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