal aquatic rescues.
Generally the club’s patrolling activities were carried
The club will continue to place importance on its
out satisfactorily, even considering a couple a lapses
members efforts in the surf sports arena.
leaving an unfortunate legacy for the season.
The concept of patrol towers on most beaches along
Mairangi Bay proved versatile by providing lifeguarding
the North Shore City’s urban coastline, planned to
services for the harbour swim and the weekly Tuesday
be rolled out of the next few seasons and supported
evening long distance ski race series at Takapuna.
by a text alert system was presented to a Special
But Mairangi Bay can dwell on some outstanding General Meeting in April. Those that attended the
contributions and planned directions that will make the presentation were supportive of the direction. The
past season one to remember with considerable pride. Board of Surf Lifesaving Northern Region also
In January a group of young athletes and parents, supportively received the concept.
led by Brian and Karen Campbell and David Vos and The next hurdle hinges on the presentation to the
David Josephson, undertook a development tour of North Shore City Council’s Community Services
Australia. This is the third occasion the club has had Committee. But all initial council indications are that
the foresight to expand and extend our young lifesavers the concept could be well received.
by association with some of Australia’s best.
If this community service concept proceeds through the
In surf sports we congratulated Michael Buck for his local authority consent and support processes, Mairangi
selection in the New Zealand team that contested the World Bay will be recognised as a leader and innovator in surf
Lifesaving Championships in Melbourne in February. lifesaving in New Zealand. It could also become the
Mairangi Bay contributed the majority of the athletes blue print for surf lifesaving well into the future.
that successfully defended for a second time the Lion Finally, I will be standing down as President of
Foundation Surf League at Mt Maunganui. Mairangi Bay after 7 years in this position. But I
We also produced good performances at the Northern fully intend to remain an active administrator of the
Region District Championships and the Northern Region club and continue my media activities with both
Championships with a number of athletes winning national newspapers and radio reporting.
titles at Oakura at the New Zealand Championships. After 39 continuous years involved in this wonderful move-
We were also a significant contributor to the ment, I couldn’t imagine approaching a summer season
administration at Northern Region level, provided a without the excitement of surf lifesaving and surf sports.
number of lifesavers heavily involved in the training Thank you to all I have been associated with!!
of the leading guards of the future, was the largest
Grant Morrison
provider of surf sports officials of any club in the
p resident
SLSNR Annual Repor t 20 0 6 / / Pa ge 1 5Mangawhai Heads
Well I don’t know what happened to all the cyclones the local businesses in Mangawhai and Wellsford for
and swell the weather forecasts predicted for the their support and gifts to sponsor our Beach Day
east coast last summer and our statistics for the 05- Fun Run, Raft Race and Surfing Contests we hold
06 season reflect this. each season. Without you we couldn’t hold such
events. As always the Mangawhai Golf Club have
MHVLS had 24 rescues, 39 first aids, 4 searches,
the Surf Club Golf Tournament in January sponsored
6498 preventative actions and worked 3544
this year by Harcourts Barry Gillespie Real Estate.
voluntary hours patrolling the beach. I would also
like to say that a massive number of hours go into Sport
the running of the club. Huge efforts from Mark Howard, Dave Mitchak
and various parents over the past 5 years, sees
The voluntary work provided by each club is a huge
Mangawhai successfully competing at Junior
donation served to all communities and our Local
Carnivals and 7 senior junior lifeguards primed to sit
Council authorities should be fully supportive of
their SLGA next season.
every Surf Life Saving Club in the country.
Mangawhai won the Bennetts surfing series as
I would like to thank all patrolling members
part of various carnivals and our National Lifeguard
this season for their input into providing a safe
Longboard Competition was a success again with
environment for beach goers at Mangawhai and its
2-3 foot surf. We welcome all Lifeguard surfers to
surrounding waters
be part of this annual event.
A special thank you to Patrol Captains, Boat
The club is very proud of Mangawhai Patrol Champs
Captains, Officers and the get up and goers of the
Team finishing a close second to Orewa at Muriwai
MHVLS who go that extra distance to achieve a
on the 29th April.
successful operation of our service.
Surfing as always is a huge part of the Mangawhai
At times Patrols were strong in numbers and
Club and its great to see our future strong in this sport
experience but unfortunately on occasions were
with young grom girls and boys out there all the time.
weak in both. Retention and commitment of
patrolling member is of huge concern to our service. The MHVLS is in the process of drawing up plans as
The saying in it for Life only relates to a mere few a proposal to upgrade the MHVLS facility. The plan
when you look at the drop out rate of guards over a includes extension of gearshed to accommodate
10 year period. extra equipment and easier access to equipment.
