There will be a further boost for beach safety in Mandurah this summer with more Beach Emergency Numbers (BEN) signs to be in place by the end of the year.
The signs are part of local man Rick Gerring’s initiative to improve beach safety signage after his brother Ben Gerring lost his life in a shark bite incident in 2016.
At the time, there were concerns about emergency services locating the closest beach access point.
More than 100 signs will be installed along the state’s coastline, each one with a unique code to help emergency services pinpoint exact locations and improve crucial response times for a range of potentially serious incidents.
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Since the program rolled out last year, 27 of the 32 eligible local government authorities have been actively working to map sign locations and prepare grant applications with the goal to eventually have more than 1,100 signs in place from Geraldton to Esperance.
Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly said he was pleased to see strong support for the project.
“It is great to see local government authorities collaborating with the State Government to improve beach safety along our beautiful coastline,” he said.
“WA has an extensive coastline with many metropolitan beaches and remote and regional locations, at time making beach access locations hard to find.
“To have signs in place for this summer in the Capes area, beginning with Augusta-Margaret River, is a boost to beach safety in the area and could be vital in saving lives.
“In the event of an emergency, the public can call triple zero and quote the BEN sign number with confidence that emergency services will reach the destination as quickly as possible.”
This summer, the State Government is encouraging all Western Australians to bring their sea sense to the beach to help keep them safe.
Sea sense means things such as checking the SharkSmart website for shark activity, abiding by beach closures and warnings, finding your nearest patrolled beach, or using a scientifically proven personal shark deterrent if you are a surfer or diver.
For more information about shark safety, visit www.sharksmart.com.au.
