Surf life savers perform an essential public service in Tauranga and hauled 132 people from Tauranga waters over summer, according to provisional figures.
Surf Life Saving New Zealand is not government funded and must seek money from whatever sources it can. About $6 million comes from sponsorship, gaming machine grants and the NZ Lottery Grants Board.
Our region is considered one of the country's beach lifestyle hotspots, providing kilometre after kilometre of white sand and waves. Tauranga city gets to capitalise on this in terms of attracting people to live here.
But, as you'd expect with any bid for ratepayer money, there is concern.
Cr Wayne Moultrie wants evidence of drownings and pre-emptive rescues to justify more funding while deputy mayor David Stewart says councillors will struggle with such a request given the council's current financial position.
He has a good point. These outposts are a great idea but the timing is terrible.
Tauranga, with the rest of the country, remains in the grip of the global financial crisis.
Ratepayers fund 59 per cent of the council's income and the city's net external debt is a whopping $380 million.
Ratepayers are not a bottomless pit of money and already contribute $145,000 towards local surf life saving.
Cr Stewart also makes a good point when he says people can choose to swim between the flags.
Personal responsibility is too often overlooked and if people go swimming in unpatrolled waters, they must accept they are putting themselves at risk.
Surf life saving should be a central government responsibility, not a ratepayer one.
This country is surrounded by water. It's time our government put some money into this important service.
