{"id":31876,"date":"2025-10-08T14:45:44","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T03:45:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.star1045.com.au\/?p=31876"},"modified":"2025-11-03T08:24:49","modified_gmt":"2025-11-02T21:24:49","slug":"beach-safety-returns-as-flags-go-up-across-the-central-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms.star1045.com.au\/home\/beach-safety-returns-as-flags-go-up-across-the-central-coast\/","title":{"rendered":"Beach Safety Returns As Flags Go Up Across The Central Coast"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Grab your bathing suit and sunscreen because the flags are officially up on the Central Coast beaches for the 2025-26 patrol season. As of Saturday, September 27th 2025, the flags are up on 15 of the Central Coast\u2019s patrolled beaches, ready for a safe summer by the sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the summer period, the following beaches will be patrolled:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022\u00a0Avoca Beach
\u2022\u00a0Copacabana Beach
\u2022\u00a0Killcare Beach
\u2022\u00a0Lakes Beach
\u2022\u00a0Macmasters Beach
\u2022\u00a0North Avoca Beach
\u2022\u00a0North Entrance Beach
\u2022\u00a0Ocean Beach
\u2022\u00a0Shelly Beach
\u2022\u00a0Soldiers Beach
\u2022\u00a0Terrigal Beach
\u2022\u00a0The Entrance Beach
\u2022\u00a0Toowoon Bay
\u2022\u00a0Umina Beach
\u2022\u00a0Wamberal Beach<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to beach patrols, Council lifeguards will also patrol the Grant McBride Baths daily, with The Entrance channel patrolled on weekends throughout the school holidays – ensuring safety across multiple popular aquatic locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The start of patrol season also serves as a timely reminder when it comes to beach safety and rock fishing (Image: Central Coast Council \/ Supplied)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Central Coast Council Mayor, Lawrie McKinna said the Central Coast has some of the most beautiful beaches in Australia, but it\u2019s important that people stay alert and put safety first.

\u201cEach year, despite the incredible work of our lifeguards and lifesavers, tragic incidents can still occur,\u201d Mayor McKinna said. \u201cI strongly encourage everyone to swim at patrolled beaches and always between the red and yellow flags. It\u2019s a simple but important step that can save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Council Director Community and Recreation Services, Melanie Smith said Council remains deeply committed to ensuring our beaches are both safe and accessible for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe continue to work in close partnership with Surf Life Saving Clubs, maintaining one of the strongest collaborations in the state, with shared planning, rescue equipment and fleet,\u201d Ms Smith said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo support access and inclusion<\/a>, Council provides beach wheelchairs at 11 beaches and has installed beach matting at 4 popular locations this summer season, helping people with limited mobility or living with a disability to enjoy the beach safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur leisure centres also play a vital role in building confident swimmers for life, offering learn-to-swim classes<\/a> for children and adults. Whether it\u2019s the beach, a backyard pool, or any body of water, knowing how to swim is critical.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beach goers are also reminded to follow these other important safety tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Take the time and drive five more minutes to a patrolled beach and swim in between the flags
\u2022 If you get into difficulty, stay calm, raise your arm and yell for assistance
\u2022 Never run or dive into the water, as the depth can change quickly
\u2022 Children should always be supervised by an adult at all aquatic locations
\u2022 If you are unsure of the conditions, ask a lifeguard or lifesaver
\u2022 Always listen to the lifeguards and lifesavers
\u2022 Avoid swimming for at least one day after heavy rain to decrease exposure to stormwater pollution
\u2022 Be aware of obvious signs of pollution such as litter, odours and surface scum following heavy rain 
\u2022 If you\u2019re going rock fishing, be sure to plan ahead – wear appropriate safety equipment, let others know where you are going and carry a charged phone<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Central Coast Council’s patrolled beach season will wrap up on Sunday 26 April 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listen via the Star 104.5 Player, download it now via the <\/em>App Store<\/em><\/a> or <\/em>Google Play<\/em><\/a> and take Star 104.5 wherever you go.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Grab your bathing suit and sunscreen because the flags are officially up on the Central Coast beaches for the 2025-26 patrol season. As of Saturday, September 27th 2025, the flags are up on 15 of the Central Coast\u2019s patrolled beaches, ready for a safe summer by the sea. Over the summer period, the following beaches […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":82358,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,45],"tags":[],"geo_market":[],"class_list":["post-31876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-home","category-across-the-coast"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBeach Safety Returns As Flags Go Up Across The Central Coast<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Flags are now officially up on 15 of the patrolled Central Coast beaches, ready for a safe summer by the sea.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cms.star1045.com.au\/home\/beach-safety-returns-as-flags-go-up-across-the-central-coast\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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