Dedicated COVID marshals, live cameras and drones to count crowd numbers are part of Randwick City Council’s $1.2M plan to keep beach goers COVID safe this summer.

Randwick Council manages some of Sydney’s busiest beaches including the patrolled beaches of Coogee, Maroubra and Clovelly as well as the unpatrolled beaches at Little Bay, Malabar and La Perouse.

The plan was endorsed by Council at its meeting on Tuesday 17 November 2020 and will be implemented from 1 December 2020.

Key components of the plan include:

• 12 COVID marshals to work as required over summer on weekends and public holidays;
• New live cameras to be installed at La Perouse, Frenchmans Bay, Yarra Bay and Gordons Bay providing beach goers with real time information on beach conditions and crowd capacity;
• Four drones will be purchased to monitor beach numbers using artificial intelligence software;
• Temporary toilet facilities at Clovelly, Maroubra, Coogee, La Perouse, Frenchmans Bay and Yarra Bay to reduce queues and increase capacity;
• A new staircase at Little Bay Beach to provide separated entry and exit points for beachgoers providing more space for social distancing;
• Large variable message signage (VMS) at key locations such as the approach to La Perouse to communicate beach conditions and access issues such as when parking is at capacity;

Randwick Mayor Danny Said explains the plan provides a sensible approach to managing Council’s outdoor spaces including coastal parks and rock pools.

“Access to open spaces and beaches is important to provide for the physical and mental health and well-being of locals and visitors.

“This plan is about ensuring we can provide a COVID-safe approach to our open spaces over summer.

“COVID marshals will be out and about providing a prominent visual reminder of the need to social distance and I encourage people to follow their advice for everyone’s health and wellbeing.

“Additional technology such as live beach cameras will give people real time information to view crowd numbers at the beach before leaving home. We’ll also be publishing daily updates on crowd capacity at popular beaches to help people make informed decisions as to when to visit the beach.

“Importantly, the plan also provides us with the ability to scale our response depending on applicable Public Health Orders at the time. We do not know how the restrictions on open spaces will change this summer, but our plan provides the flexibility to adapt as required,” explains Mayor Said.

People heading to the beach this summer are encouraged to follow these six tips to keep COVID-safe at the beach:

1. Check beach capacity numbers and live beach cams on Council’s website www.randwick.nsw.gov.au before leaving home.
2. Wear a mask while getting to the beach if social distancing isn’t possible.
3. Keep a towel’s length (1.5m) apart from other beach goers.
4. Leave the beach once you’ve had a swim;
5. Visit outside of peak times such as during the week, early mornings and evenings; and
6. Come back at a different time if the beach is busy.

“These simple steps will help Lifeguards and Life Savers keep our beaches open so that people can safely enjoy them this summer,” says Mayor Said.

For more information on how to summer safely visit www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/coronavirus