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Category Archives: Beaches

VEGEMITE SurfGroms Taking Over Australian Beaches For A Fourth Year

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Tuesday, 16 September 2014

Our purpose to create a healthier and happier Australia through experiencing the joy of surfing for life is exemplified perfectly through this program.

VEGEMITE Senior Brand Manager Justin Taylor said the organisation was proud to continue supporting the program now in its fourth year. "VEGEMITE, one of the world's richest known sources of B vitamins, has been powering Aussie kids for over 90 years as Australia's most loved breakfast spread. We're delighted to be supporting SurfGroms again to give more Aussie kids the experience of the thrill of surfing for the first time.

VEGEMITE SurfGroms is also backed by major support sponsors Quiksilver and Roxy, and every child signing up will receive a great Quiksilver or Roxy backpack bursting with surfing merchandise including a rash-vest, sun-hat, Toyota wax comb and a tube of VEGEMITE.

"There is no greater satisfaction than seeing a kids face light up on their first wave, said Quiksilver Marketing Manager Troy Brooks. Quiksilver and Roxy are proud to now be in our fourth year of partnership with the VEGEMITE SurfGroms program, which teaches kids life lessons of beach awareness and ocean safety in a fun and controlled environment. We can't wait to see them ripping it up." VEGEMITE SurfGroms is proudly supported by VEGEMITE, Quiksilver, Roxy, Wahu, Nikon, Surfing Australia, the Australian Sports Commission and Channel Nine. Each child registered for VEGEMITE SurfGroms will have the chance to be one of eight lucky VIP guests to the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast in March as part of the Nikon CoolPix competition, which launches in November. About VEGEMITE SurfGroms VEGEMITE SurfGroms offers an 8-12 hour surfing program delivered by licensed Surfing Australia Surf Schools and their highly qualified instructors. There will be a significant focus on ocean awareness and beach safety skills, with understanding surf conditions, surf etiquette, first aid, and rescue skills all built into 5 achievement levels of VEGEMITE SurfGroms. But above all, kids will have fun learning the skills that will give them the confidence to become a surfer for life. Every participant will receive a free Quiksilver or Roxy backpack containing a rash-vest, sun-hat, Toyota wax comb and a tube of VEGEMITE. Parents can find their closest delivery centre and register their child at the VEGEMITE SurfGroms website, http://www.surfgroms.com.

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VEGEMITE SurfGroms Taking Over Australian Beaches For A Fourth Year

Goa's beaches to be garbage-free within a year, says CM

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Panaji, Sep 16 (PTI): Goa Government today launched a campaign to make the State's beaches, which attract millions of tourists from all over India and abroad, free of garbage within a year.

Private contractors given the job to clean-up the seasides dotting Goa have started the work on a daily basis.

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar launched 'clean Goa beautiful Goa' campaign, which will see several hundred personnel working to restore the natural charm of the shorelines.

"All the beaches would be garbage-free within a year.

By December 19 this year, almost 90-95 per cent of the garbage will disappear from the beaches," said Parrikar.

The Government has given the task to two private agencies, who will lift garbage manually for a few months before shifting to mechanised cleaning.

Parrikar said the contract is for five years and would be renewed annually. Monitoring committees have been formed to certify the cleanliness on the beaches.

"The bills of the contractors will be cleared only after the committee is satisfied with their work."

State Director of Tourism Ameya Abhyankar said the cleanliness drive would be stepped up during the festive season.

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Goa's beaches to be garbage-free within a year, says CM

Off-leash dog beaches: vet joins protest

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By BREE FULLERSept. 15, 2014, 8:53 p.m.

A respected Austinmer veterinarian has joined the Wollongong Dog Community group in a fight to save the northern Illawarra's off-leash dog beaches.

A respected Austinmer veterinarian has joined the Wollongong Dog Community group in a fight to save the northern Illawarra's off-leash dog beaches.

