Wednesday 1st March 2023
Official Statement
The Board of Surf Life Saving WA invests careful consideration into all corporate partnerships that it enters into.
Whilst this “Open Letter” refers only to the Nippers component of the Woodside partnership, Woodside Energy has been a partner of surf life saving for over a decade, supporting our lifesavers through the Lifesaver Safety Program. This program helps fund a range of safety equipment for our volunteer surf lifesavers, meaning we can provide it to our clubs and members free of charge. This includes essential equipment, including Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs), high-vis water safety vests, wide-brim hats, and patrol uniforms.
The partnership also provides significant funding to our beach camera network, an integral element of our communications network that supports coastal search & rescue activity carried out by our lifesaving teams. The network also provides live beach camera vision to the public to assist them in assessing beach conditions and making informed decisions about beach visitation in relation to the conditions of the day.
In 2019, the partnership extended to include the Nippers program in WA. This support has been instrumental in helping us raise the profile of the program, reaching more West Australian children and their families to educate them about beach safety.
In addition to providing all nippers with their uniform free of charge, including their high-vis vest, which is a water safety requirement for all participants, the partnership assists our 31 WA clubs in resourcing the delivery of the program through both financial support and the provision of equipment.
The support of our partners, including Woodside Energy, is integral to helping Surf Life Saving WA deliver a range of beach safety programs, educational resources, and safety and rescue services to help keep WA beachgoers safe.