Woolamai Newsletter - December 2025 Edition
Web: www.woolamaibeach.org.au | Email: secretary@woolamaibeach.asn.au | Postal Address: PO Box 49, San Remo, VIC 3925 | Telephone: 0467 475 263
In this Edition:
President’s Report (December 2025)
Accomodation Policy
Bunkroom Rules
Newsletter editor wanted
HMAS Cape Woolamai Visit.
Board Meeting Updates (September - December 2025)
President’s Report - Jason Close
Welcome to the 2025-26 season!
Even though the season started on 22 November, the past few months have been one of the busiest times of the year for our Club leaders.
Our new Board had a Strategy Day in August and set some priorities for the season ahead, many of which are already underway. These will guide all of our activities throughout the season.
The Club met with LSV and surrounding Clubs and we locked in on dates for our patrolling season. This season our patrol season started on Saturday 22 November 2025 and will run through until Sunday 19 April 2026.
The lifeguard program commenced on Monday 17 November and will run through until Sunday 15 February.
In September, Life Saving Victoria held their annual Pre-Season forum which saw Club leaders from all over the State in attendance. Our Club was well represented and a big shout out to Sophia Hungerford who gave a presentation about our Club’s Nippers JAMs program.
I also attended the President’s Program and over two days spent time with the Life Saving Victoria leadership group and Club Presidents from nearly all other Victorian Clubs. We shared and swapped ideas and learnt a lot about the responsibilities of leading a Club and developing its culture.
Our Life Saving Services team has been busy organising all of the equipment and rostering patrols for the upcoming season. A Patrol Leadership Day was held during October and our Club Captains Jordan Kuerschner and Erin Close did a terrific job setting our new and returning patrol captains, vice captains and junior captains up for a big season.
The Member Development team under the leadership of the amazing Ellie Ryan ran an incredibly very well organised requalification day, trained us all in life saving CPR, ran an IRB camp and 3 Bronze camps. Months of planning have gone into each of these.
Our Assets team has been busy getting the Clubhouse and Smiths Beach Rescue Base ready and the Nippers Committee has been gearing up for a big summer with over 400 enrolments.
A huge effort in the lead up to summer!
Smiths Beach Rescue Base
After a year of fundraising, grant seeking, planning and seeking approvals, the Smiths Beach Rescue Base upgrade occurred between August-October. Our Director Assets, Darrell Clark did an outstanding job leading the works stage of the project.
The rescue base was deconstructed and reconstructed and corrosion on all of the metal components of the building have been treated, coated or replaced. The rescue base is now in great shape, but it will require regular maintenance due to the harsh coastal environment in which it is located.
Phillip Island Nature Parks will commence works on replacing the landing and stairway component of the rescue base and upgrading the ramp immediately following summer.
We are very grateful for the support of Phillip Island Nature Parks, the Victorian Government (Tiny Towns and VESEP grants programs), Life Saving Victoria, Rotary Club of Phillip Island and San Remo, Smiths Beachcombers Association and members of the local community who have supported the project.
Clubhouse renovations
If you think the Block did a great job of renovating upstairs of the Clubhouse, wait until you see what our Assets Director, Darrell ‘Clarky’ Clark and his helpers have done to downstairs.
Over the winter months, Darrell has led a complete makeover of the bunkrooms and downstairs.
We now have polished concrete floors which will make cleaning and sweeping easier.
The bunkrooms, corridors and toilets and entrance foyer are freshly painted.
Bunks have been rebuilt, numbered and each has two storage cubicles and their own power points.
Importantly we have also seen an electrical upgrade which has included new lighting, exit signage, smoke detectors and other improvements which make our building safer (thanks Bass Coast Shire for the Community grant which supported this component)
Whilst we used local contractors for some of this work, Darrell himself spent many hours planning, painting, removing old bunks, building new bunks and in doing so has saved the Club many thousands of dollars.
Next time you see Darrell please show your appreciation.