Former RSPCA NSW director and veterinarian of 43 years Dr Rick Prowse has called for the council to maintain existing off-leash zones, saying further restrictions would unfairly punish responsible dog owners.

"I'm happy to stand up and defend the only area available to people who spontaneously want to get up, go for a walk, throw a ball and do something with the dog," the Austinmer vet said.

"The beach is an ideal, beautiful environment and we've got enough beaches to share for those who like dogs and for those who don't like dogs.

"There are an irresponsible few who don't clean up after their dogs or don't control them when there are people around who may be a little anxious about dogs ... but I don't think you should chastise the thousands of people who are doing the right thing for the few who aren't."

Under planned changes to its dogs on beaches and parks policy, the council has recommended dogs only be allowed on Sharkeys, McCauleys and Little Austinmer beaches at restricted times, provided they are on a leash.

Dr Prowse said the dog-owning community needed safe and convenient places to exercise their dogs, away from roads and free from hazards such as bush ticks and snakes. He said a lack of suitable parks or open spaces in the northern Illawarra meant the beach was the only viable option for most people.

If the council took that option away, the health and well-being of dogs and owners would be negatively affected, Dr Prowse said.

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Off-leash dog beaches: vet joins protest

Dumping trashing beaches: CSIRO

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Devastating effect: 43 per cent of seabirds have ingested plastic.

Illegal dumping is a primary source of rubbish on Australian beaches, according to the world's largest survey of coastal rubbish.

The survey, carried out over three years by the CSIRO, Earthwatch Australia, TeachWild and petroleum giant Shell, dispels the idea that the rubbish on Australian beaches is due to ocean currents bringing the world's rubbish to our shores.

"The majority of coastal debris in Australia is from Australian sources, not the high seas," the report says.

Illustration: Matt Golding.

"Consumer behaviour and illegal dumping are primary causes of marine debris in Australia."

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The survey was conducted at sites approximately every 100 kilometres along the Australian coastline. Students, teachers, scientists and Shell employees were enlisted to conduct the surveys.

The surveys found that about three quarters of the rubbish along the cost is plastic, and that local measures such as the South Australian bottle refund program can be effective to stop plastic pollution reaching the water.

"When we compared the ratio of beverage containers to beverage container lids across states in the clean-up data, South Australia came out with a much higher ratio of lids to containers in the clean-up data than any other state," the report says.

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Dumping trashing beaches: CSIRO

Dumping is trashing Australian beaches, says CSIRO report

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Devastating effect: 43 per cent of seabirds have ingested plastic.

Illegal dumping is a primary source of rubbish on Australian beaches, according to the world's largest survey of coastal rubbish.

The survey, carried out over three years by the CSIRO, Earthwatch Australia, TeachWild and petroleum giant Shell, dispels the idea that the rubbish on Australian beaches is due to ocean currents bringing the world's rubbish to our shores.

"The majority of coastal debris in Australia is from Australian sources, not the high seas," the report says.

Illustration: Matt Golding.

"Consumer behaviour and illegal dumping are primary causes of marine debris in Australia."

Advertisement

The survey was conducted at sites approximately every 100 kilometres along the Australian coastline. Students, teachers, scientists and Shell employees were enlisted to conduct the surveys.

The surveys found that about three quarters of the rubbish along the cost is plastic, and that local measures such as the South Australian bottle refund program can be effective to stop plastic pollution reaching the water.

"When we compared the ratio of beverage containers to beverage container lids across states in the clean-up data, South Australia came out with a much higher ratio of lids to containers in the clean-up data than any other state," the report says.

Original post:

Dumping is trashing Australian beaches, says CSIRO report

We're trashing our beaches: CSIRO

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Devastating effect: 43 per cent of seabirds have ingested plastic.

Illegal dumping is a primary source of rubbish on Australian beaches, according to the world's largest survey of coastal rubbish.

