Safer beaches
Bayside’s beaches and waterways are at the heart of our community. They are places for swimming, walking, gathering and connecting with nature. Peaceful Bayside is working to ensure our coastline remains safe, clean and accessible for everyone.
Safer beaches require practical safety measures, strong environmental protections and thoughtful planning. Our approach focuses on water safety, pollution prevention, responsible recreation and better-designed public spaces that support families, swimmers and local businesses.
Improving waterway safety
Water safety is essential for protecting swimmers, paddleboarders, families and vulnerable beach users. Increased recreational use of waterways requires updated safety measures and enforcement tools.
Peaceful Bayside has supported motions advocating for waterway safety CCTV at Brighton-Le-Sands, pushing for legislative changes that allow fines to be issued from CCTV evidence. We have also supported calls for stronger action on dangerous jet ski behaviour and brought these concerns to state-level discussions to improve enforcement and deterrence.
Responsible jet ski and boating management
Reckless jet ski and boating activity poses risks to swimmers and shoreline users, particularly during peak periods.
Peaceful Bayside has advocated for clearer exclusion zones, improved signage, and stronger collaboration with Transport for NSW Maritime to address unsafe behaviour. Through council motions and community advocacy, we are working to ensure that high-speed recreational activity does not compromise swimmer safety.
Cleaner beaches and water quality
Clean water is fundamental to public health and marine life. Pollution, stormwater runoff and litter threaten the long-term health of our coastline.
Peaceful Bayside has supported improved compliance with Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) principles and stronger monitoring of runoff impacts. By advocating for better stormwater management and transparency in reporting, we aim to reduce pollutants entering Botany Bay and improve long-term water quality outcomes.
Safer and more welcoming public spaces
Beach safety is also shaped by lighting, accessibility, and activation of public spaces. Well-designed, vibrant foreshore areas increase passive surveillance and community presence, improving both real and perceived safety.
Peaceful Bayside supported the staged installation of fairy lights at Ramsgate Beach, funded through the Local Area Fund, to enhance night-time visibility and atmosphere. We also advocated for a shark net extension at Brighton Le Sands, up to the high tide mark. By supporting thoughtful activation of beachside areas and encouraging pedestrian-friendly design, we help foster a safer and more welcoming environment both during the day and after dark.
Recreation and environmental protection
Bayside’s beaches must accommodate swimmers, fishers, families, boaters and local businesses while protecting fragile coastal ecosystems.
Peaceful Bayside advocates for planning decisions that balance recreational access with environmental safeguards. Through council motions and submissions, we aim to protect dune systems, manage coastal pressures and ensure long-term sustainability of our shoreline.
Community-driven solutions and transparency
Beach safety improves when issues are acknowledged swiftly and addressed openly. Clear communication and community involvement builds trust and gets results.
Peaceful Bayside works to ensure residents are informed about local safety measures, whether that is through regular community updates on jet ski policing, tree vandalism prevention/responses, explanations for tree surgery/removal, pollution concerns, erosion and tidal damage reports, or public consultations on proposed beach access changes.
By keeping the community involved and informed, our initiatives aim to strengthen compliance, trust, and shared responsibility for safer streets.
Frequently asked questions
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“Safer Beaches” means creating environments where people can swim, paddle, walk, and relax without fear of danger from watercraft, reckless behaviour, or unsafe conditions. This includes advocating for better water safety measures on Botany Bay, educating the community about rules for personal watercraft, and supporting infrastructure and enforcement that protect swimmers, families and beachgoers.
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High-powered Jet Skis, formally known as personal watercraft (PWCs), have become more concentrated in Botany Bay as they are banned in other NSW waterways, and some riders engage in anti-social and illegal behaviour close to swimmers, kayakers and paddlers. Peaceful Bayside’s work recognises that unsafe operation within 200 metres of the shore and high-speed manoeuvres near people in the water put beach users at risk, and we are pushing for practical solutions and rule enforcement to reduce these incidents.
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Under NSW Roads and Maritime rules, Jet Ski operators must stay at least 60 metres from people in the water at all speeds, 30 metres from other vessels or structures at speeds over six knots, and generally operate in a straight line within 200 metres of the shoreline to reduce danger to swimmers. Life jackets are mandatory, and menacing or reckless behaviour can lead to fines, court notices or impoundment of the craft.
