Inland Water Safety Signs get a revamp at Meander Valley Council

The Aquatic Industry Services team were recently engaged by Meander Valley Council, Tasmania to assess the range of safety signs around the natural water ways such as the Deloraine River, Hadspen Lions Park Reserve and the Meander River. In total 14 sites were assessed using the RLS Water Safety Signage Assessment, providing Council with a valuable tool to manage their current assets.

Water safety signs play a vital role in ensuring the public are aware of the rules and regulations around a swimming zone and they offer more than a notification about what a swimmer can’t do in a location.

The guidance that Royal Life Saving provide for Councils when conducting these reports are based around risk and industry best practice. The report offers the land manager (often a local council) a risk treatment plan as well as a signage style guide to assist with the production of new signs.

Inland waterways such as rivers, creeks, streams, lakes, dams and lagoons provide significant social and economic value to Australia and require comprehensive consideration in waterway planning and management. However, the use of any water body introduces a level of risk to the public, and this is where a system of coherent and visible signs can assist land managers in providing safer places to swim.