Honeysuckles Beach
Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (17:43): (694) My adjournment is for the Minister for Emergency Services, and the action that I seek is that lifesaving equipment be supplied at the end of the steps leading onto Honeysuckles Beach. There have been over 60 drownings this year in Australia and over 2900 rescues. Six of those deaths occurred in Gippsland in the first 20 days of the year alone. On 4 January this year my friend Danielle went for a run along Honeysuckles Beach. She approached a group of people that looked extremely worried. When she asked them what was wrong, they pointed to three women who were drowning. They had been caught 150 metres offshore in a rip. Immediately Danielle called the Seaspray lifesavers club and the police. Both regretfully said that they would not make it there in time. The situation was critical. Luckily Danielle had served as a lifesaver 20 years ago at Seaspray Beach. The water was dangerous, and she knew she could not go in with any lifesaving gear. In the absence of any, she ran up and down the beach until she found a little girl with a kickboard, who kindly lent it to her – as long as she would bring it back. After that, she went in. She got out to the three women and was able to bring two of them in. With barely enough energy left, she did not know if she would make it out to get the third. At that time a life-saving jet ski had come over from Seaspray and rescued her just in time. The police and the ambulances that attended after the rescue said that if Danielle had not gone in, they would have been recovering three dead bodies that day. This highlights the urgency of the situation. It was miracle timing. If she had not gone at that moment for a run, if that little girl had not had a kickboard and if Danielle had not had the skills to carry out the rescue, there would be grieving families today.
So I asked Dani what we needed to do. She said that the council needs to put up warnings showing how volatile that particular beach is and advising tourists to swim between the flags at Seaspray. The women there had accessed the beach through the road at the end of McLachlan Street, and there is no signage at all. She said that what would have made an immediate difference and for much better safety for her and for the ladies was if there were lifesaving devices at the stairs at that beach, so that is what I am asking for today. Once they are installed potentially councils could then monitor them and look after their upkeep. This would be helpful in the instance that a life-threatening emergency like this happens again. In closing, I just want to give a shout-out to Danielle. You were brave and courageous, and we are so grateful to you.