Clifton Beach Surf Life Saving Club is the only Tasmanian recipient among 12 Australian clubs awarded new inflatable rescue boat (IRB) hulls ahead of summer.
The 2026 recipients span six states, with New South Wales receiving four hulls, including one for Bondi. Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia each have two recipients, while South Australia and Tasmania have one apiece.
The recipients were announced as part of the Ampol IRB Hull Competition, now in its fifth year.
Surf Life Saving Tasmania congratulated Clifton Beach and thanked Ampol for its support, saying the initiative would help strengthen rescue, training and emergency response capabilities at Clifton ahead of summer.
First introduced in the 1970s, IRBs allow trained crews to reach people in difficulty quickly, with their speed and manoeuvrability also making them useful for beach patrols, surveillance and training.
Surf Life Saving Australia chief executive Adam Weir said having the right equipment was “fundamental” to the work of volunteer lifesavers.
“These 12 IRB hulls will give recipient clubs another important resource to support their patrol operations, training programs and emergency response capabilities,” he said.
“From major metropolitan beaches to regional and remote communities, these clubs play an important role in keeping people safe in and around the water.”
Ampol chief brand and customer officer Jenny O’Regan described the recipients as “deserving” clubs.
“As thousands of volunteer lifesavers gear up for the summer months, Ampol is firmly behind Surf Life Saving Australia and their mission of zero preventable deaths in Australian waters,” she said.