MHVLS sees several senior members leave us this year Extension of decks to the public carpark end of
due to OE’s, employment opportunities and including the clubhouse and on top of the gearshed a kiosk.
overworked volunteerism ie: in need of a break. The club also wants to revamp its toilets, showers,
bunkrooms, and equipment racksystems. The
Fundraising downstairs of the facility is very tired and in need of
Fundraising went well for the club this season with
upgrading.
successful grants from the ASB Charitable Trust,
Lion Foundation, PUB Charities, NZ Community Exciting stuff and expensive but im sure it will
Trust, Trillian Trust, Mangawhai Endowment Fund. benefit MH VLS and create a more comfortable
Many Thanks. environment for its valued members. Wishing you all
well for the winter and hope 06-07 is good to us all.
Thank you to the Kaipara District Council for their
support and ongoing funding of the Regional Life Pete McInnes
Guard Service over the summer holiday, and to all President
Pa g e 1 6Muriwai
They say challenges come in sets of three, and so
it did for Muriwai this season. Firstly, on the eve of Amidst these challenges,
our 2005 AGM, Alan Roberts announced his non- the club continued to do
availability to stand for re-election as Chairman.
Alan has been a charismatic, tireless club leader what it does best – patrol
whose singular determination propelled Muriwai
to the forefront of surf life saving competition in
Muriwai Beach, compete
NZ. His departure prompted the committee to in life saving competitions,
advance its succession planning, and without in any
way wishing to diminish Alan’s contribution, I can attract and train new
happily report the revamped committee continued to
administer the club without any loss of impetus.
members, and provide a
Secondly, just weeks out from the beginning of the
fun club environment.
season, extraordinary storm conditions rendered our
patrol tower unusable. Insurers were disinclined to Our lifeguards were relatively busy, with a few
pay the $23,000 cost of relocating and rehabilitating dramatic rescues to balance the many mundane
the tower, and significant land use planning issues days of patrolling in average conditions. 34 new
needed to be addressed, so the first two months of lifeguards joined our ranks, ensuring we had
patrols were literally undertaken from the comfort of adequate numbers throughout. Many lifeguards
picnic tables and sun umbrellas. Strong club spirit also upskilled during the season, ensuring we have
prevailed, as did community goodwill. Sleepyhead the depth to handle any situation that arises. A
introduced itself to the club as a new sponsor, and continuing investment in lifesaving equipment meant
together with many smaller benefactors and the few problems with availability or reliability, although
extraordinary contribution of much donated labour, we have noted our quad bike and 4wd vehicle have
the tower was repositioned, to be better than before. reached the end of their useful life, presenting us
with another funding challenge for 2007.
The third was the passing away of long standing
club President, Neil Falloon. Neil had been ill for On the sporting front Muriwai did remarkably well,
some time, but in his inimitable cheerful manner given our competition team was significantly smaller
continued to work for and around the club until his than in previous years. 24 members (plus a large
final few days. Neil’s contribution to the club and contingent of supporters) contested a great national
district over 30 years is staggering – as a champion championships in New Plymouth, finishing 6th
sportsman, pioneering lifeguard, administrator, overall. Whilst a few places back on the previous
instructor and examiner (and so the list goes on…) year, we were down by 30 competitors. However,
he had a huge wealth of experience to lend to this gave many of our emerging competitors the
younger members, and always provided balance opportunity to step forward, and we have seen the
to committee discussions. Sad as it was, the club beginnings of a new sporting era for the club. To
came together to ensure he had a fitting farewell support this, the club is revamping its coaching
– and a couple of drinks as he would have wanted. plans for 2007.
Amidst these challenges, the club continued to do Our nipper and junior surf section remains strong,
what it does best – patrol Muriwai Beach, compete and provides the club with many well trained young
in life saving competitions, attract and train new lifeguards, plus many willing parent helpers and
members, and provide a fun club environment. administrators. This year we saw this group take
SLSNR Annual Repor t 20 0 6 / / Pa ge 1 7Muriwai CONTINUED
to the road so to speak. They contested age group Likewise, the team that contributed days, not hours,
events in Mt Maunganui, as well as staging highly to get the patrol tower back into service; the nipper
successful training camps at Mangawhai Heads. The parents that reliably deliver the kids’ activities
results have been fantastic – young members wanting regardless of the conditions; the parents that
to be involved in all club activities, a new keen edge transport gear and members without fuss all over
to their sporting endeavours, and a tangible ‘all for the region. The Muriwai spirit is strong!
one, one for all’ spirit growing across the club.
