Wednesday 29 January, 2014

Beach goers will now be able to check conditions at Himitangi Beach without even leaving the house thanks to a new web camera installed by Horizons Regional Council this month.

The new camera is mounted inside Palmerston North Surf Lifesaving Club (PNSLC) headquarters and club chairman Alec Mackay says lifesavers have started using it to check surf conditions before heading out.

“Conditions in town can be really different to conditions at the beach so it’s great to be able to jump online and check what its like,” Mr Mackay says.

“There’s a lot of interest in it already with fishermen checking what fishing conditions are like. We also expect other surf clubs to use it as it’s going to be linked to our website and Facebook page.”

Horizons chief executive Michael McCartney says when PNSLC requested the web camera to help their lifeguards check conditions Horizons could see the benefit it would bring to the community.

“We are in the business of providing our community with information about our natural resources and see this as another way to do so,” says Mr McCartney.

“Himitangi is the main beach used by our Region’s biggest community, Palmerston North, and with web cameras at Wanganui, Foxton and Akitio beaches there was a gap at Himitangi. Given the number of web cameras throughout the Region we have the expertise to install and man them at low cost.

“It’s great to be able to offer people helpful information about conditions at the beach, and hopefully encourage them to visit and enjoy this fabulous resource more often, now that they can see what conditions are like before driving out there.”

For more information about the Region’s web cameras and to view the Himitangi feed visit the ‘quick links’section of Horizons’website .

ENDS

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