SURF LIFE SAVING AUSTRALIA ANNUAL REPORT 2007–08

PRESIDENT’S REPORT (continued)
APPOINTMENT AND
RETIREMENT OF DIRECTORS
On 5 May 2008, Brett Harrod tendered his resignation
from the position of President, Surf Life Saving NSW
(SLSNSW) and consequently as a state director of SLSA
Ltd. At the subsequent AC meeting on 19 June, the board
extended its appreciation to Brett for his contribution to
SLSA during his term as director. SLSNSW advised that
Tony Haven was appointed as its state director of SLSA
Ltd and this was subsequently endorsed by the board.
On 6 September 2008, Mike Smith’s term as President
of SLSWA expired and as a consequence his place on
the AC. Mike has given years of dedicated service to the
surf lifesaving movement and on behalf of SLSA I thank
him for it. We look forward to working with Mark Irwin,
his replacement, in the coming years.
INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES
In July 2008 I attended the World General Assembly
and board of directors meetings of the International Life
Saving Federation (ILS) in Germany. SLSA’s contribution
to, and leadership of, the international lifesaving movement
continued during 2007–08, with much activity at a board
and committee level and particular focus on the Asia
Pacifi c region. The meetings in Berlin saw a great
Australian surf lifesaver, Alan Whelpton AO, step down
from his role as ILS President. Alan has held this position
since 2000, during which time the ILS has become the
major international force for world water safety and
drowning prevention. On behalf of all at SLSA I want
to thank Alan and his wife Helen for their combined
contribution to saving lives around the world.
HONOURING OUR HERITAGE
The reporting period saw the conclusion of the Year of the
Surf Lifesaver. This campaign has increased our capacity
and capability across all operational areas and has built
a solid platform for us to move into the 21st century with
confi dence and vigour. As I outlined in the fi nal project
report for campaign (copies of which are available from
SLSA upon request), we have:
• Signifi cantly increased our public profi le, though the
development of a unifying ‘brand’ and a successful
media campaign including the broadcast of a new,
high-rating observational documentary, ‘Surf Patrol’
(see page 31).
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SURF LIFE SAVING AUSTRALIA—ANNUAL REPORT 2007–08
• Increased our membership in real terms, and, equally
importantly, begun to break down barriers which had
previously acted to discourage people with diverse
background becoming involved in the movement
(see page 30).
• Expanded our educational initiatives with every primary
school in the country now having the resources to include
surf safety messaging in their lessons, as well as the
establishment of the Australian Lifesaving Academy,
which will teach lifesaving skills to people all around
the country (see page 28).
• Consolidated our position as Australia’s leading
water safety and rescue authority with key stakeholders,
in particular, governments at all levels around Australia
(see page 25).
• Built the foundation for an ongoing fi nancial legacy,
the proceeds of which will be invested in major
improvements in our services (see page 96).
The Year of the Surf Lifesaver (YSL) clearly illustrated the
signifi cant benefi ts of working as a national organisation in
collaboration with governments and corporate Australia for
the benefi t of the community as a whole. On behalf of the
AC, I want to thank everyone who was involved in this
project, particularly the Australian Government, the various
state and local governments around the country who
contributed to the success of our campaign, as well as
our corporate partners, DHL, Westpac and others and of
course the entire Australian community for their support.
We collectively had a great celebration, but we also laid
some substantial platforms for the next 100 years.
Our next challenge is to ensure we maintain the momentum
and consolidate the various gains we have all made.
REMEMBERING THOSE WHO PAID
THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
The most moving occasion for me during the latter part
of YSL was the unveiling of a sculpture to all those surf
lifesavers who have lost their lives in the course of their
duties. ‘Memorial to the Surf Lifesaver’, by Sydney sculptor
Sasha Reid, is ‘a six metre sculptural depiction of the line
on a surf lifesaver’s reel, whose continuous length forms the
shape of two waves in one’ (see page 145). The prominent
site of the sculpture at Hunter Park, Bondi is a fi tting
memorial to the eleven people who lost their lives undertaking
rescues, and a number of others who have died during their
patrols, while training or competing. I want to thank all those
involved in this project including Waverley Council.