Finally, sincere thanks to our many sponsors and
There have been many individual highlights. Lucy supporters. Particularly the team at Sleepyhead,
Pengelly and Lauren Roberts both made the final of and Harbourside Restaurant. Your timely support
the Australian Ironwoman Series – for a single NZer saved the club from having to temporarily retrench.
to make the final is extraordinary, for two from one And the team at the Auckland Regional Council, who
club is unheard of. We took 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the have worked solidly to sort out planning issues to
women’s Ironperson race at the NZ Champs. Ash get our tower reinstated, and a framework in place
Matushka and Andrew (Slim) Lancaster dominated to allow us to build a new clubhouse.
their division in IRB racing, and ensured Muriwai
2007 will be large. A new approach to our
remained the top Northern IRB club. Ash, Slim
competition activities, revamping our patrol
and Jess Limbrick were selected into the national
systems, planning a new clubhouse…. But all will be
leadership development programme – again 3 from
undertaken with the enthusiasm, good humour, and
one club! Many members gained selection to district
camaraderie that typified 2006.
and NZ representative teams. Steven Sly went one
better, and represented NZ in kayaking in South Tim Jago
Africa. And so it goes on. p resident
The results have been
fantastic – young members
wanting to be involved in
all club activities, a new
keen edge to their sporting
endeavours, and a tangible
‘all for one, one for all’ spirit
growing across the club.
I can not name everyone that made it a great
year for Muriwai. The entire committee needs
to be applauded for upping their game to bridge
the departures of Alan and Neil. The committee
members responsible for delivering patrols, training,
and competition have been simply fantastic
– proactive, highly organized, and innovative.
Pa g e 1 8Omaha
The 2005/06 summer has been one of the most
enjoyable and settled seasons that the Club has
Our pool of Guards
experienced in recent years. has also grown with 15
Of course each year our guards are more members receiving their
experienced and more mature, so able to cope
better with the demands of Guarding. Life Guard qualifications
We have been lucky to have a Custodian live in during the season.
the Club during the season and this has proved to
be very successful in maintaining the building and
keeping an eye on who is in and around the Club
House. We plan to offer this position again for the
2006/07 season
There are a number of changes to the committee up
coming including that of President and Chairman.
As a sign of the strength of the Club both these
positions have been filled and the outgoing Officers
will remain active within the Club and on the
Committee.
We have reached our financial goal for the new
storage facility soon to be built on the Clubs
property. This will enable all gear and consumables
to be located adjacent to the Club and so leave the
main building ready for expansion. Both sleeping
facilities will be upgraded along with recreational
areas for the Guards.
The Club continues to grow in the Juniors ranks, fed
from a very strong Nippers pool. This is totally due
to the strength of the trainers and helpers who turn
up every Saturday to make sure that the Nippers
have great fun and learn new skills at the same time.
Our pool of Guards has also grown with 15
members receiving their Life Guard qualifications
during the season. We will also have new PC’s for
the new season.
Thank you all.
XXXXX XXXXXX
president
SLSNR Annual Repor t 20 0 6 / / Pa ge 1 9Orewa
2005-2006 has again been one of raising our game
in all aspects of Club Operations. Patrolling has been very
Patrolling has been very successful with a total of
successful with a total of
3,490 hours(up 28% on last year) and 38 rescues, 3,490 hours - up 28%
meaning that only 6 other beaches in the country
had more. Our total of 123 first aids is the second on last year.
biggest by any club. Winning patrol champs was a
major highlight for our whole Club. All the above would not have been possible without
a lot of effort and sacrifice by a very large number of
Upskilling has continued well, with 17 bronze, 3
members,who should all be recognised.
silver and 1 gold award (Nick Tomkins, who now
joins the California Exchange Scheme). We sincerely appreciate the support, advice and
assistance from Surf Lifesaving Northern Region and
Also 14 first aid level 1, 11 level 2, 4 PHEC, 3 first
hope that the Governance details are resolved and
aid refreshers as well as 5 VHF radio operators and
supported by all Clubs.
3 IRB operators, a total of 61 awards.
Competition for us was successful, but some
Graham Taylor
President
excellent early season results didn’t carry through to
Nationals where we emulated the 4th and 5th places
of the NZ Commonwealth Games Team. However,we
did achieve
27 Distict Titles, 5th place overall at Northern
Regionals and had 5 District Representatives.We
recognise professional coaching as an essential
part of our progress and have now recruited Andrew
Towns from Tasmania who has crossed 2 ditches for
us.This would not be possible without the continued
sponsorship of Waves Motel and Orewa New World
Supermarket. The efforts of Paul Lungmuss as
Orewa Coach for 4 years have benefitted us greatly
and he has been instrumental in developing a pool
of athletes, we wish him well.
Administration loads mean that we now have 2 part
time administrators (both with a long surf history),
who overlap duties if needed to form a more fail
safe situation.