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Peaceful Bayside has put forth motions to Council that led to the installation of a CCTV camera at Brighton-Le-Sands to help monitor unsafe Jet Ski behaviour, and we’ve called on the Attorney General to change state law so fines can be issued using that footage. Our motions have also driven clearer buoy markers for exclusion zones, expanded signage and community education campaigns about safe waterways use.
Some recent action includes:
Support for Legislative PWC Changes – Motion submitted to LGNSW Conference for fines from Waterway Safety CCTV (September 2025)
Transport for NSW Maritime Action on Jet Ski Safety – Douglas & Strong motion (March 2025) supporting waterway safety CCTV camera at Brighton-Le-Sands foreshore and supporting legislative changes to enable fines from CCTV incidents.
Extension of swimming nets at Brighton Le Sands baths.
Jet ski safety summer program community education.
Increased police and water police presence to monitor jet ski safety.
Additional buoys at Brighton-Le-Sands for swimmers safety.
Support for long term foreshore management plans to include accessibility, environmental and biodiversity measures.
We have also been advocating for initiatives near the beach that improve waterway and make the beach area more welcoming at night; some recent ‘wins’ include:
Fairy Lights at Ramsgate Beach: Approved in two stages, Stage One funded from Ramsgate Beach Local Area Fund (September 2025), light installed at Bill Batley Square to make the area more inclusive and safer at night.
Water Quality: Improving Compliance with Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) - Response report noted (September 2025).
Kamay Greenway: This project will take a holistic approach to the Bado-Berong Creek area and once complete should improve the water quality of the creek, in turn benefiting the area near the creek mouth in Botany Bay.
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Transport for NSW Maritime advises reporting unsafe or illegal Jet Ski behaviour by calling 13 12 36 to reach a product service officer who can contact Maritime Waterway Safety Officers and log complaints; alternatively, complaints can be submitted online via the maritime website by selecting Waterways → On-water concerns. Logging incidents helps build a picture of where and how safety issues are occurring.
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Ignoring unsafe watercraft behaviour can lead to collisions, serious injury or worse, especially near busy beaches and during peak summer months when more people are in the water. Without clear exclusion zones, strategic enforcement and community awareness, the risk to swimmers, toddlers in shallow water, paddlers and other vulnerable users remains high.
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Peaceful Bayside wants stronger exclusion zones, legislative change to allow fines to be used against dangerous watercraft operation from CCTV, clearer buoys and signage, a Jet Ski hooning task force, and ongoing community education so that Botany Bay becomes a safer place for everyone, from children to older beachgoers.
We are continually advocating for safer beaches; some initiatives we are working on include:
Jet Ski exclusion zone community consultation.
Support for Dolls Point Wharf renewal.
Did you know?
Beach water quality in Kamay
BeachWatch assesses how suitable beaches across NSW are for swimming. The organisation releases the annual “State of the Beaches” report. The 2025 rankings for Bayside Council’s monitoring locations are shown below. Kyeemagh, Brighton Le Sands and Dolls Point were ranked as “Poor” and Ramsgate Beach, Sandringham Baths and Monterey Baths were ranked as “Fair”. Foreshore Beach was ranked as “Very Poor”. There were no locations ranking as “Very Good” or “Fair” in 2025. View the full data here.
A little ‘people power’ can make a BIG difference.
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By following Deputy Mayor Heidi Lee Douglas or Councillor Janin Bredehoeft on social media you can keep an eye on our progress and add your comments and ideas to upcoming ‘hot topics’ at Council. You can also follow one of our other pages like Peaceful Bayside, Peaceful Bayside Action Group, Kamay Greenway, Creative Bayside and Big Trucks Off Bexley.
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Issues, questions and ideas for Heidi (Ward 5)?
To send us ideas or report on-the-ground issues across Ward 5 (Kyeemagh, Brighton Le Sands, Monterey, Ramsgate, Sandringham, Dolls Point), please email heidilee.douglas@bayside.nsw.gov.au
Issues, questions and ideas for Janin (Ward 3)?
To send us ideas or report on-the-ground issues across Ward 3 (Rockdale, Arncliffe, Banksia, Bexley), please email janin.bredehoeft@bayside.nsw.gov.au