Mayor Brown described the East Coast clubs such as Orewa, Red Beach, and Mairangi Bay as ‘babysitting organisations,’ questioning the justification for their funding compared to the West Coast surf lifesaving clubs. “He’s definitely out of touch with our surf life-saving clubs on the East Coast and the vital work they do,” Cr Watson said. “Ōrewa Surf Lifesaving Club (Ōrewa SLSC) is proud to wrap up another successful season dedicated to keeping our community safe in and around the water. Water Safety NZ attributes this steady decline to sustained water safety education initiatives over the past 15 years. The team commits their time, and travels up there every weekend and we have invested in a mobile surf lifesaving tower.