For more than a hundred years, surf lifeguards have kept people safe at the country's beaches.
But with clouds looming on the horizon, the government is being asked to step in and fund the service in order to keep the red and yellow flags flying.
Already some holiday hotspots have had their patrols axed due to a lack of funding, and volunteers have been limping off the beaches - exhausted by their workload.
Our reporter John-Michael Swannix has been a lifeguard for the past 10 years and decided to look into what's being done to future proof the service.
Watch the video for the full story.
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