Lifeguard roadside collection in debate after complaint

A roadside collection in 2009

The future of a roadside fundraising collection done every year by the Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service hangs in the balance, after Tauranga City Council received a complaint in January.

Following the complaint, the council told the Lifeguard Service to no longer solicit for donations from people who were in their vehicles.

However the two organisations had since come to an arrangement where the council would help the Lifeguard Service develop a "traffic management plan" for their fundraising activity.

Council team leader of Bylaws and Parking Stuart Goodman said that in January the Council received a complaint about the safety implications of what the lifeguards were doing.

"We were obliged to follow up on that. We began by asking the lifeguards not to collect in the roadway or in a way that distracts drivers or creates a hazard to themselves and members of the public," he said.

"But we also recognise the importance of that fundraising to the volunteer service. After a lot of discussion we have come to a point where the council is now helping the lifeguards to produce a traffic management plan. We are looking for a solution that meets legal safety requirements without compromising the collection efforts. "

Mount Maunganui Lifeguard Service general manager Glenn Bradley said the roadside collections at Totara St and Maunganui Rd were the most effective public fundraising initiative that the volunteer lifeguards undertook each year.

"This fundraising is vital to the sustainability of the volunteer lifeguard services and after hours response activities that we perform on the beach, Mauao and surrounding areas. The public have always been overwhelmingly supportive of us and willing to give to the service in this way during the holiday periods we collect.

"At this stage we look forward to working with council to develop a traffic management plan which will continue to allow us to collect in this manner from these locations."