Cinema helps council win award

Gosford Council has won a communications award thanks to the help of a local cinema, according to Gosford mayor Cr Chris Holstein.

He has thanked Ettalong Cinema Paradiso for its help in promoting Gosford Council's beach safety campaign.

The campaign has since been awarded an Excellence in Communication Award at the RH Dougherty Communication Awards of the Local Government and Shires Association.

Cr Holstein said the Peninsula cinema had provided financial support in ensuring the success and implementation of the beach safety campaign over last summer.

He said more than 200 cinema adverts of the beach safety message were shown every week throughout the campaign.

"I am very proud to announce council's achievement in winning the award," Cr Holstein said.

"This could not have been done without the generous support of local businesses and organisations such as the Ettalong Cinema Paradiso.

"Council's submission in the prestigious awards was its 08/09 beach safety campaign, which focused on educating the two million plus beach goers who visit the area annually, on how to be safe on Gosford City beaches."

Cr Holstein said that evaluation of the campaign revealed that the beach safety message was not only seen by the target market, but also that the safety messages were understood and acted upon.

"In 2008 rescues outside the flags totalled 1577 and in 2009 that total fell to just 445 rescues," Cr Holstein.

"This 71 per cent reduction in rescues is made even more remarkable when assessed with the full knowledge of the huge increase in beach goers, perhaps due to the better weather experienced in 08/09 season.

"Beach visits rose from 1.2 million in 07/08 to almost double with 2.2 million visiting the beach in 08/09."

According to Cr Holstein, the multimedia campaign featured a message of positive reinforcement of the right things to do at the beach to be safe, rather than a 'do not' approach.

He said judges commented that the campaign featured a very clear and well-targeted beach safety message that had terrific reach, a real impact on safety and awareness and with a very modest budget.

Cr Holstein said he was extremely proud of the efforts of Gosford council staff which contributed to the success of the campaign.

"The Gosford City Local Government Area encompasses some 50km of coastline with magnificent stretches of beach," Cr Holstein said

"Our dedicated team of Professional Council Lifeguards, in partnership with our nine resident Surf Life Saving Clubs, patrol from Wamberal in the north to Umina in the south.

"Together we provide patrols for seven months a year at nine stretches of beach.

"This award recognises the ability, resourcefulness and creativity of the staff that make up our Leisure and Lifestyle Unit and their ability to create value for commercial media partners, who in turn have utilised their resources to get our safety message to a mass market during a period of peak beach usage."

Clare Graham, 7 Aug 2009 Interviewee: Cr Chris Holstein, Gosford Council Press release, 7 Aug 2009 Cr Chris Holstein, Gosford Council