Newcastle Boosts Beach Safety with Multilingual Water Safety Messages

newy.com.au – In response to a rise in beach rescues involving non-English speaking visitors and residents, City of Newcastle has introduced multilingual water safety information to better protect beachgoers.

The initiative, which provides key safety messages in nine languages, aims to educate people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds about the risks of swimming in the ocean and at Newcastle’s popular ocean baths.

City of Newcastle’s Executive Manager for Community and Recreation, Lynn Duffy, highlighted the importance of the program, noting that research shows a disproportionate number of drowning victims in Australia are people born overseas.

“As a coastal city with six beautiful beaches, Newcastle is a magnet for international tourists and home to a diverse, multicultural community,” Ms Duffy said. “For many Novocastrians, going to the beach is second nature, but for newcomers, it can be an unfamiliar and potentially dangerous environment.”

She referenced a Royal Life Saving study that found one in three drowning victims in Australia were born overseas, with most incidents occurring within the first five years of their arrival.

“This initiative will help people feel safer and more confident while enjoying our stunning coastline, ensuring language barriers don’t prevent crucial safety messages from getting across,” she said.

Beach safety signs from Merewether to Stockton Beach, as well as at Newcastle and Merewether Ocean Baths, now feature QR codes that direct users to translated water safety advice. Information includes warnings about high surf and strong currents, as well as the importance of swimming between the flags. The translations are available in Japanese, traditional and simplified Chinese, Arabic, Vietnamese, Spanish, Punjabi, Dari, and Swahili.

City of Newcastle’s Aquatic Operations and Education Specialist, Chris Griffin, said the initiative was driven by a noticeable increase in rescues involving people unfamiliar with beach hazards.

“Our lifeguards have had to assist more non-English speaking swimmers in recent years. During our annual Water Safety Education Program, which reaches over 13,000 local children, we also heard from migrant families and international students who said they would benefit from having safety information in their native language,” Mr Griffin said.

“We consulted with other councils that have implemented similar programs and worked with community planners to determine which languages would be most beneficial. We’ll also monitor QR code usage to see which translations are in highest demand and look at adding more languages in the future.”

Vietnamese TAFE student Huu Quoc Viet Bui, who regularly visits Newcastle’s beaches, welcomed the initiative, saying it will help prevent accidents.

“I love the beach—it’s where I go to unwind after class,” Mr Bui said. “But there are differences between beaches in Newcastle and those in Vietnam, like the waves, marine life, and safety facilities. Knowing the risks is essential for visitors like me.”

For those looking to access the translated beach safety information, visit: Newcastle Beach Safety.