Councils Buoyed by Success of 'Float to Survive' Campaign

Words Anthony Maguire Photo Bobby Cork

The ‘Float to Survive’ campaign, run by Waverley and Randwick Councils on our local beaches last season, has been deemed a success.

Beach signage, outdoor advertising and other promotions complemented the traditional beach safety message of swimming between the flags. Rock fishers were also targeted. An evaluation of the program by the University of New South Wales Beach Safety Group has just been published by Waverley Council. Nine out of ten people surveyed said they liked the message and found it easy to understand.

The UNSW team has suggested a number of refinements.

“Float to Survive could be improved by incorporating additional text and information relating to what a person should do after floating, such as signalling for help, and why floating would result in a positive outcome,” their report stated.

Waverley Council wants to continue the campaign and is in discussions with Randwick Council about the possibility of relaunching it this coming spring and summer.

Floating can save your life.