Shellharbour City Council is urging the public to stay safe at local beaches across the Australia Day long weekend.
Residents and visitors attending Shellharbour's six patrolled beaches over the Australia Day long weekend are reminded to follow five essential safety tips.
Caption: Council is urging the community to stay safe at our wonderful beaches during the long weekend. Image courtesy of Shellharbour City Council
1. Swim between the red and yellow flags, and check patrol times before entering the water
2. Watch out for rips and hazards - follow beach signage and surf outside the black and white flags
3. If in trouble, stay calm, float, and raise your hand. Lifeguards will respond quickly.
4. Avoid distractions - put down the phone and stay alert to those around you.
5. Be sun safe. Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, and Slide.
As a former lifeguard, Shellharbour City Mayor Chris Homer encouraged everyone to follow these tips to help keep everyone safe.
"Holiday weekends are an extremely busy period for our lifeguards, making it vital that everyone takes beach safety seriously," Mayor Homer said.
Shellharbour City Council beaches saw 15,515 visitors across the Australia Day weekend last year. So far during the 2025/26 beach season, local lifeguards have already completed 27 rescues.
Local patrolled beaches include Blacks Beach at Barrack Point, Shellharbour North, Shellharbour South, Warilla North, Warilla Central, and Warilla South.
Please be aware that beaches within Killalea Regional Park are unpatrolled.
Australia Day Long Weekend Council Closures
Council is also advising the community of operating hours for Council facilities and services across the Australia Day long weekend, including the public holiday on Monday, 26 January 2026. Full details can be found on Council's website.
The community is encouraged to plan ahead and check the opening times of local facilities before heading out.
Weekend hours for Council facilities and services will remain the same, and will be altered slightly for the Australia Day public holiday on Monday, 26 January 2026. Please note that the Visitor Information Centre in Shellharbour Village will be closed on 26 January, but will be operating a pop-up at the Australia Day Breakfast by the Lake event at Reddall Reserve.
For urgent Council business during this time, please call 4221 6111. Please note your request for non-urgent issues will be dealt with when Customer Service return on Tuesday, 27 January 2026.
Public Holiday Closures - Australia Day 26 January 2026 |
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Open/Closed |
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Beaches |
Open |
9am - 5pm Patrolled |
Blackbutt Youth Centre |
Closed |
|
Shellharbour Civic Centre |
Closed |
|
Customer Service |
Closed |
|
Shellharbour City Libraries |
Closed |
|
Dunmore Recycling and Waste Disposal Depot |
Open |
8am - 4pm |
Nursery |
Closed |
|
Oak Flats Depot |
Closed |
|
Oak Flats Pool |
Open |
10am - 6pm No classes are being held |
Pools - Warilla / Albion Park |
Open |
10am - 6pm No classes are being held |
Pool - Beverley Whitfield |
Open |
9am - 5pm Patrolled |
Shellharbour Airport |
Open |
Normal hours |
Shellharbour City Museum |
Closed |
|
Shellharbour City Stadium |
Closed |
|
The Links Shell Cove |
Open |
Golf - Social Play from 6am Shanx - 7am to 9pm Top Tracer Range - 6am to 6pm Tavern - 10am till late Il Lago - 11.30am - 2.30pm and 5pm-9pm Backyard Brewery - 6am-1pm |
Visitor Information Centre |
Closed |
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KEY MESSAGES:
- Beach safety is a major focus for the Australia Day long weekend, with Shellharbour City Council urging the community to follow key safety tips and lifeguard advice patrolled beaches.
- Large visitor numbers are expected across the weekend, and residents and visitors are encouraged to plan ahead, check patrol times, and stay alert to beach and surf conditions.
- Several Council facilities will be closed or operating with adjusted hours on Monday, 26 January 2026, with essential services such as patrolled beaches, the Dunmore Recycling & Waste Disposal Depot, and The Links Shell Cove remaining open.
