Sutherland Shire Council is keeping up to date in beach safety, with a new suite of coastal advisory signage being installed along Sutherland Shire beaches to ensure language is not a barrier when it comes to beach and ocean safety.
Thanks to a $114,000 grant from Surf Life Saving New South Wales, supported by the Australian Government Department of Health, 23 carefully designed Advanced Warning signs have been installed at beach access points and service trails along Cronulla’s northern stretch of beaches, and a further 67 existing Coastal Safety Access signs have been upgraded.
An additional five new Beach Information signs have also been introduced by Council to let swimmers know the water temperature, tide, air temperature and beach conditions.
“We have been working extremely hard with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities over the past 12 months, to come up with coastal advisory signage solutions that we hope will keep everyone safe on our beaches,” Sutherland Shire Mayor, Councillor Carmelo Pesce said.
“The aim has been to simplify the information so it can be easily understood by all members of the community, including residents, visitors to Sutherland Shire and tourists from overseas.”
Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steve Pearce said it was great timing for the signage to be installed before the peak summer holiday period starts.
“Our stats show that many people from non-English speaking backgrounds and international visitors are sometimes not as aware of the dangers of the beach and ocean environment”
“Making the message as simple as possible will go a long way toward helping Surf Life Saving and Councils along the coast prevent people from getting into trouble or tragically drowning.”Steve Pearce said.
The signage has been designed in collaboration with the South East Sydney Multicultural Water Safety Committee, of which Sutherland Shire Council is a member, to identify the most effective symbols, pictograms and messages to implement.
The new signage has also been tested and validated by Council lifeguards, who volunteered their time with a number of different culturally and linguistically diverse groups to ensure effectiveness.
“This is just one of many initiatives Council has implemented over the last 18 months as we continue to review and improve coastal risks,” Mayor Pesce added.
In addition to safety information, Council has also added a “Have you forgotten something, please keep our beaches clean” caption on the reverse side of the new signage, to remind people to remove their rubbish when leaving the beach.