The best way you can show your appreciation is to look after our amazing new bunkrooms. More on that later……
Planting Day
A big thank you to Fi Blackmore and our team of volunteers who helped out at our planting day on 11 October. Over 200 plants went into the dunes next to the Clubhouse and we also managed to weed some of the marram grass. We are also very appreciative of the efforts of Mark Merryfull from Phillip Island Nature Parks for supervising the event and to Landcare and Bupa for the grant which funded the planting.
Please help our planting efforts by sticking to the tracks and staying out of the dunes.
Woolamai Beach SLSC awarded new IRB thanks to Ampol
On 28 October our Club was announced as one of the 12 lifesaving clubs across Australia to be awarded a new Inflatable Rescue Boat as part of Ampol’s long standing commitment to supporting grass roots surf life saving.
I attended the announcement at Broadbeach Surf Life Saving Club in Queensland and it was great to see the excitement amongst the other Clubs also receiving IRBs. It was great to also have a look around the Broadbeach SLSC and meet representatives of SLSA, Ampol and the team who make the IRBs.
The new Thundercat Gen III was made locally on the Gold Coast and arrived at Woolamai Beach in November just in time for the start of the patrolling season.
Thank you to local businesses and organisations
The Club received a grant from the Bendigo Community Bank in San Remo to install a defibrillator outside the Clubhouse at Woolamai Beach and also at the Smiths Beach Rescue Base.
This grant will enable us to put a defibrillator on the outside of the Clubhouse and the Smiths Beach Rescue Base for emergency use by members of the community at times when life savers are not around.
In the lead up to summer the Club has also worked to make its Clubhouse more sustainable with the assistance of an Energy Resilience Grant from Ausnet. Island Energy, a local renewable energy company specialising in solar and battery systems for homes, businesses and community facilities has also generously sponsored part of the project to install a high efficiency solar system and Tesla batteries.
This project will make our Clubhouse self sufficient, sustainable and ready for any conditions. It means we can keep saving lives and supporting the community even when the power goes out.
The Club has also completed an electrical safety upgrade of the Clubhouse thanks to the support of a community grant from Bass Coast Shire.
The Club also received a terrific boost in the lead up to the season when it received the proceeds from the annual Hayespower Electrical Charity Golf Day held at Sandhurst Golf Course on 31 October 2025.
Hayespower is a Melbourne and Phillip Island based electrical company who specialise domestic, commercial and solar and battery installations. These funds will also be used to fund the purchase of essential rescue equipment.
The Phillip Island Patchworkers provided the Club and other local voluntary emergency services with a generous donation at its Christmas Quilt In recently. The funds provided to Woolamai Beach SLSC will be used to purchase some additional rescue tubes for lifesavers.
Our Nippers team has also received some terrific prizes and vouchers from many local businesses which will be used for our annual Nippers raffle. This is an important fundraiser which helps us purchase new equipment to train our Nippers as well as keep the program affordable.
The Club would like to thank all of the local businesses and organisations who have supported it in its preparation for the 2025-26 life saving season.
Merry Christmas and see you down the beach soon.
Regards
Jason Close
President
Accommodation policy
This season, Club leaders will be enforcing our Clubhouse accommodation policy more regularly.
The policy and online booking form can be found on the Woolamai Beach SLSC website.
Accommodation Policy | Woolamai Beach SLSC
Anyone staying at the Clubhouse overnight (junior or senior) must have made a booking using the online booking form.
Junior members and their parents are reminded that you must complete the form and have obtained prior agreement from a senior member who is willing to provide supervision for overnight stays.
It is not possible to be dropped off and then look around for someone to supervise. This must be pre-arranged.
Junior members not booked in for overnight accommodation may not remain at the Clubhouse after a patrol unless there is an organised Club or patrol activity. Unless booked in for overnight accommodation they must go home after the activity.
Parents of junior members who breach these rules will receive a call and be asked to immediately come and collect their child. Any repeat breach will result in a ban from staying at the Clubhouse.
Bunkroom rules
Our Clubhouse bunkrooms have undergone a remarkable transformation over the off-season.
The new polished concrete floors, bed layout and storage shelves for every bed makes it much easier to keep the bunkrooms tidier. Each bunkroom also has a dustpan and broom permanently in the room.
We are using this opportunity to “re-set’ the way the bunkrooms are used.
