New safety signage erected at Darwin’s beaches warns of the ‘box, rocks and crocs’

City of Darwin has begun replacing ageing marine hazard warning signs and has recently erected the first of 41 new warning signs at beach access points. While the previous signs warned only of box jellyfish, the new signs will cover a range of threats including marine stingers, submerged rocks and crocodiles. 

Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis notes “people were barely able to read many of the previous generation of signs. We decided it was time to bite the bullet, so we got together with the NT Government to provide this potentially life-saving information for both locals and visitors.”

Council collaborated on the development of the signs with Top End Health, NT Lifesaving, Water Safety NT and Larrakia Nation.

Lord Mayor Vatskalis added “because we are living in the Top End, inevitably there are beaches which will have signs with crocodile warnings.

“As result of working with Larrakia Nation we have incorporated Larrakia words into the signs, which I think is a great thing.

“One of those words is danggalaba and that sign carries a picture of a crocodile. In any language, that’s a warning you should heed.”