A new online warning system predicts wave conditions at the popular Figure Eight Pools up to four days in advance
Many visitors to the Royal National Park site near Burning Palms have been injured by large waves crashing over the rock platform, which is accessible only at low tide.
Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton said, in addition to existing warning signs and daily safety alerts, the new wave risk rating tool predicted conditions for each daylight hour, up to four days in advance.
“The Wave Risk Rating tool converts complex ocean data into five easy-to-understand wave danger ratings,” she said.
“It works like a fire hazard warning: the higher the risk rating, the more dangerous the wave conditions and the more likely that visitors may be injured.
“It is in your interest to check out the risk rating when planning your trip and again just before you depart. Be prepared to cancel your trip if the risk is high or extreme.”
Emergency Services Minister Troy Grant said there has been a series of rescues where sightseers had been trapped by tides or gone onto the rock platform in unsafe conditions.
“Emergency Services often have to rescue people in hazardous conditions that, tragically, could have been avoided,” he said.
“Anyone intending to visit the site will be doing the community and themselves a huge favour if they check the risk rating tool first and make their plans based on its rating so they can stay safe.
“In short, if there is a high risk, plan to visit a different beautiful spot in a national park – we’re very fortunate in NSW to have plenty of them.”
Royal National Park area manager Shaun Elwood said, as well as the danger from large waves washing over the rock platform, the trek to the pools is also dangerous.
“People need to take care for the entire trip as a large majority of injuries occur during the challenging, steep and slippery two hour walk to the site,” he said.
The research used to create the risk ratings was conducted by scientists at the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and the University of Newcastle.
The first-of-its-kind approach measures ocean wave conditions using a nearshore wave buoy and land-based cameras to analyse waves washing across the rock platform.
View the NPWS Wave Risk Rating tool at: nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/figure8pools