We are making progress on design on our new
building and discussions with Rodney District
Council have been positive, we hope to be moving
in within 2 years.
Pa g e 2 0Piha
The first priority for our club is the beach and the competitions cannot be run on our West Coast
service we provide to those who come to Piha. beaches.
This summer’s statistics reflect the efforts we have This summer our club took the plunge and decided
put in to pro-active Lifeguarding: to employ a full time General Manager to assist both
our volunteers with administration and to take our
Hours worked totalled 5,402
club to a higher level. Rob Wakelin comes to us
Preventative actions 10,864
with a background in sports administration with the
Rescues 132
Waikato Rugby Union and commenced his duties
Searches 12
in February. He has now settled in and is driving
First aids 70
changes within our administration.
These were all carried out by our volunteers, not the
Financial support from our traditional sources,
Regional Guards.
ASB Trust and The Trusts (Portage and Waitakere)
These numbers reflect the time and effort we put has continued to enable us to maintain rescue
into lifeguarding and all of our patrolling members equipment. There is no doubt that it is getting
should be proud of their achievements over another increasingly difficult to get funding from some Trusts
busy summer. who have previously supported us. The time when
either Local or Central Government will have to
This summer saw the filming of the third series help may not be far away. In the meantime, we will
of “Piha Rescue” by Eric Derks and his team. continue to file applications wherever we can.
Cameraman Scotty got very involved in a serious
rescue in front of Lion Rock and has since qualified Finally, thanks to those at SLS Northern Region
as a lifeguard. The series continued to rate who have supported our club. This has been my
highly and has lifted the profile of our movement last year as President. I wish you all well for the
throughout the country. Surf Life Saving NZ summers ahead.
recognised this and has used the programme to
Larry Rountree
promote safety on our beaches with their ads
President
throughout the programme.
With coach Carl Newman at the helm, our
competitive team has continued to grow in both
numbers and results. A number have been selected
for representative teams and all have completed
beyond expectations. Training for next summer is
well underway with over 50 competitors involved
in a winter programme. Thanks must go to the
Zymus International for their ongoing support of our
competition team.
Two very successful carnivals were run at our
beach; the Hybrid Ironman run by SLS Northern and
the “Big Wave Surfboard Classic” organised by our
own boaties. Our boaties deserve congratulations
for their efforts – as do this year’s competitors
who braved some serious surf. It is a pity more
SLSNR Annual Repor t 20 0 6 / / Pa ge 2 1Waikato Raglan
The 2005/2006 season has been challenging and We have invested in more equipment this year
while we have successfully completed our core including skis and boards and have several items
activity, to ensure the beach is safe within the like an IRB and surf ski and boards on order.
patrolled area, for myself the season is a little
I would like to thank our committee some of who
disappointing in that we have not leveraged of
were new to the role last year for their support
the past few years and continued to increase the
during the year, our club captain, Jennifer Snowden
number of active guards and develop the other
for ensuring we had a patrol on the beach each
aspects of surf life saving. Part way through the
weekend and Anne and Debbie for the work they
season we lost track of our strategic plan.
did with junior surf and the rookies. This group
However despite a kind season weather wise we are continues to grow.
still one of the busiest clubs in the country as our
With the changes planned in Surf Life Saving at a
statistics show.
district level it will be important that the club retains
Statistics as of the 13 April are: a high level of professionalism and develops strong
links with SLSNR as we move rapidly into a more
Preventatives 8619
professional era.
Searches 22
First Aids 69 Unfortunately this year I will be stepping down
Rescues 43 as president to pursue personal interests. I have
Hours Worked 4184 enjoyed my time as a member of the club and would
like to thank Bill Kennedy for the support he has
Successes we have achieved this year include:
provided to both myself and the club while I have
+ 5 new IRB operators been President.
+ Swim training through out the year I will still be involved from a surf sports perspective
+ Attendance at 2 major surf sports carnivals. and I am sure the club will continue to grow in
+ Patrols on the beach each weekend throughout strength.
the season.
I would like to move that my report be adopted.
+ Retained a good number of members in junior
surf and at rookie level. Regards
+ Juniors attended surf sports carnivals Dennis Amoore
+ Club is financially secure p resident
+ Have surf sports coach through 2006 winter
I would like to thank every one, lifeguards, juniors,
parents, supporters and sponsors for their
dedication, hard work and contribution during the
season.
Financially the club remains in a good position and
I would like to express my thanks to Trust Waikato
and in particular Ken Gordon and Judi Wilson who
actively work with us during the year. We must
look after and promote them and our other funding
groups like NZ Lotteries and Lion Foundation.
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