The survey, carried out over three years by the CSIRO, Earthwatch Australia, TeachWild and petroleum giant Shell, dispels the idea that the rubbish on Australian beaches is due to ocean currents bringing the world's rubbish to our shores.

"The majority of coastal debris in Australia is from Australian sources, not the high seas," the report says.

Illustration: Matt Golding.

"Consumer behaviour and illegal dumping are primary causes of marine debris in Australia."

Advertisement

The survey was conducted at sites approximately every 100 kilometres along the Australian coastline. Students, teachers, scientists and Shell employees were enlisted to conduct the surveys.

The surveys found that about three quarters of the rubbish along the cost is plastic, and that local measures such as the South Australian bottle refund program can be effective to stop plastic pollution reaching the water.

"When we compared the ratio of beverage containers to beverage container lids across states in the clean-up data, South Australia came out with a much higher ratio of lids to containers in the clean-up data than any other state," the report says.

View original post here:

We're trashing our beaches: CSIRO

Off-leash dog beaches: vet joins howls of protest

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By BREE FULLERSept. 15, 2014, 8:53 p.m.

A respected Austinmer veterinarian has joined the Wollongong Dog Community group in a fight to save the northern Illawarra's off-leash dog beaches.

A respected Austinmer veterinarian has joined the Wollongong Dog Community group in a fight to save the northern Illawarra's off-leash dog beaches.

Former RSPCA NSW director and veterinarian of 43 years Dr Rick Prowse has called for the council to maintain existing off-leash zones, saying further restrictions would unfairly punish responsible dog owners.

"I'm happy to stand up and defend the only area available to people who spontaneously want to get up, go for a walk, throw a ball and do something with the dog," the Austinmer vet said.

"The beach is an ideal, beautiful environment and we've got enough beaches to share for those who like dogs and for those who don't like dogs.

"There are an irresponsible few who don't clean up after their dogs or don't control them when there are people around who may be a little anxious about dogs ... but I don't think you should chastise the thousands of people who are doing the right thing for the few who aren't."

Under planned changes to its dogs on beaches and parks policy, the council has recommended dogs only be allowed on Sharkeys, McCauleys and Little Austinmer beaches at restricted times, provided they are on a leash.

Dr Prowse said the dog-owning community needed safe and convenient places to exercise their dogs, away from roads and free from hazards such as bush ticks and snakes. He said a lack of suitable parks or open spaces in the northern Illawarra meant the beach was the only viable option for most people.

If the council took that option away, the health and well-being of dogs and owners would be negatively affected, Dr Prowse said.

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Off-leash dog beaches: vet joins howls of protest

Visitors, Rescues Up This Year At LA County Beaches

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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) Attendance at Los Angeles County beaches this year hit a new high, along with the number of ocean rescues, county lifeguard officials said Friday.

Over the past 20 years, the average number of people who visit county beaches in a year has been about 54.8 million. But as of Monday, more than 61.4 million have hit the beach, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Departments Lifeguard Division.

That doesnt even include the number of people expected to escape to the beaches this weekend, when triple-digit temperatures are forecast for Southern California.

For one, the lack of rain and extended periods of unseasonably warm weather this year have brought an increase in beach attendance to L.A. County beaches, acting chief lifeguard Steve Moseley said. Secondly, the frequency of high surf has caused frequent beach erosion and rip currents along our beaches. This in turn has caused more ocean rescues.

According to the Lifeguard Division, there have been 11,666 ocean rescues already this year, above the average of 9.670 for an entire year. Lifeguards have also made 972 boat rescues, up from the annual average of 685.

Moseley said that the ocean water has been particularly warm, rarely falling below 60 degrees in the winter and averaging above 70 degrees in the summer.

All of these contributing factors have combined to create one of the busiest years in memory for the Lifeguard Division, he said.

(2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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Visitors, Rescues Up This Year At LA County Beaches

Britain's beaches 'becoming more dangerous'

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Cover on some beaches has already ended for the season, with daily RNLI patrols set to end on others on September 28.

