By Linda O’Neill, Brogo
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I AM writing to raise awareness about the safety of Tathra Wharf, for children in particular.
Soon it will be six years since I lost my son and two grandsons in a drowning tragedy at the wharf.
Since then I have been waiting for the Bega Valley Shire Council to take responsible action that will help prevent such a terrible tragedy occurring again.
In the Coroner’s report he asked the council, as the managing authority regarding safety, to undertake measures to prevent such an event happening again.
The council’s only focus has been on improving the response time should an incident happen that requires a rescue.
The Coroner was not asking for an improved rescue response time, he was asking the council to look at the root cause of the tragic deaths on which he was reporting.
The root cause is quite evident – had there been a fence or safety barrier in place at that time in November 2008 there would have been no tragedy.
As I look at the wharf site today I am saddened to say that surprisingly little has changed.
There are no warning signs, no attempt to make the public aware that a fall in to the ocean of a child may be of particular risk.
Young children are regularly seen on the wharf and are drawn to the unprotected edge of the wharf by natural curiosity.
Not every parent is aware of the real danger.
Deep water, strong currents, ocean swells and waves make the situation too often frightening.
Relying on a rescue in such situations is not good enough.
The real question of preventing an incident has been avoided.
I know the grief caused by tragic loss and want no other parent or grandparent to experience such grief.
I know that children are the most vulnerable of us all and need to be protected.
More needs to be done to make the wharf a safe location for the public and I feel strongly the council can do a lot more to improve public safety at this important tourist site