A state-wide coastal public safety risk assessment project began last week in the Tweed Shire, targeting priority black spots for coastal drownings.
Surf Life Saving NSW has embarked on a major project to help reduce coastal drowning deaths by assessing every beach and rock platform in NSW over the next few years. The first phase of the project will target priority black spots in 10 local government areas, starting in the Tweed.
Through the NSW Water Safety Black Spot Fund, the project is being managed by Australian Coastsafe, a wholly-owned business unit of Surf Life Saving Australia.
Risk assessors will be gathering data at 223 beaches and headlands over the coming months. Areas targeted in the first phase include Tweed, Byron and Ballina areas, Coffs Harbour, Central Coast and Sydney.
Project manager Adam Weir says, while the scope of the project is daunting, the information is vital to providing water safety agencies with an effective strategy to reduce the coastal drowning toll.
“Each year, many lives are lost along our coastline, leaving families devastated and communities in shock. Our goal is to reduce drowning deaths by 50 per cent within the next decade,” Mr Weir said.
Three hundred people have drowned in NSW since 2004 – 36 of them on the Far North Coast. The vast majority are people caught in rip currents while swimming, or swept from rocks while fishing and almost all occur at unpatrolled locations or outside patrol hours.
Tweed Shire Mayor, Cr Barry Longland, agrees more needs to be done to prevent accidental drowning deaths.
“We need to identify the factors which are contributing to people drowning and put in place measures to reduce these risks. Local governments have an important part to play in this and our staff from the council are assisting the project team to gather information and look at how we can work to improve safety on our beaches,” Cr Longland said.
The NSW Member for Tweed and the Parliamentary Secretary for Police and Emergency Services Geoff Provest agrees that a proactive response is the best way to curb this alarming trend.
“More people than ever are drawn to our beautiful coastline and, although long-time residents may have local knowledge, the wider community stands to gain a great deal from this initiative,” Mr Provest said.
“Information is power and Project Blueprint will assist authorities, residents and visitors alike make the coastline a safer place for recreation,” he said.
“If we can determine what the risk factors are, measures can be put in place to mitigate these risks.”
The assessment process will examine a range of factors which can impact on risk, including education and information, signage and beach access, lifesaving and lifeguard services and the skills of those taking to the water.
Local surf clubs and communities will be consulted throughout as the project team moves south.
Final assessment reports will be provided to the NSW Government and other relevant agencies and land managers, creating a working ‘Blueprint’ for a state-wide coastal drowning prevention strategy.
For more information on Project Blueprint and to find out how to be part of the consultation process, go to www.coastsafe.org.au/blueprint.
