“ As we head into the peak season for recreational water activities , public water safety is at the top of our minds . Council is working with Royal Life Saving NSW to support and encourage a culture of drowning prevention across the Hawkesbury Local Government Area .” - Hawkesbury Mayor Sarah McMahon The hope of a safe summer for visitors and locals on the Hawkesbury River is behind a new high-visibility and multilingual safety campaign from Hawkesbury City Council .

New river safety signs have now been installed at Macquarie Park in Windsor . These signs were developed in consultation with Royal Life Saving NSW using best practise design , and internationally recognised safety symbols . Versions of the signs have also been 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 .

Hawkesbury City Council is now approaching neighbouring councils to spread the message of safety on the Hawkesbury River . People from neighbouring Local Government Areas are the greatest source of tourism throughout

the year . Messaging is also being provided to Western Sydney Regional Organisations of Councils ( WSROC ) to help promote it to Western Sydney in general .

“ We are encouraging our nearby Councils to help make visitors to the Hawkesbury aware of the need to be safe around our many waterways , including the magnificent Hawkesbury River ,” the Mayor of Hawkesbury , Councillor Sarah McMahon said .

Hawkesbury City Council is also conducting a multi-lingual awareness campaign on social media . 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 consider visiting local pools over summer .

“ This campaign is about raising awareness to save lives so that we can all have a wonderful summer break with our families without seeing tragedies like we have seen in the past ,” Mayor McMahon added .

“ The water in the river can be unexpectedly cold , there are submerged trees and rocks and deceptively strong currents . Sometimes people may overestimate their swimming ability , or may have consumed alcohol before swimming , or may be unfamiliar with local conditions or recent changes to the river .

“ Local rivers and other waterways can be dangerous places to swim , even for experienced swimmers . 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 shortand longterm management of public safety around waterways throughout the Hawkesbury .

For river safety advice see www . hawkesbury . nsw . gov . au

For important tips from Royal Life Saving NSW visit www . royallifesaving . com . au