Bass Coast Shire Council is welcoming a trial of new coastal safety signage at key high-risk locations, including Kilcunda Beach, Woolamai Beach and Forrest Caves.
The signage, developed by Life Saving Victoria is funded by Surf Life Saving Australia through the Australian Government's Beach Drowning Blackspot Reduction Program, incorporates evidence-based design, multilingual messaging and clear hazard warnings to support safer decision-making on Bass Coast beaches.
Using virtual reality, scenario testing and community feedback, the project identified which messages resonate most strongly with beach users and are most likely to influence safe behaviour.
The new signs feature:
- A clear warning that "Drowning deaths have occurred here"
- The universal hazard symbol
- Key safety messages in multiple languages
- QR codes linking to online translations and further guidance
Bass Coast Mayor, Cr Rochelle Halstead, said the new signage provides vital, accessible information for both residents and visitors.
"These locations are breathtaking but unpredictable. The new signage makes the risks clear and easy to understand, helping people make safer choices before they enter the water. We welcome these upgrades and the detailed research behind them," Cr Halstead said.
Life Saving Victoria Head of Research, Evaluation and Insights Dr Bernadette Matthews said the project would play an important role in water safety:
"Signage is one of many tools we have to prevent drowning and improve water safety. This trial aims to find new ways to effectively communicate the hazards people can face when visiting the beach," Dr. Matthews said.
Life Saving Victoria's Empowering Local Visitors project, delivered with the support of local lifesaving clubs, also provided training to Phillip Island Visitor Information Centre staff and volunteers, supported by new brochures and collateral.
"These teams - many of whom are volunteers - play a crucial role," Cr Halstead said. "Visitors often arrive unfamiliar with local conditions, sometimes following something they've seen on social media. This training gives our staff the tools to step in, offer guidance and put safety first."
The new signage is expected to be installed before Christmas and complements the broader Cross-Council Water Safety Framework, launched earlier this year, and ongoing local collaboration between Council, Life Saving Victoria, Parks Victoria, Phillip Island Nature Parks, VicPol, Ambulance Victoria and other response agencies and tourism partners.
In addition, Council have also installed new emergency location markers at beaches across Phillip Island, San Remo, Kilcunda, Cape Paterson and Inverloch, eventually replacing the former "yellow hat" style. Part of a phased roll-out in partnership with other land managers, each marker features a unique six-character alpha-numeric identifier linked directly to Triple Zero Victoria's Computer-Aided Dispatch system, providing emergency call takers with precise location and access information.
