Be river safe, save swimming for the pool

17 October 2024

Our beautiful Hawkesbury River is a favourite spot for locals and visitors alike, drawing in boating enthusiasts, families on picnics, campers, walkers, bird watchers, and fishing fans. While it’s a fantastic place to relax and enjoy nature, we want to remind everyone that swimming in our rivers can come with hidden dangers. Staying informed is key to having a safe and enjoyable experience this summer!

According to Royal Life Saving the 2023/2024 National Drowning Report found a 16% increase in death drownings with rivers/creeks being identified as a top 3 location. There were 323 deaths from drownings and of those 83 were born overseas.

Council is committed to river and water safety in the Hawkesbury. As part of this commitment, we are continuing our multi-lingual safety campaign aimed at ensuring a safe and enjoyable summer for both visitors and locals along the Hawkesbury River.

With the summer season approaching, this initiative highlights our commitment to promoting water safety and creating a secure environment for all who come to experience the beauty of the river. The campaign features informative signage, educational materials, and it is designed to raise awareness and provide essential safety information in multiple languages.

Council continues to install river safety signs that were developed in consultation with Royal Life Saving NSW using best practise design, and internationally recognised safety symbols. The latest sign was installed at Howe Park in Windsor. The signs are created in the five most common non-English languages for visitors to the Hawkesbury – Hindi, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Arabic and Filipino – which can be accessed by a QR Code via a smartphone.

This campaign is about raising awareness to save lives so that we can all have a wonderful summer without seeing tragedies like we have seen in the past. The messages urge visitors to consider other fun activities around the river instead of swimming in local waterways. These include walking, camping, boating, fishing and picnics. Locals are also urged to be river safe and save swimming for the pool over summer.

Local rivers and other waterways can be dangerous places to swim, even for experienced swimmers, with submerged objects, unpredictable and fast currents, and the potential for poor water quality following heavy rains. Unfortunately, drownings have occurred in local waterways over the years.

Council is also developing a Public Water Safety Strategy to provide clear guidance for the effective short-and long-term management of public safety around waterways throughout the Hawkesbury. For river safety advice see https://www.hawkesbury.nsw.gov.au/your-spaces/river-safety

Respect the river - safety tips from Royal Life Saving NSW visit royallifesaving.com.au/about/campaigns-and-programs/respect-the-river