The Kingston Beach Surf Lifesavers are delighted to celebrate the clean bill of health given to Blackmans Bay south during National Water Week and can’t wait to start patrolling on weekends from December.
They are also excited to be helping the Derwent Estuary Program in spreading the word about how to protect our beaches and waterways in the Derwent.
Derwent Estuary Program chief executive Ursula Taylor said that the DEP will be working with the lifesavers who will be ‘ambassadors’ for the Derwent estuary this summer. “Lifeguards will be available to chat about water quality at beaches and how we can all help to keep our waterways clean,” said Ms Taylor.
Danielle Campbell from Kingston Beach Surf Lifesaving Club said the partnership was a perfect fit, “The Club really tries to encourage leadership and community involvement from a young age and is intrinsic in our everything we do” she said.
“This project fits neatly in how we want our contribution to the community to look like.”
Water quality has been a key priority for Kingborough Council and Kingborough Mayor, Cr Dean Winter said staff have worked extremely hard to get the all clear at Blackmans Bay.
“We are really proud of what we have achieved,” he said, “and we will continue to keep focused on improving our stormwater and identifying and rectifying any issues as swiftly as we can.
“We are very pleased to be supporting the Derwent Estuary Program and to be working with the Kingston Beach Surf Lifesavers on what we can all do as individuals to protect our beaches.
“I can’t wait to see the surf lifesavers back in action on Kingston Beach and Blackmans Bay Beach, with all of our community and visitors being able to enjoy the water safely and with confidence.
National Water Week is dedicated to raise community awareness about current and future water issues and to encourage the community to take action to protect our vital water sources. It’s also a celebration of water achievements in painting a sustainable future for generations to come. It is celebrated every third week of October by the Australian Water Association.
The Derwent Estuary Program publishes the results of water quality tests from the Derwent each week through the summer season. Visit https://www.derwentestuary.org.au/ for more information about the DEP and the Beach Watch Program.