This is to ensure the enjoyment and safety of everyone staying at the Clubhouse.
To stay in the bunkrooms you must have booked using the online form.
There is no longer any excuse for the bunkrooms being untidy. Every bunk is numbered and has numbered storage shelves. There is plenty of storage.
Nothing is to be left on the floor of the bunkrooms. We cannot have personal belongings blocking entrances and exits. Any personal belongings found on the floor will be put in lost property in the gear room or thrown out.
If you are not staying at the Clubhouse that night, you may not leave personal belongings in the bunkroom. Take them with you.
The bunkrooms must be emptied of personal possessions at the end of a patrolling weekend. Anything left will be put in lost property in the gear room or thrown out.
Junior females only in the 'Junior Female' bunkroom and junior males only in the 'Junior Male' bunkroom -see sign on the door.
Food and drink is not to be consumed in the bunkrooms.
Food and drink cannot be stored in the bunkrooms unless it is in a sealed container in your shelf.
Under no circumstances may alcohol be brought into the bunkrooms.
Mattress protectors must be used at all times. (Clean mattress protectors are kept in the purple bags and used ones are to be placed in the blue bags in the shelves under the stairs near the entrance to the Clubhouse)
Members leaving the bunkrooms in an untidy state will be asked to tidy up or leave and make alternative accommodation arrangements.
Newsletter editor wanted!
After a season and a half of great service to the Club, Louisa Williams is stepping down from her role as our Club newsletter editor.
We are therefore looking for another member to take over this very important role.
The role involves preparing and formatting 6 or so newsletters per year and compiling the annual report.
Much of the content and articles are prepared by others.
Preparing and formatting, some minor editing
Inserting photos
Sending out newsletter/annual report, uploading it on to website and Facebook page.
This is a role that might suit a senior member or a parent (no lifesaving experience is required -just a desire to help the Club to communicate with its members and community).
Please submit an expression of interest by emailing president@woolamaibeach.asn.au
HMAS Cape Woolamai visit
by Alan McLean, Life Governor
The following article has been contributed by Life Governor and 50+ year patrolling member Alan McLean (Macca).
Macca and his son Mark spent nearly 2 hours on board the ship, meeting the crew and making an important presentation on behalf of our Club.
On Friday 31 August, I was in Darwin visiting my son (ex nipper & member) when one of the Australian Navy's newest patrol boats, HMAS Cape Woolamai, was in port at the Darwin Navy Base.
During an earlier visit to the clubhouse by the ship's commanding officer LCDR Danielle Couch and her husband, also a patrol boat CO, she extended an invitation to visit the Cape Woolamai in Darwin, the ship's home port.
We were welcomed on board by CO Danielle Couch and XO Connor Pilcher. After meeting some of the crew who were on 'duty' to maintain systems in case the boat was needed for an operation, I presented a plaque to CO Danielle Couch for the ship, acknowledging the relationship between our club and the ship as protectors of Australians.
This was followed by an extensive tour of the boat by Connor (who was awesome) and included it's capabilities, types and area of operations, crew duties and what life on board is like. The ship's crew are very keen to foster an ongoing relationship with our surf club and have a copy of the book 'Wild about Wooli' and a competition cap on display, and a photo board of crew who have visited Woolamai Beach in the ships lounge area.
I encourage anyone on patrol or around the club to make any sailor who approaches you on our beach to make them welcome.
Overall it a fantastic insight into what and how the Aussie navy and its people protect our northern coastline.
Alan (Macca) McLean
Board Meeting Update - Sep to Dec 2025
Our 2025 Board Members
Board roles and contact details
Its more a case of ‘welcome back’ with many of our previous season’s Board members returning and one new director, Nic Frances-Gilley joining us.
Jason Close -President
Nick Reynolds -Vice President
Fi Blackmore -Director Administration
Grant Edmunds -Director Finance
Jordan Kuerschner -Director Life Saving Services (Co-Club Captain)
Erin Close -Director Member Wellbeing (Co-Club Captain)
Heather Ridley -Director Nippers
Darrell Clark -Director Assets
Nic Frances-Gilley -Director
Since the AGM the Board has made the following decisions at its monthly meetings: