Visitors to Onkaparinga’s most popular playgrounds, parks and community centres will get handy visual reminders to be SunSmart thanks to a South Australian-first partnership between the council and Cancer Council SA.

The council says subtle yet engaging pavement stickers have been installed in prominent locations at 12 parks and playgrounds, and eight community centres in the City of Onkaparinga through the inaugural SunSmart Parks project.

The decals feature Cancer Council’s iconic Sid the seagull and his Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide message to help protect people from skin cancer, plus links and QR codes to receive UV alerts and live UV levels tailored to specific locations.

When UV levels reach three and above, it’s recommended to protect skin with these five simple and effective ways for maximum protection, reducing the risk of developing skin cancer – an almost entirely preventable disease that kills more than 2,000 Australians each year:

• Slip on sun-protective clothing.
• Slop on SPF 50 or 50+, broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen.
• Slap on a broad-brimmed hat that shades the face, ears, and neck.
• Seek shade whenever possible.
• Slide on wrap-around sunglasses.

City of Onkaparinga CEO Phu Nguyen and Cancer Council SA Chief Executive Kerry Rowlands celebrated the launch of the SunSmart Parks Project at Niipu-niipu Wama/Morton Park on 7 November.

Mr Nguyen says the SunSmart Parks Project will ensure thousands of residents and visitors receive vital, life-saving reminders when they need them most.

“Our community loves its parks, playgrounds and community centres, and the new visual cues will remind people to protect themselves while enjoying these vibrant and inclusive places.

“We have 11 community centres and manage about 250 playgrounds with a policy guiding our shade provision. The new pavement stickers complement any shade onsite, providing expert, timely advice that supports healthy, thriving people.”

Cancer Council SA Chief Executive Kerry Rowlands says with 2-in-3 Australians diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime, Cancer Council SA is delighted to partner with the City of Onkaparinga to help spread the SunSmart message to the local community.

“Not only is sun protection vital to reducing your own risk of skin cancer, but role modelling SunSmart behaviours for our children sets them up to take those practices into adulthood, reducing their risk too.

“As we head into summer, with families starting to spend more time outdoors, these stickers are an important reminder to the community to check the UV and when it’s 3 and above, protect your skin using a combination of the 5 sun protection measures – slip on sun protective clothing, slop on SPF 50 or 50+ sunscreen, slap on a broadbrimmed or bucket hat, seek shade and slide on sunglasses.

“We applaud the City of Onkaparinga for spearheading this first-of-its-kind project to empower their community to reduce their skin cancer risk and hope this inspires similar initiatives across the state.” 

Visit the Cancer Council website for more information.