Rescues made in past few days include a woman holidaymaker who got trapped on a ledge by the high spring tide opposite Towan Island, Newquay, Cornwall, and a 31-year-old man who was looking at ancient tin mines plunged 30ft from cliffs at Chapel Porth, also in Cornwall.

RNLI rescuers say he's lucky to have fallen on to sand rather than rocks, and they found him just in time - he was lying in a cave with a broken ankle as the tide flooded in..

At Polzeath, Cornwall, a regular destination of David Cameron, lifeguards recently had to rescue more than thirty people in just one day.

They are urging people to take extra care, because the unpredictable currents - a legacy of the winter storms - can carry people quickly out to sea.

Cornwall RNLI spokesman Steve Instance warned today "Local people and regular holidaymakers - your beach won't be the same as how you knew it.

"It's worth taking a bit of time to look around and to notice what the tide covers up.

"When you go and visit your beach at high tide you don't know what's beneath the surface of the water.

"We're seeing evidence on a number of beaches of more sand coming in - the storms we saw this winter were the worse we've seen in living memory.

"So the damage they caused will take a long, long time to repair and to return our beaches to how we knew them."

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Britain's beaches 'becoming more dangerous'

WA shark cull: Drum lines dumped after EPA recommendations

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Drum lines will not be deployed off WA beaches this summer after the state's Environmental Protection Authority advised against extending the Government's controversial catch and kill shark policy.

The regulator's chairman, Paul Vogel, said the available information and evidence did not provide the organisation with a high level of confidence.

Following a spate of fatal shark attacks in the state, in January the WA Government introduced a 13-week trial where baited drum lines were set off Perth and South West beaches.

During the trial, which cost the Government $1.3 million, 68 sharks were caught and shot, although none of them were great white sharks.

The catch-and-kill policy was widely opposed with hundreds attending community rallies and international marine scientists calling for it to be scrapped.

Premier Colin Barnett said the recommendation meant drum lines would not be in place off the WA coast this summer.

Dr Vogel said the EPA had been tasked with assessing the environmental impact of the strategy, not public safety.

"There remains a high degree of scientific uncertainty about the impacts on the viability of the south-western white shark population," he said.

"At this stage, the available information and evidence does not provide the EPA with a high level of confidence. In view of these uncertainties, the EPA has adopted a cautious approach by recommending against the proposal.

"The EPA can only make a judgment on the impact on the environment. The minister, in making his final decision, may take other matters into consideration."

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WA shark cull: Drum lines dumped after EPA recommendations

Beaches unprotected as shark drum lines pulled

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EPA recommends shark drum lines are not to be implemented along WA beaches. Photo: Aleisha Orr

Drum lines will not be deployed off West Australian beaches this summer.

Premier Colin Barnett said the government did not plan to appeal the Environmental Protection Authority's decision rejecting the state government's shark kill zones proposal.

He said while the State Government would not be appealing the EPA decision, the application for drum lines was still before Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt.

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"We are accepting the EPA decision here so we are not going to appeal it. That means it will not be possible to have drum lines over this summer. If we were to do so there would clearly be court challenges and you would never get there, the Premier said.

Mr Barnett said it appeared there were different rules for the eastern states, where drum lines are allowed, and Western Australia. The government would now focus on how to deal with rogue sharks that threatened public safety, he said.

"I dont think that drum lines will apply in Western Australia for this summer and probably maybe not again. I would want to have the capacity to deal with an imminent threat and deal with it immediately. A process of conversations going backwards and forwards to Canberra has proven to be totally ineffective."

"I cannot simply walk away and say that's the EPA decision. They only look at the environment. I have to look at environment plus public safety. I don't like drum lines more than anyone else but I had to respond to a situation of seven fatalities in three years."

He said the government would look at putting swimming enclosures at beaches where there were calm waters, for example at Dunsborough.

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Beaches unprotected as shark drum lines pulled


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