New course teaches migrants ways of beaches

MICHELLE HERBISON
HASAN Algawasmeh had never heard of a rip before he completed a water safety education day at Queenscliff.
The Jordanian is one of many new migrants who have learned valuable lessons about living with Australia’s beaches in multicultural courses at Queenscliff Marine Discovery Centre in the past few months.
“In Jordan we only have very small beaches so there is much to learn,” Mr Algawasmeh said.
“Now I know things like rip currents can be very dangerous to humans.”
Mr Algawasmeh said many participants in the discovery centre program had little prior understanding of the Australian coast.
“The legal size of the fish is not an easy thing to learn by just reading, you need somebody to explain it to you.”
Mr Algawasmeh said he was on the waiting list to participate in a new five-day multicultural guides course next year.
The Parks Victoria course ran for the first time in Queenscliff last month, teaching 11 migrants safe and responsible use of beaches.
A Parks Victoria spokesperson said participants took family and friends on informal tours to share knowledge about coastal areas.
The discovery centre’s Alex Giannuzzi said the participants learned practical information.
“We wanted them to know why we have certain regulations to do with fisheries like size limits. Newly arrived people sometimes don’t know that kind of thing.”
Ms Giannuzzi said spreading environmental messages to migrants was essential.
“Certain places are marine national parks that you can’t collect from. Other places the people might want to go fishing and we want to say ‘Let’s do it in a sustainable way’.”