Media release
Kiama Municipal Council will opt in to provisions of the Rock Fishing Safety Act following a series of coastal fatalities.
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Kiama Council is considering opting in to the NSW Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016. This would mean declaring all rock platforms in our area as high-risk fishing locations. If this happens, anyone rock fishing in these areas will be legally required to wear an approved lifejacket.
Rock fishing is one of Australia’s most dangerous sports. Sadly, the Kiama coastline has seen multiple incidents and fatalities. Wearing a lifejacket dramatically reduces the risk of drowning.
Your feedback will inform a report to Council. Councillors will then decide whether to opt in to the Act.
If Council opts in:
- All identified rock platforms in Kiama LGA will be declared high-risk
- Anyone rock fishing in these areas must wear an approved lifejacket
- NSW Police and DPI Fisheries will enforce the rules. Council staff and lifeguards cannot issue fines
- Failure to wear a lifejacket could result in an on-the-spot fine.
View proposed locations
Minnamurra Headland
Kiama Downs
Kiama (Central)
Kiama (South)
Kiama Coast Walk
Gerringong
Gerroa
How we got here
Community consultation
Between 14 November and 1 February 2025, our community had the opportunity to:
- Vote in the quick poll
- Complete a survey
- Ask a question
- Chat with us in person at one of three community pop-ups.
Read the Community Engagement Report (PDF, 2.01MB) for a detailed overview of what we heard during the consultation period.
How you got involved
What we heard
Strong support for compulsory life jackets
The engagement program showed strong community support for making life jackets compulsory for rock fishers. In the quick poll, 78.3% of respondents supported compulsory life jackets while 70% of survey respondents agreed.
A smaller proportion of participants did not support this approach. This included 21.7% of quick poll respondents and 30% of survey participants.
Face-to-face engagement largely echoed the strong support identified through the survey and quick poll. At the Surf Life Saving NSW rock fishing safety event, all participating rock fishers agreed that wearing a lifejacket should be compulsory.
At pop-up engagement activities, where participants included both fishers and members of the general community with varying levels of interest and experience, responses were mixed. Of those who provided a view, 54 people supported compulsory life jackets while three people did not.
Participants shared a range of perspectives, including the importance of improving access to safety equipment, concerns about applying the same rules to all fishers and preferences for alternative safety measures over increased enforcement.
Comments included:
- Life jackets should be more readily available to the community.
- Life jackets should be compulsory for young people rather than for all fishers.
- Installing safety barriers would be a positive safety measure.
Read the Community Engagement Report here.
