Woorim Beach families, surfers and other beachgoers could gain public access to emergency bleeding-control equipment under a community-funded shark bite kit proposal being pursued by Renee Zmuda.
Renee has asked Moreton Bay City Council for permission to mount the kits on existing posts along Woorim Beach, with no funding requested.
Community fundraising would cover the initial purchase of the equipment and all replacement supplies. Renee has also proposed taking responsibility for regular checks and upkeep through a formal memorandum of understanding.
The proposal is aimed at making bleeding-control equipment accessible across a beach used by families, surfers, fishers, campers and swimmers, including people recreating beyond the patrolled area.
Emergency Equipment for Woorim Beach Users
The shark bite kits would contain tourniquets, heavy pressure bandages, trauma shears and instruction cards for people without prior training.
They are intended to provide equipment for severe bleeding following shark bites or other marine trauma.
Renee acknowledged concerns that installing kits at unpatrolled access paths could be seen as encouraging swimming outside the flagged area. However, she told council beachgoers already use kilometres of the coastline beyond the patrol zone.
Families and surfers regularly use those areas, while other visitors travel further along the beach to camp, fish and swim.
The proposal therefore focuses on placing emergency equipment where people are already recreating rather than limiting access to the area around the patrol tower.
Similar shark bite kits have been approved at Coogee and Maroubra in New South Wales. After their installation, bystanders used one of the kits to apply a tourniquet to a shark bite victim.
Community Campaign Follows Charlize’s Death
The Woorim Beach proposal follows the death of Renee’s daughter, Charlize Zmuda, who was attacked by a shark at the beach on 3 February 2025.
Charlize had a longstanding connection to the local beach community. She began as a nipper with Bribie Island Surf Lifesaving Club and later became a patrol vice-captain, volunteering her time at Woorim Beach.
Emergency services were called to the unpatrolled beach shortly before 5pm following the attack, but the 17-year-old could not be saved.
The Fifth Avenue beach access point at Woorim Beach is now known as Charlize’s Place.
Community support following her death was also reflected in a fundraiser established for the Zmuda family, which attracted 1,056 donors and raised $79,647.
Existing Shark Controls Reviewed
Coroner Carol Lee later determined Charlize died from injuries to her right upper limb consistent with a bull shark attack.
The coronial investigation examined shark-control measures operating at Woorim Beach. At the time of the attack, 18 drumlines were positioned offshore and had been serviced two days earlier.
Shark nets were not used because strong tidal currents could interfere with their operation, while drone patrols had also operated at Woorim Beach during the summer period before the attack.
The coroner found the existing shark-risk mitigation framework appropriate and determined an inquest was not required because there was no unresolved conflict of evidence or suspicious circumstance.
The current proposal instead centres on access to emergency bleeding-control equipment for people already using Woorim Beach.
Renee has asked the authorities to assign an officer to walk the beach with the team and approve suitable locations for the community-funded kits.
Published 18-September-2026
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