We recently lost a beautiful soul, Aden Nankervis - a son, brother, uncle, dear friend, and beloved member of our community, known for his bright personality, kindness, humour, and his heart for others. Aden tragically took his life at Strzelecki Lookout. His passing has left countless people asking how this could have been prevented. 

The Strzelecki Lookout is not safe. 

The road leading to the cliff edge at Strzelecki Lookout, High St, is a 300-metre straight stretch, with only one small speed bump and no substantial physical barrier between vehicles and the cliff edge. A timber fence, all that currently stands between cars and the cliff, has been crashed through multiple times. The fact that a vehicle can so easily reach the cliff edge is unacceptable. The lookout has already seen multiple tragic suicides and attempts over the years. 

The absence of bollards and crisis-support signage has turned one of Newcastle’s most beautiful coastal lookouts into a location of repeated loss.

Although exact figures are not publicly released, I have lived in the area for five years and am aware, through both community knowledge and multiple news reports, of at least five tragic incidents at the Strzelecki Lookout within the last 5 years. One should have been enough. Change should have happened long before now. The recurrence of these devastating events makes it clear that this location is a known high-risk area, and immediate safety action is needed to prevent further loss of life.

It is beyond time that the City of Newcastle addresses this.

Installing vehicle bollards along the road and carpark perimeter would provide an immediate, visible deterrent. It will not stop every tragedy, but if it deters even one person, if it forces even one moment of hesitation, it will be worth every dollar and every effort.

Evidence from other high-risk NSW locations, such as The Gap in Sydney, shows that physical barriers save lives. At The Gap, measures including higher fencing, CCTV surveillance, emergency help phones, and prominent crisis-support signage were installed after years of tragic loss. Since these safety upgrades, the number of suicides at the site has significantly decreased, demonstrating the real, measurable impact of environmental design and early-intervention measures. This is not theory, it is proven prevention.

The NSW Government’s own Suicide Prevention Framework 2022–2027 explicitly recognises the importance of environmental safety measures at known locations of concern. The City of Newcastle has the ability, and the responsibility, to act on this knowledge and to demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting its citizens.

This petition is not simply a plea; it is a call for leadership. The community cannot bear to lose another life this way.

On behalf of myself, Aden’s family, friends, and a growing number of heartbroken and concerned community members, I am formally requesting that the City of Newcastle:
- Undertake an immediate site safety review of Strzelecki Lookout
- Prioritise the installation of permanent vehicle bollards to prevent access to the cliff edge.
- Install crisis-support signage, CCTV surveillance cameras, and emergency phones to enable early intervention.

This is not just about Aden, this is not just about those who tragically lost their lives at Strzelecki lookout before him, it’s about ensuring no more families receive that phone call, no more friends stand in disbelief at that lookout, and no more lives are lost at a site that could have been made safe.

There is no need to donate any money to this petition. The petition is about calling for action. Your signature is enough. If you would like to donate to Aden’s family, there is a go fund me page available, which can be found at https://gofund.me/441bb8e08