Rock Fishing Safety

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Consultation has concluded

Person fishing from rocks


Please refer to Council's Rock Fishing page for updated information.


To translate this page, select your language from the drop-down box in the top lefthand corner of the webpage.  

Wearing a lifejacket while rock fishing in Wollongong may soon become a legal requirement.

Wollongong Council is proposing to opt-in to the Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016 which would see all rock platforms in the Wollongong City Council Local Government Area declared as high-risk rock fishing locations. This would mean anyone fishing from a rock platform must wear a lifejacket or they could be issued a fine.

View the maps to see which locations we're proposing to declare High Risk Rock Fishing Areas.

Find out more about the project by reading through the FAQs. If you have a question that is not addressed in the FAQs, post a message in the Questions function and we'll get back to you.

Share Your Feedback

Share your feedback on this proposal and contribute to the conversation to help inform Council's decision to opt in.

To share your feedback, you can:

Share your feedback by Sunday 24 July 2022.

Submissions become public documents and may be viewed by other persons on request. Please read Council’s Privacy Notification before submitting your feedback.

Other ways to give your feedback

We want to make sure everybody has the opportunity to provide ideas and feedback.

If you prefer to talk to us in person, please call the Engagement Team on 4227 7111 or visit our customer service centre at 41 Burelli Street, Wollongong.

If you’re Deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, you can contact us through the National Relay Service. You’ll need to provide our phone number, which is 02 42277111.

If you need an interpreter you can contact us through the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131450. You’ll need to provide our phone number, which is 02 4227 7111.


Please refer to Council's Rock Fishing page for updated information.


To translate this page, select your language from the drop-down box in the top lefthand corner of the webpage.  

Wearing a lifejacket while rock fishing in Wollongong may soon become a legal requirement.

Wollongong Council is proposing to opt-in to the Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016 which would see all rock platforms in the Wollongong City Council Local Government Area declared as high-risk rock fishing locations. This would mean anyone fishing from a rock platform must wear a lifejacket or they could be issued a fine.

View the maps to see which locations we're proposing to declare High Risk Rock Fishing Areas.

Find out more about the project by reading through the FAQs. If you have a question that is not addressed in the FAQs, post a message in the Questions function and we'll get back to you.

Share Your Feedback

Share your feedback on this proposal and contribute to the conversation to help inform Council's decision to opt in.

To share your feedback, you can:

Share your feedback by Sunday 24 July 2022.

Submissions become public documents and may be viewed by other persons on request. Please read Council’s Privacy Notification before submitting your feedback.

Other ways to give your feedback

We want to make sure everybody has the opportunity to provide ideas and feedback.

If you prefer to talk to us in person, please call the Engagement Team on 4227 7111 or visit our customer service centre at 41 Burelli Street, Wollongong.

If you’re Deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment, you can contact us through the National Relay Service. You’ll need to provide our phone number, which is 02 42277111.

If you need an interpreter you can contact us through the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131450. You’ll need to provide our phone number, which is 02 4227 7111.

Consultation has concluded
  • Council opts into Rock Fishing Safety Act

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    CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

    A report regarding Rock Fishing Safety was considered by Council at its 12 September meeting. The report’s recommendations were adopted with a couple of variations.

    It was resolved (unanimously) that:

    1. Council notes the findings of the Rock Fishing Safety Community Engagement Report outlined in Attachment 1
    2. Council requests the Minister for Local Government to make a declaration under the Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016 that the Wollongong Local Government Area (LGA) is an area where high-risk rock fishing takes place
    3. For the purposes of the above declaration, the high-risk rock fishing locations within the Wollongong LGA are those described and identified on the map attached to this report.
    4. A Councillor Briefing or Information Note outline the number and type of actions taken in the Wollongong LGA, under the legislation, capturing the data of one year from the date of gazettal.
    5. Council continue to work with Surf Lifesaving NSW and appropriate agencies to support their delivery of safety training and education for rock fishing.
    6. Council continue to investigate opportunities for the provision of life jackets for those who are not able to provide their own similar to the Western Australian Scheme.

    View the minutes and webcast video recording of the meeting on Council’s website.

  • Council to determine way forward

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    CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.

    Thank you to everyone who contributed feedback to the Rock Fishing Safety engagement. Your thoughts and ideas helped inform the Engagement Report which is published on the project webpage. We received over 120 submissions during the engagement period from a wide variety of people with diverse thoughts on Council’s proposal to opt into the Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016.

    A report is going to Council on Monday 12 September 2022. In summary, the report recommends that Council opt into the Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016 which would make it a legal requirement for rock fishers to wear a lifejacket while rock fishing in the Wollongong Local Government Area.

    You can read the full recommendation and report in the meeting’s Business Paper published on Council’s website. The meeting’s Agenda is also available.

    If you're interested in seeing Council's decision-making processes in action, you can watch the meeting online from 6pm via webcast.

    Councillors will decide whether to adopt the report’s recommendation at the meeting.