Beach season officially kicks off this weekend, but things will look a bit different on some local shores and not just because of COVID.
Council lifeguard patrols resume in Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens today, while almost 6500 volunteer lifesavers have been enlisted to help protect beachgoers on Hunter coastlines this summer.
To assist lifeguards and the public at beaches in Lake Macquarie, new technology has been rolled out including new remote shark alarms with cameras and an online portal where beachgoers can check latest conditions specific to each beach.
Four alarmed cameras each have been installed at patrolled and unpatrolled locations after a successful trial last season.
"The main thing they do is allow us to get some better situational awareness at the beaches, particularly at unpatrolled locations," Lake Macquarie Council leisure services coordinator business support Tony Blunden said.
"They're not there to be able to patrol those beaches and we're certainly not monitoring all time, but it allows lifeguards to login, have a look and see what the conditions are like.
"The other thing is they have alarms fitted, so if there's an alarm at Redhead, we can also set off an alarm at Second Creek to let people down there know."
Mr Blunden said the images would also be used to count visitors, to have a better idea of how beaches are being used.
"We'll know when people are visiting, how many people are visiting and what days our beaches are busiest," he said. "So over time that's going to allow us to build a much better picture of when we need to have lifeguards on, how we can better resource and keep people safe."
The season will also coincide with the rollout of online portal where beachgoers can check each beach's conditions. Smartboards will also display conditions at patrolled beaches.
Lake team leader beach lifeguards Lucas Samways said the technology made it easier to record data in real-time compared to the old paper system, but would also be beneficial for beachgoers.
"It will mean they don't have to make a trip to the beach to check or can decide to go to another beach instead," he said.
Mr Samways said judging on the past few weekends, he expected a bumper beach season, but urged people to follow the public health order.
"Everyone who comes to the beach comes to have a good time," he said. "We want everyone to leave happy and safe so we do want people to social distance and wear a mask where possible."
In Port Stephens, the beaches won't be filled with tourists like most seasons, but mayor Ryan Palmer said he was hopeful.
"Our local business and tourism industries rely on visitors throughout the holiday period, and I'm confident that it won't be long before we're welcoming visitors safely back to our region," he said.
Hunter Surf Life Saving CEO Rhonda Scruton said volunteer lifeguards were ready for the season ahead.
"Spending time at the beach is a quintessential part of summer in Australia, and after a rough year of lockdowns and restrictions, we know Novocastrians are looking forward to the warmer weather and hitting their local beach," she said.
"We've worked hard to ensure the necessary COVID-19 plans are in place, and that our volunteers have the equipment and training they need, for our beaches to stay open and safe this summer."
