Funds set aside for keeping Mount Maunganui's beaches pristinely groomed could be in jeopardy, with one Tauranga City councillor pushing for a cut to see a popular beach's trial patrol period doubled.

But the vision is drawing a mixed response from the surf lifesaving community.

Tauranga City councillor Matt Cowley supports doubling the two-week trial of patrol flags at Tay Street next summer. Photos: Tracy Hardy.

Tauranga City councillor Matt Cowley is looking to promote the idea of extending Tay Street Beach's patrol period from two to four weeks during the holiday season after anecdotal rescue accounts from regional lifeguards.

Between December 27 and January 11, lifeguards were stationed at Mount Maunganui's second-most frequented stretch of beach thanks to a successful bid by Surf Life Saving New Zealand for a flagged area before Tauranga City Council.

During this period lifeguards performed numerous rescues, many critical, according to SLNZ Eastern Region lifesaving and education manager Leigh Sefton who spoke to SunLive about the fortnight trial period.

This is the first time in 15 years a flagged area has been set up, where in the past lifeguards from the two clubs have undertaken roaming patrols from either end of the beach.

Matt, a Papamoa Surf Life Saving Clubvolunteer lifeguard, says even after the official period regional lifeguards have performed a handful of rescues since, adding weight to his theory of doubling the two-week trial next summer.

In turn the funding would need to come from other council services as this year's implementation came at no extra cost to council with SLSNZ reshuffling lifeguard resources from Mount and Omanu surf clubs.

An area he is earmarking is reductions in beach grooming funds. TCC currently budget $108,000 per annum towards beach grooming, not including sea lettuce removal.

'Beach users are spread right along the city's coastline,” he says, 'so an un-groomed beach does not deter people from having fun in the sand.

'It's just a clear neat trade off where beach users will need to trade off services, whether its beach grooming or lifeguard. More lifeguards doing more roaming - it's not just the patrolled areas.”

Tauranga City councillor Matt Cowley and SLNZ Eastern Region lifesaving and education manager Leigh Sefton talk with senior regional lifeguard Jackson Edwards at Tay Street Beach.

He adds the Papamoa East special housing area will also trigger another new patrolled area in the near future.

But SLNZ officials remain a little wary about trading one off against the other.

SLNZ Eastern Region lifesaving and education manager Leigh Sefton feels beach grooming is a fantastic service that helps to enhance the East Coast and both have their rightful place.

SLSNZ Eastern Region manager Chris Emmett says the two week trial period was 'incredibly successful” by all accounts but wouldn't go into depth on extending the period until the season has been reviewed in full.

'I wouldn't want to see one service suffer because of another in terms of funding,” says Chris. 'I think the beach is a pristine area and keeping it safe and up to scratch is a good thing.

'We will review the season and have a good look. We just wanted to dip our toes in the water this year and see how it went, but we will review things and make a decision based on numbers.”

SLNZ will report to council later in the year before it considers whether to fund these additional services during the upcoming Long Term Plan.

TCC has a service level contract with SLNZ Eastern Region. The agreement is for the provision of regional lifeguards for weekdays during the summer school holidays.

What do you think? Should the patrol be extend at the expense of beach grooming funds?