Drowning Prevention Auckland/Aotearoa (DPA) has revolutionised coastal safety management through an innovative partnership with ActiveXchange, using GPS-powered location analytics to strategically deploy life-saving interventions at Auckland’s most dangerous rock fishing sites.
The groundbreaking collaboration, detailed in DPA’s newly released 2025 Rock-Based Fishing Research Report, is helping reshape how safety risks are identified and addressed at Auckland’s highest-risk rock-based fishing sites. By combining real-world site observations with insights from ActiveXchange’s Movement Data module, DPA is now better equipped to recommend and implement targeted, evidence-based safety interventions, which is a major step forward in evidence-based coastal safety planning.
Data-Driven Safety Deployment
ActiveXchange’s Activity Trends component of its Movement Data Module uses quadkey mapping technology to track visitor patterns within 100m x 100m zones. Specifically targeting locations across Auckland’s west coast, DPA has unlocked unprecedented insights into when and where rock-based fishers are most active. This real-time intelligence has transformed how safety resources are allocated and interventions are timed.
Evidence-Based Funding Success
The partnership has also proven invaluable in supporting funding and policy submissions to Auckland Council and other regional stakeholders. DPA’s 2025 report demonstrates how ActiveXchange data has been instrumental in:
- Justifying infrastructure investments in Public Rescue Equipment (PRE) at high-traffic locations
- Supporting funding applications with concrete visitor usage statistics
- Optimising staff deployment during peak risk periods
- Demonstrating intervention effectiveness through before-and-after usage analysis
Previously, we were advocating for safety improvements based on anecdotal evidence and observational data only. Now we can present hard data showing exactly where people are, when they're there, and why specific interventions are needed.
Real-World Impact: Safety Recommendations
The Report outlines a comprehensive suite of safety recommendations aimed at reducing risk and improving outcomes for Auckland’s rock fishing community. These recommendations are built around the internationally recognised Drowning Chain of Survival framework, and are underpinned by the insights provided through ActiveXchange’s movement data.
Key interventions proposed include:
- Mandating lifejackets at designated high-risk locations during poor weather conditions, supported by new local bylaws.
- Installing and maintaining Public Rescue Equipment (PRE) such as life rings and throw bags at popular fishing sites.
- Standardising multilingual safety signage and real-time environmental warnings at known risk locations.
- Aligning staff patrols and educational campaigns with peak visitation periods identified through ActiveXchange quadkey data.
- Developing targeted outreach campaigns for at-risk communities, including culturally responsive messaging and safety ambassador programs.
The report strongly encourages Auckland Council to continue leveraging the ActiveXchange platform to monitor changing visitation patterns, guide ongoing resource allocation, and support future infrastructure investment cases. With high-risk behaviours persisting at some sites and shifting usage trends over time, real-time location-specific data remains critical to ensuring safety interventions are both timely and effective.
We're seeing first-hand how data can drive positive social impact. By understanding movement patterns, we can help organisations like DPA plan and implement smarter safety strategies that make a real difference.
The DPA-ActiveXchange partnership serves as a model for how innovative data applications can drive meaningful social impact, providing a blueprint for other advocacy groups, councils, and peak bodies looking to deliver evidence-based safety interventions.
Click here to read the full report.
