The weather’s warming up, which means it’s officially time for the annual reminder: the Hawkesbury River might look inviting, but it’s not where you want to be doing your laps this summer.
Hawkesbury City Council has refreshed its river safety campaign for the season, and this year’s version leans harder into making the message land with everyone in the community, not just longtime locals. New signs have gone up at the river’s favourite parks and picnic spots, developed with Royal Life Saving NSW using the organisation’s best-practice safety design. Scan the QR code on any of them, and you’ll get the safety information translated into Hindi, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Arabic or Filipino, the five languages most commonly spoken by people who visit the area.
The good news is nobody’s telling you to stay away from the river altogether. Walking the banks, camping nearby, taking the boat out, fishing, or just laying out a picnic are all still very much on the table. It’s the actual swimming that the Council wants moved elsewhere, and locals are being asked to do the same.
Here’s why it matters: even confident swimmers can get caught out by what’s under the surface submerged branches and debris, currents that shift faster than they look, and water quality that takes a real hit after heavy rain. Local waterways have seen drownings before, and nationally, the number sits at 90 people in dams, rivers and other inland waterways over the last 12 months.
If you’re after an actual swim, you’ve got options. Hawkesbury Oasis Aquatic and Fitness Centre is open right through the year, and Richmond Swimming Centre reopens for the season this Saturday, 26 September 2026 worth circling on the calendar if you’ve been counting down.
More safety tips from Royal Life Saving NSW, and details on Council’s full campaign, are at royallifesaving.com.au/about/campaigns-and-programs/respect-the-river.
