Conjola and Burrill Lake beaches will be part of a University of New South Wales [UNSW] study aimed at monitoring rip currents and beachgoer behaviour at unpatrolled beaches.
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South Coast MP Shelley Hancock said the UNSW study was now underway thanks to an almost $100,000 grant from the NSW Government's Water Safety Fund Community Grants Program.
The project will use remote camera technology to capture high-quality images of rip current locations, as well as the number of people on the beach, beach entry locations, and overall visitor numbers at six unpatrolled beaches along the New South Wales coastline.
"This will provide a helpful insight into the usage of Conjola and Burrill beaches and the dangers beachgoers may face, to ultimately save lives in the future," Mrs Hancock said in a statement.
"Alongside the study we are also investing record amounts in the South Coast's Surf Life Saving clubs to keep our patrolled beaches safe. This year alone I have announced more than half a million dollars for life saving equipment such as oxygen resuscitators and jet-skis as well as club upgrades."
Surveys will also be conducted to learn about beachgoer demographics, their reasons for visiting the unpatrolled location, and their awareness of potential hazards.
UNSW's Professor Rob Brander said he hoped the information gathered in the study will go toward solving the unacceptably high number of drownings at unpatrolled beaches.
"While we continue to stress that people should swim between the red and yellow flags, the reality is that many people still visit unpatrolled beaches," Professor Brander said in a statement.
"We need to know more about these beachgoers and when, where and why they choose to visit unpatrolled beaches. "The findings of this study will help develop a rip current risk rating to help inform and develop safety interventions at unpatrolled beaches to help save lives."
Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steve Pearce welcomed the project, and said it was another way to help keep swimmers safe.
"We've seen far too many tragic drownings this summer, despite our persistent safety warnings," Mr Pearce said.
"This project is a great step toward understanding the dangers of rips and educating people, so we can all continue working toward zero fatalities on NSW beaches."
At the completion of the project a series of workshops will be held involving the research team, Surf Life Saving NSW, local government, and the local community. The results of the project will then be incorporated into a public education campaign.
The Water Safety Fund Community Grants Program prioritises initiatives that target high-risk groups and locations, identified in research undertaken by Royal Life Saving Society Australia. For more information, visit: www.watersafety.nsw.gov.au.
